Anything But Mute
Nicholas Chapel is one extremely talented fella. Two years ago he released one of the finest albums of 2008, or any other year as far as I am concerned. Two years down the line I've still not got to the point of it becoming the slightest bit tiresome.
For those not in the know, the name 'Demians' comes from a character called Max Demian from a book by Herman Hesse that he read as a young child, and obviously has a profound effect on young Chapel. "The character of Demian was fascinating to me, expressing his thoughts freely in a way I was not able to express at the time. When searching for a name for my music, I wanted to name the songs, they are my little "Demians".....they help me understand my place in the world". I couldn't have described this any better than Chapel and sums up his whole ethos perfectly. After removing himself from his bedroom studio for 'BAE', Chapel fled to a lake house on the shores of Normandy to record his sophomore LP, Mute. Which is anything but....!
If you are expecting something very different from the debut then go away now. The music is definitely not a "Mary Poppins" happiness infused collection. If anything, Chapel has intently gone for an even more melancholic and depressive experience than previous. The premise hasn't changed either, if anything there is more depth than before if that was ever possible! Chapel is still responsible for ALL music on the album, this time staying well away from samples – and playing 'real' instruments, even learning new ones along the way, giving Mute a greater character and warmth than 'BAE'. The flow of the album is not as smooth as BAE, which seems was intentional, giving the album a rawness and more eclectic, and intense feel to it all. But quite frankly, it works. There's not the long periods of 'ambience' as there was on the debut and it clocks in at a more reasonable 50 ish mins.
"Mute" draws its influences from far and wide, from electronic induced I.E.M. (Steven Wilson) moments to progressive to hard edged metal along its tireless journey. 'Swing of the Airwaves' kicks proceedings off perfectly, with its down tuned guitar sound and speeds along for its seven and a half minutes. 'Feel Alive' is one of the stunning pieces on "Mute", with Chapel building up the tension eventually drawing away from the instrumentation to Chapel screaming the songs title before finishing on a high, before the subdued contrasting Porcupine Tree-esque 'Porcelain'.
'Black Over Gold' is a sombre tune, with Chapel's tone absorbing you with the grief he is feeling, before building up to its powerful crescendo, before fading away into nothingness. Absolutely stunning. 'Hesitation Waltz' is another 'must hear' experience, standing as if you are in the 'eye of a hurricane' at first, quiet and slowly developing, then as the 'eye' passes the storm brews, building into a powerful huge wall of sound, before calm ensues once more.
Basically Chapel has done it again. He's produced an album of undoubted quality. He has grown as a performer, songwriter, producer, and vocalist, with a maturity beyond his years. Again, Demians has reached another pinnacle that others will fail to achieve. His output on two albums is superior than many could care to offer over their lifetime. Embrace Chapel whilst we can, he is a truly stunning performer.