It’s been quite the year for Dead Melodies, as the Cryo Chamber Label artist not only released a magnificent solo album, ‘The Masterplan’, but also collaborated on spectacular releases with Zenjungle and Beyond The Ghost as well as participated in the annual Lovecraftian-themed Cryo Chamber album, ‘Yig’. All the same, Beyond The Ghost released one of my favorite albums of the year, ‘Eternal Drift’. That all being said, it seems fitting that these two exceptional artist team up to bring us a captivating thriller set in the rigid streets of Victorian-era London.
The calmness and intensity of “Message From The Horsemen” is so compelling, yet it perfectly sets a cold scenery as dimly lit streets and the haze of low-riding fog overcomes this tragic town. The slow galloping of horses is complemented by warm drones and soft soundscapes. Various instruments play random sequences to fulfill the travesty that may soon occur and the natural sounds of field recordings find their place perfectly in the mix. “The Crossing” commences with layers of obscure drones and soundscapes, creating a dismal landscape for a cold, Victorian night. Stringed instruments scream of misfortune as terror may soon unfold. Toward the end, the track turns into dense layers of beautiful melody as a sense of obscurity begins to fill the air. “A Theater Of Shadows” compliments the previous actions with alluring soundscapes and field recordings that are easy to follow along with, as this tragic story continues to unfold. Harmonious drones continue to captivate each second and appeal more toward a cinematic nature than minimalistic sound designs. “Cursed Riders Of Night” starts with a carnival-type musical sound and as it fades in and out, elegant pads generate ambiguous rhythms and the imminent tragedy continues. The streets are dark, cold and desolate yet there is doom in the air that compliments a bleak occurrence. Haunting loops crescendo toward the end as additional soundscapes penetrate the airwaves, producing a massive finale for this track – that coincidentally ends as it started, with creepy carnival music. “A Momentary Refuge”, is a short piano piece with cold drones and eerie field recording that’s reminiscent of someone slowly creeping across an old wooden floor. As they finally make it to the other side, additional scenic sounds can be heard, signifying a daring escape (or a silent getaway). “At The Foundry Gates” features a magnitude of disturbing soundscapes, sonic modulations and a continuation of harrowing drones that seem a bit colder than usual. The infusion of how various instrument sounds are included is amazing and this is definitely cinematic ambience at its best. The monstrous footstep sounds about halfway through are downright terrorizing and the combination of high-pitched keys are enough to mess with the senses. “Parlour Of Ignorance” starts with a minimalistic approach with the drone production. As the additional instruments and sound effects come into range, this arcane arrangement begins to unfold in the most peculiar way. Distant screams can be heard in the background at various intervals and after several times, the calming loops begin to fade. The acoustic passage at the end of this is serene and I wish that it lasted so much longer. “The Unforgiving Toll Of Time” begins with a few bars of light, Gregorian chants and then the cinematic soundscapes take over. The effects of how well everything is put together makes it seem as if the listener is embedded right in the scene. Drones with heavy reverb fade in and out, and an imaginative tale takes shape over the next few minutes. “Vagrant Souls” launches with a soothing drone, but as the sound intensifies so do the malevolent soundscapes. There is evil in the air as these modulations intensify, catapulting the listener into a dark realm of the unknown. Voices and music samples are heard softly in the background as moderate drones play out for the final few minutes. The final track on this extremely adventurous album is “Threadbare”. At just over eight minutes in playing time, it’s one of the longest songs on the album and definitely the most meditative. Containing hardly any field recordings, this one relies on layers of spectacular drones and emotional melody to put the listener in a different state of being. As far as the conceptualization goes, dawn has broke, evil has fled the dimly lit city streets and the eeriness of the unknown continues to lurk around the alleys and cobblestone bridges. Although there may finally be peace, it came at a cost and these tracks give us the adventure that was necessary for conjuring up an amazing story.
Conceptual collaborations are really starting to grow on me and this year has seen some of the best Dark Ambient collaborations yet. ‘Crier’s Bane’ by Dead Melodies & Beyond The Ghost is no exception. If the amazing solo works of these artists weren’t enough, fusing their talents to create a story like this is mind-blowing. This is an exceptional release and each artist brought their best efforts forward to create something truly amazing. I hope to hear more collaborations like this in the future from these artists, as there are many untold story’s that could be conceived with the help of true cinematic dark ambient music. I highly recommend checking out this album so please click on the link below and download ‘Crier’s Bane’.
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