Superficially speaking, Exit must be Poland’s answer to the Swans.  This is apparently the band’s second release for the Furia Musica label, and it is a masterful blend of dirge-paced acoustics and dreary angular electric guitars.  Their sound could primarily be considered to be a strain of apocalyptic folk, with the foreboding acoustic and electric guitar interactions, and the presence of accordion, and murky male vocals.  There is an absence of percussion, though the songs are tightly arranged and are carried by the dense guitar and bass work alone.  There are some creepy synths employed about halfway through the album, on the track “Ecce Ego” which is both chilling and trance inducive. Among the ten outstanding tracks that appear on this release, there is a mischievous rendition of William Blake’s “Sick Rose” as well as what appears to be a passage from a Biblical work entitled “Ecce Ego” (I could be mistaken here, but I can’t read Polish).

Exit is one of those beautifully depressing bands, similar in spirit to the “White Light” era of the Swans as well as Death In June and Current 93.  There is a droning, hypnotic aspect to the music, somewhat psychedelic yet unquestionably mysterious and sinister.  The vocals can be soft and pensive, yet every once in awhile they acquire a sudden burst of confrontational angst – if only I knew what the hell they were saying.  Again though, as with other European bands, I really dig the exotic and feeling of alienation and displacement that I get when listening to foreign vocalists.  Those of you that place a greater emphasis on lyrics might find yourself at a bit of a loss with Exit (unless of course, you know Polish).  The music therefore takes center stage, and the music on this disc is wholly engrossing, mature, strange, and very dark.  I highly recommend Exit to fans of obscure and avant garde oriented music.  I am not sure how easily obtained this release will be, but the label’s website is below.  It is definitely worth checking out!

Exit is:
Piotr Gedlek – guitar, vocals
Jakub Meus – guitar, vocals, synths, effects
Anna Psuty – akordeon
Patryk Wladyka – bass

Furia Musica:
http://www.terra.pl/furia

07/16/03