We know you wouldn’t be too keen on maximum ratings when it comes to Bulgarian albums. And you would probably be right in your concerns too. And even so, it is important for you to continue reading. And then – off to listening.

For this is not going to be the only good review of ‘Envision’ that you will come across. And there’s a good reason for that – this new SMALLMAN album is overwhelming. Heavy on sound. Thick. Multilayered. And heavily Bulgarian.

One of the albums you listen to from beginning til end without any idea of what the best track or the best part of it is.

Since they debuted in 2006 with their ‘smallman’ album, we think of them (and that’s quite a parallel!) as the new Tumno or at least – as the guys guys who continued from where Tumno left off. That’s a reason enough for all praise – for within a few yeaqrs of existence, SMALLMAN made the move from “that fairly great band” to “the band that serves us the album of the year as early as May”.

For this IS the album of the year and you have to be sure in that..

The SMALLMAN enchantment is well known to us. But while in their debut it was due to the act of discovering a new, really good Bulgarian band and their second album (Labyrinth of Present) marked a steady success and a staying true to their original concept, than ‘Envision’ is a different beast altogether.

It shows a band on the peak of creativity, a band that has achieved a clear cut studio performance, a clear concept, a step to an altogether new level.

We already mentioned the very Bulgarian feel of it. And that one’s clear from the very first seconds of opener ‘The Bond’ (and even more so from the following ‘Vision’) because the folkloric feel is not to be escaped throughout this album.

And it is due not only to the trademark bagpipe sound. Folklore has formed the backbone of ‘Envision’ and is equal to the heavy, crushing alternative rock sound that many of you might term Tool-ish (and would be spot on right).

Maybe because ‘Envision’ was conceived high at the Rodopa mountains and maybe because the band’s mainman has a blood relation to Isihia/Kayno Yesno Slontse’s frontman Vesko.

Thus the awkward rhythm section at ‘Dreaming Piece’ and ‘Vision’ comes as little surprise, as well as the Rodopa chants in ‘Parvom, parvom’ and ‘Vazpelo e pile’.
Here, however, you would find no clear folklore but a clean, crisp alt rock blend of heaviness and very Balkan feel.

Because with its mighty sound (just listen to the bass lines!) ‘Envision’ intoxicates and makes you feel like headbanging and contemplating to wold in silence, pretty much at the same time. And this feel of complex unity makes the album the great slab of music that it is.