STURM. Don’t let the name hearken memories of Dragonlance novels or rolling 20-sided dice in your parents’ basement. Well, you could, but that might limit what you get out of this.
Le Prix Du Sang Et Des Larmes (translation: “The Price Of Blood And The Tears “) is forty minutes of thematic, neoclassical landscapes over a militaristic rhythm hailing from France. There are no voices reciting Voltaire in any sort of gothic whisper (aside from a sample on “Terrorisme†which sounds like French in a Morse code pattern) or Scandinavian hell screams to curdle your blood, so if soundtracks make you wrinkle your nose, steer clear.
The movements are primarily driven by strings, piano and thunderous orchestral percussion, however, the focus is placed more on composition rather than any virtuosity or featured instruments. As one would expect from the French, there is certain amount of confidence and arrogant flair in the instrumentation and movements; it would be an insult deserving the duel-challenging slap of a glove to question what STURM is crafting.
Le Prix Du Sang Et Des Larmes has difficulty standing on its own. If it were associated with a film or perhaps had a story of some sort attached, it could merit more applause, but as it is, there’s particularly interesting going on. Great for background music when you want to feel a little cultured, maybe inspiration for a painting or just doing the dishes, but don’t expect much more than that.
Website: STURM
