A genre of post-industrial music that has an ominous, dark droning and often gloomy, monumental or catacombal atmosphere, partially with discordant overtones.
As one descends into darkness, I can only imagine what the soundtrack that accompanies them may sound like. For those lost souls that have committed horrible atrocities, the deafening sounds of decaying industrial noise may forever haunt their every move as it guides them to the pits of hell. For those that have brought shame upon themselves in one way or another may experience a past-lifetime of excruciating gothic undertones. For the rest of the blasphemous descendants, they may experience the diabolical, black ambient sounds of the latest CLAVICVLA album, ‘Sepulchral Blessing’. Horrifying drones, despondent bass frequencies and haunting spoken words bring this terrifying album to life and singes the ear drums of those brave enough to listen. The six ritualistic drones presented on this release combine the dreadful soundscapes that will fill your every wakening moment, with intense anxiety and traumatic noise bliss as the great James Plotkin (O.L.D., Khanate, Phantomsmasher) masters the album to a daunting quality like no other.
The ultra-low bass frequencies of “Demonic Integration”, sets a steady droning pace, as distorted spoken words provide a sermon of evil. Agonizing soundscapes add a layer of discomfort as the listener is treated to an audio assault equivalent to a medieval exorcism. “Insorcist Will” begins with a low-end keyboard arrangement that begrudgingly provides an auditory nail straight to the brain through the ear. The monotone droning creates an eerie vibe and is reminiscent of an early Sunn O))) recording. “Tiamat Skin” ignites a profound soundscape with evil, droning textures and simple, acoustic bass sounds. The frighting spoken words – although barely audible – probably tells a disturbing story of grotesque crimes that have gone unsolved, with bodies unfound. The monk-like chanting at the beginning of “Angra Mainyu” sounds like a demonic summoning gone wrong. As the isolated pads and distorted spoken words join in, it’s clear that corrupt forces are at work here. Ominous soundscapes throughout provide another layer of agonizing excitement as endless torment is imminent. “Apocryphal Truth” starts quietly – compared to the rest of the tracks – but soon gathers alarming momentum, as creepy sounds penetrate the ears. This tracks relies heavily on long, droning sounds to contribute to the misery. The albums final track, “Sepulchral Blessing” furnishes with a climactic ending to the hate and discontent by creating an infernal mix of depressive drones and twisted, synthesized pads. The spoken words are at their most evil and sound abhorrent compared to the previous tracks.
CLAVICVLA have succeeded in creating one of the most disturbing black ambient albums in recent years. The ghoulish spoken word parts and the constant use of distorted low-end bass frequencies are the primary factors that make ‘Sepulchral Blessing” one of the best in the genre. It also helps that the album cover is equally bothersome. This not only surpasses their 2018 debut album, ‘Sermons’, but is May quickly become a defining moment in the genre as a whole. Show your support for this twisted, but brilliant artist (as well as Cyclic Law and/or Sentinent Ruin Laboratories) and download this sinister album as soon as possible!
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If you look at the overall evolution of music, dark ambient is still in the early (but formidable) years of development. Achieving initial attention in the early 1970’s and gaining strength in the 1980’s with consistent artists such as Zoviet France and Lustmord, dark ambient is as strong as ever with a surfeit amount of artists on the scene, delivering some of the most dreadful, yet memorable droning soundscapes yet. One of the artists that have maintained that gloomy integrity is Iranian-based stronghold, Xerxes The Dark. Considered one of the constant heavyweights in the dark ambient community, XTD not only releases persistent albums, but has also collaborated with other top dark ambient artists to deliver some of the most compelling albums in the genre. For example, XTD and Ugasanie collaborated on the 2018 release, ‘Abysmal’, an album that I feel is one of the greatest dark ambient albums ever released. Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing the man behind XTD, Morego Dimmer, to get his perspective on all things XTD, his influences, gear, as well as his experimental, downtempo project called, Morego.
1. First of all, thank you for the interview opportunity. Can you tell me about the beginnings of Xerxes The Dark and how this became a Dark Ambient project?
At the beginning, the project name was simply Xerxes (2005-2009) then I changed it to Xerxes The Dark to not be confused with other bands/projects. Beside of this, Xerxes The Dark’s main musical Genre is Ambient Music. In different periods I was experiencing different things in my life which affected my musical style as well. Generally Dark Ambient is my Favor reference, Cause I love and use it in my own way, through different years I added different spices to my music, like noise, drones, recorded SFX, field recordings, etc. Being independent and experimental musician helped me to go through the space- time freely, so I didn’t forced myself to stick on certain things. This caused me to release stuffs in different styles from space ambient to ritual drone, from experimental electronic to industrial dark ambient. Dark Ambient is a fertile field for me in which I do what I really love to do and harvest what I want.
2. Xerxes The Dark is such a majestic name, how did you come up that?
As the matter of fact, (many of) Iranian people are living with their historical heroes, ancient myths and their old world. So it’s not weird why I choose my music project from Achaemenid Empire. King Xerxes was one of my Favorite kings in the History, I’ve read one of his tabulas in my childhood and I think it’s deeply penetrate into my mind, so at the time of naming, I’ve picked Xerxes.
3. Earlier this year, you remastered and re-released your first studio album ‘Dim’. How did the decision come about to re-release this stellar album?
When I was producing DIM, my home studio was running on very low budget as I was a high school student and have not enough money to spend on my musical career, but I really wanted to release my music. So I released DIM as a near demo album back in November 2006, firstly limited edition 13 CDRs, and later I released it via Amduscias Records and Smell The Stench. At the time I knew that the production is not much perfect, but it was a bottom heart work, so technical aspects were not very important to me at the time. Years later, as my studio became more pro, I was listening to DIM, I just thought that why I don’t polish those old works? And I started to work on them, beside DIM, I remastered other early work stuffs as well and some of them released and some of them will release in future.
4. Is there a story behind the song titles all starting with DIM?
Just a concept, I think because I was very depressed at those days, and everything around me was dark and grey.
5. How do you feel your sound/style has changed (or improved) over the years?
Music is an interactive and living thing. My music is easily affected by my mood, my mental state and environment. Throughout the past years I experienced things in my life which some of them were really weird, one of these was my father’s health issues which began in 2009 and ends in 2012 (when he passed away). In this period I was fighting with depression and other things and Cause I really love my father, I was suffering from his health issue. Throughout these years I just use music to medicine myself and calming down my soul, no serious stuff released in this period, (just a single for XTD “Utter Darkness” released on 2009/ starting MOREGO project and releasing a demo album/participating on a metal band which disbanded on 2010). Months After my Father’s Funeral, I decided to release my 2009-2011 recorded stuff as “Capricornus Exotica” album that is a real weirdo! Beside of life events (like studying / graduating from engineering college, working, achieving MSc in engineering, and some other academic things/ and recent health issues); the Studio, Instruments, Hardware and Software, gears, etc. are very important parameters that affected my music career. Also I’m always a learner, so educating myself theoretically and technically helped to improve my career over time.
6. Last year, you released a collaboration album with Ugasanie called ‘Abysmal’, which is one of my all-time favorite Dark Ambient releases. How did that recording come about?
I liked Ugasanie project when I listened it for the first time, so I added Ugasanie to my collaborating list and when the time has been came, I messaged him and asked for collaboration, he accepted and we started to find a proper concept, after a while he proposed to work on Mariana Trench as the concept, and I liked the idea! So we made Abysmal together. Simon Heath perfectly mastered the Album, Then Keosz did the stunning artwork, and finally Abysmal released on Cryo Chamber, this package deserves to be an all-time fav dark ambient release, huh?
7. You’ve also released collaborations with Alphaxone and DeepDark, so are collaboration albums just as enjoyable as releasing your own solo material?
Actually my first collaboration with Greek artist “Ego Death” album was released in 2008 titled “At Night”. Another split release was “Tomb Of Seers” beside Council Of Nine, Alphaxone and Wolves And Horses (Cryo Chamber). Also I did collaborated with my other musical projects as well. Yes, collaboration in any form like split albums, collab albums and even working on a Single Track with other artist(s) is always enjoyable, cause you learn from each other, you exchange knowledge, you became friend with someone at least understand your taste of music, you become familiar with other artist’s visions and sights, exchanging ideas are cool.
8. I’ve noticed lately that you’ve been heavily promoting your new project Morego. This project is much different from Xerxes The Dark so can you tell us what influenced you to write/record music under Morego?
You know it’s popular for producers to work under multiple projects. The main reason is to experience different genres, and different styles. I always loved to work on a serious rhythmic ambient project. Morego at its first demo album “Seasons of the Wrong Mind (2013)” was a blend of minimal and nostalgic neo-classical pieces and electro-rock / ambient opuses. When I back to the project on 2017, when I upgraded my studio, I decided to work seriously on this project, because it tells the stories that my other projects can’t. Morego is talking about my personal interests, personal life, while XTD talks about Universe, Philosophy, Metaphysics, Mankind and other general concerns. Morego’s main sources of inspiration are solitude, loneliness and the life’s journey. In forthcoming album named “Astrophile”, I wrote music for my long-term love “SPACE” with Sci-fi taste. It’s about a man who loved space and finally he became an astronaut, in a mission to a planet he encounters some strange things…
9. Do you use the same equipment for recording the Morego and Xerxes The Dark projects?
Most of them are different, for example XTD uses a huge amount of field recordings, but Morego don’t. I use different techniques for sound designing. XTD needs Atmospheric pads with dark moods, spooky SFXs etc., while Morego needs glitchy SFXs, Beats and Noisy Rhythms, the same things I use for my project are maybe the PC, DAW, Monitor Speakers and Audio Interface. I use Different Synths for making soundscapes/ pads/ drones for XTD and making beats, FXs, ARPs for Morego. And to be honest, sometimes I use a certain Synth to make different sounds for projects.
10. Do you often play live as Xerxes The Dark or Morego? Do you plan live tours for your projects?
Generally not performed much live shows, I prefer to perform live in official festivals. I played in two countries so far, Iran & Armenia, though i was invited for some Fests in Russia, Italy and Germany through the past decade. Most of the times i played as Xerxes The Dark. Nothing planned for live tours yet, cause our current economic situation is preventing me to planning for independent tours/ live shows.
11. Do you have other projects names that you record under as well?
Yes, Nyctalllz is my other project, which started in 2007, released four solo albums, and two split albums. Nyctalllz is a Noise project experiencing experimental electronic and electro-acoustic music.
12. What can we expect from Xerxes The Dark in 2020?
The plan is not much clear yet. Maybe some live shows, and working on new materials for some interdisciplinary projects.
13. Thank you very much for taking the time to answer these questions! Do you have any final thoughts for your fans that may be reading this interview?
Thank you indeed for making this interview, my fans and fellas are great, I always appreciate their supports and their energies.
“Best Regards”
Morego Dimmer (aka Xerxes The Dark, Nyctalllz, Morego)
Erythrite Throne is one of those amazing bands that has the gift of seamlessly combining multiple genres of music into a singular platform to convey a sound like no other. In this case, the genres of Dungeon Synth and Black Metal are the dominant art forms that take center stage and their merger leaves the sound of Erythrite Throne undeniably, and unmistakably one-of-a-kind. However, on this very special Hallows Eve release called ‘Ghost Stories’, the harsh black metal tones are vacated, in place of symphony sickness that is sure to mesmerize and soothe the angriest of night spirits.
Conjuring up ghostly spirits, “Devil’s Night” seems like a fitting album opener as the soothing keyboard sounds fool the listener into a trance-like state before the somber dirges (of the remainder of the album) take over and evoke the essence of evil that only come out on this particular eve. “Decaying Burial Grounds” is an excellent symphonic piece with catchy melodic hooks and fluid low-end bass keys that provide a stable platform for eliciting frightful pleasures from beyond the grave. The beginning of “The Dhampyre’s Tomb” would be a great intro for a black metal album, but when the lush keyboard kicks in, it’s reminiscent of a song taken from an 80’s horror film soundtrack. Elements of this song are very dark and grim but the standout arrangement make it deceitfully beautiful. “Shriek Of The Witch” exhibit elements of classic dungeon synth in the way the lead off keyboard style and patterns are played. It is combined perfectly with the back end track to create a tasty treat to ward of the ghoulish entities. My favorite track on the album, “A Dance In The Cemetery Fog” combines elements of dungeon synth, symphonic keys, twisted & macabre sounding instrumentation, and simple keyboard arrangements to create a grave worthy track of haunts and frights. The albums final number, “Tale Of The Lonely Ghost” is another exemplary track that incorporates a drum beat and multiple, haunting melody tracks that are sewn together to form contorted dirge that are sure to please all of the ghastly beings of the underworld.
Erythrite Throne definitely have the upper hand when it comes to releasing Dungeon Black Metal. Even though some releases do not contain the sounds of harsh vocals or guitars, they contain the symphonic elements of the lighter side of black metal, thus remaining classified in the same genre of music. ‘Ghost Stories’ is no exception to that, as beautiful keyboard arrangements and lush-type synths take the lead on this special Halloween album release. I recommend listening to this with the lights turned off, under the natural light of a single burning candle and be willing to communicate with the afterlife, as this album can be used as the perfect medium. This superlative album can be downloaded at the link below.
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For my second Halloween review, I’ll be checking out the latest from Solus Woods entitled, ‘All Hallows’. Just released several days ago, Solus Woods dives into the spooky sounds of the scariest night of the year and replenishes our senses with the shrills of horror films from yesteryear; and when I say yesteryear, I’m talking mid to late 80’s slasher flicks. Although these five tracks total at just under ten minutes, they pack quite a punch and would make for the perfect background noise while handing out candy to the trick o’ treaters that think their approach to your front door will scare you.
Lead off track, “A Lonesome Ghoul Rises From The Grave” could have easily been written as the into track for the Day Of The Dead soundtrack, as it conjure up the undead with its haunting ambient tones and mesmerizing keyboard arrangement. “The Death Omen Of A Radiant Boy” drones with the hiss and crackle of an old record, while celestial soundscapes resinate with power. The sounds of an eerie music box provide a sense of dread and torment and the scare factor is real. “In The House, A Sad Ghost Reflects On Life” contains bleak soundscapes, a discordant piano provision, and a grandfather clock that signifies that time is up for the lost souls that are held captive in the afterlife. “Wendigo” is an alluring ambient-style piece with lush soundscapes and contain a touch of special effects at the end to keep the arrangement interesting. The final track, “Beyond The Threshold, The Fiend Lurks” would be the perfect piece to play during the ending credits of a movie that contained a horrific ending. Although minimalistic with scorching synthesized tones, the sound is quite evil and the abrupt ending will leave you wanting more to listen to.
Solus Woods continues to outdo previous albums with each new one that is released. From the quality of writing, construction of the songs and overall product production, Solus Woods is quickly becoming one of my go-to bands for not only dungeon synth, but for dark ambient recordings as well. I highly recommend checking out and supporting this magnificent artist and downloading not only ‘All Hallows’, but the entire back catalog as well.
Please Like/Follow my blog so that you’ll get first hand updates every time I post a review. Thanks for visiting the Dungeon. While your at it, please check out my friends podcast called “The Opinionated Optimist” at one of the links below, where he reviews anything and everything. He will be releasing a special Halloween Podcast as well.
The time is upon us in which we annually celebrate Allhallowtide – the remembrance of the dead – otherwise known as Halloween. In the modern day, Halloween is celebrated by trick-or-treating, carving pumpkins, visiting haunted houses or attending costume parties. However, some of us prefer to press play on some of the recently released dungeon synth and/or dark ambient releases that pay tribute to this dull and chilling festive day. If you’re seeking something hair raising to listen to that will satisfy your taste of both the DS and DA genre’s, look no further than ‘Halloween Manifesto’ by Rhäzüns. A collection of two previously released EP’s, the first half is more in the dark ambient realm, whereas the second half dives into dungeon synth – the perfect combination for the types of music my website was designed for.
Album opener, “Brume” quickly manifests into a haunting soundscape as if you are floating seamlessly in the vacuum of space and then are suddenly thrusted through a dark nebula and sucked in a voracious black hole. The grim echoes of the keyboards ring from ear to ear as background noises cause a panic throughout the track. “Mire” contains classic instrument sounds as if they were peeled from an Alfred Hitchcock movie soundtrack. the ambient tones provide the perfect backdrop to combine all of the arrangements happening in this track and it makes for one creepy dirge. “Gale” contains more of an industrial ambient sound as harsh textural undertones contribute to the eerie expression of multiple droning sounds, which results in a terrifying elegy. “I” is the first dungeon synth track on the album and has both grim and upbeat parts, as well as constant drum rolls to make for a very entertaining piece. “II” contains some bizarre voice-like sounds, mixed with some off-kilter keyboard arrangements to provide more of a variety of tunes on the second half of the album. “III” is a simple keyboard arrangement played over and over again with various soundscapes and drum beats playing in the background. However, this is very affective, as it’s one of the most melodic and accessible tracks on the album. “IV” has an awesome cathedral-style keyboard part in the beginning that is complimented by a dungeon synth keyboard melody. Although it’s one of the shorter songs on the album, it’s one of my favorites and I find myself playing this one over and over again. “V” is very well written and could easily be used in a fantasy or science fiction movie soundtrack. From the steady drum beats to the various keyboard arrangements and the low-end bass pattern, there is a lot happening in this song and may take multiple listens for the listener to comprehend what all is going on. “VI” is another masterfully written piece as it contains a flute-like sound and a simple drum beat with a soft sounding guitar melody that can barely be heard. This is another stand-out track for me, as groove and riff in this song make it seem like something being played at a war dance or a festival before a great battle is about to take place.
Rhäzüns have released something very special in ‘Halloween Manifesto’ as it covers several genres of music that I love and is dedicated to on of my favorite holidays of the year. Wether you’re a fan of dark ambient or dungeon synth, I’m pretty sure that you’ll love this album as it meshes the two genres near perfectly. Show your support for this excellent artist and album and download it from the link below.
I would also like to give a special shout out to Waclaw Traier and Droned Artworks for designing and painting this wonderful album artwork. He is also the mastermind behind the artwork of The Dungeon In Deep Space and I cannot recommend his art enough. Not only are his paintings fantastic, but he is a true professional to deal with and I’m also happy to call him my friend! Check out his work at the link below.
Please Like/Follow my blog so that you’ll get first hand updates every time I post a review. Thanks for visiting the Dungeon. While your at it, please check out my friends podcast called “The Opinionated Optimist” at one of the links below, where he reviews anything and everything. He will be releasing a special Halloween Podcast as well.
The feeling of being trapped in an industrial wasteland brings the sense of claustrophobia, terror, and chaos and surround your every intention. It’s hard to separate reality from a vicious nightmare in the ghastly ordeal that you’ve been forced to deal with. All around are the agonizing voices of those who weren’t fortunate enough to escape the brutality of this living hell. This is the scene painted by the latest effort by Destruktionsanstalt called ‘Døds-Hymner’. Pairing hate filled death-industrial with dreadful dark ambient has culminated into a release that will give you horrific nightmares and send chills down your spine.
Album opener “Morbidus Atractio”, waste no time originating the onset of inner destruction with its deafening noise inclusion and barely-audible voice samples. It’s almost as if a demon is reeking havoc on a small community and we’re all forced to listen to the barbarous outcome. “Contangiosis” continues down the same destructive path and gives the listener a sense of confinement and dread. News samples about a deadly, contagious virus can be heard in the background, adding an extra layer of fright, as the listening pleasure becomes more intense. “Infectio” changes the pace of the album but in sound only. Although this track is more in lines of a dark ambient piece with eerie field recordings, it still provides a gruesome picture of chaos & torture that is happening all around. “Pax En Morte” is another dark ambient track that yields some heinous monotone soundscapes that can easily describe the aftermath of a diabolical killing spree. Following in the footsteps of this savage event comes the ominous track, “Psychopomp”. More cruel intentions are at play here, as ghastly voices can barely be heard throughout this calm, but gloomy track. “Nigrum Caelum” is another solid ambient track with bleak undertones and field recordings throughout. This signifies there are no survivors in the aftermath of the torturous events that have brought us to this point and a full-on apocalyptic outcome is imminent. The final track on the album, “Vale Patri Meo”, brings back the industrial edge as if the vicious cycle is starting all over again. The low-end reverberating tone is counterbalanced by a futuristic keyboard arrangement – which fits perfectly in the song – and signifies the start of somber times. As the track winds down to an end, more voice samples can be heard. It almost sounds like an end-of-days sermon but is barely audible, fitting perfectly in the mix.
Destruktionsanstalt have found a happy medium between death-industrial and dark ambient. Even though these two genres have similarities and intertwine quite often, rarely are they done in a fashion where it stands the test of time and remains relevant to both genres. ‘Døds-Hymner’ is the album that breaks those barriers and remains entertaining throughout. As a listener, I really enjoy an album when I can sit back and play the whole thing through, and visualize a story based on the music alone. This album easily contributes to all of those senses and then some. Please support this incredible artist and download this album from the link below!
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In the world of Dark Ambient music, listeners are taken on a whirlwind of imaginative journeys through the mind, where most of the action takes place in post-apocalyptic worlds, where humans are living off of the land and fighting for survival. The long droning soundscapes match the harrowing travels across desolate lands, looking for other survivors in order to make peaceful communities that will flourish in numbers. Although not always meant to have a positive outcome, Dark Ambient music gives the listener a means to cope with these situations in a seemingly virtual environment. However, for Harrogat’s latest release, ‘Sigillum’, I find myself drifting to a futuristic world, once ran by rabid machines, but suddenly abandoned, yet feared for an imminent return for a final invasion. Humans now seek shelter anywhere they can find before this total devastation occurs. The world is a cold, dark and quiet place. A small group of survivors stumble upon a cathedral with a mesmerizing seal (Sigillum) on the door and enter with the hopes to find solace. However, once they enter, they sense a demise of another kind.
‘Sigillum’ is quite short for a Dark Ambient album, clocking in at just thirty three minutes over six parts. However, these parts flow as a single track and provide a complete soundtrack for any chilling story the imagination can come up with. “I” begins with haunting keyboards that flow between deep sounds and lush drones, as if the worlds horizon is constantly colliding between daybreak and darkness. However, it’s apparent that darkness wins this encounter, as by the end of the track, the lush tones give way to destructive soundscapes. “II” is a short track, filled with beautiful keyboard tones that find the protagonist, peacefully walking the halls of the seemingly abandoned cathedral, in search of life, or at least a place to call home temporarily. However, as “II” fades into “III”, it is apparent that something is wrong and the group of survivors are not alone. There is another entity inside the cathedral, stalking them, without making the slightest sound. The music drones quietly and deeply at first and then adds layers of deep sounds, giving it an evil tone. As the sound thickens and grows deeper, the group of survivors come to a door with the same seal as on the outer door of the cathedral. As they inspect the seal, they realize, it’s an ancient artifact of calamity that represents malicious intent. “IV” has an eerie vibe and the drones dissolve in bizarre fashion as high-pitched soundscapes counteract the deep bass tones. As the group continues to inspect the seal, the door suddenly opens. It’s pitch black on the other side. Do they dare enter? As the distant drones of “V” make their way to the forefront, the group of survivors enter the dark room slowly and quietly. This ghostly track provides a path of sheer terror, as it contains a supernatural vibe and a horrific structure for the consistent flow of ethereal keyboard patterns. The door shuts behind the group of survivors and the room becomes pitch black. They crowd close together in agonizing terror as their final doom awaits them. The final track on the album, “VI” bestows a bleak, radiant sound that resonates from side to side, as the group of survivors suddenly sees a quick flash of light and then they all fall to the floor. The rabid machine had stalked and preyed upon them, and annihilated them all with a single shot. The time for the machines to reclaim their land is now.
Harrogat has provided a wonderful platform for the listener to let loose with their imagination. “Sigillum’ not only excels as a masterful Dark Ambient album, it does so while relying more on minimalism than including a lot of external soundscapes and field recordings. Albums like this make listening to Dark Ambient music such an enjoyable experience. If you want to lose your mind and soul in another world and be rewarded with an excellent musical journey, then download Sigillum from the link below and support this inspiring artist!
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We can easily associate Dark Ambient with post-apocalyptic times. Seeing that the cold, stale future of an industrial wasteland and the anarchical takeover of society can parallel the droning soundscapes that many DA artist portray them to be, it’s easy to make that comparison. Although not all dark ambient is notorious for this theme, it has become a staple thought process of the listeners imagination when zoning out to a good album, especially when the music is enhanced by a superb album cover and long tracks to set and maintain a certain mood. However, on the latest recording by Hiemis called, ‘Hyperborea’, a dismal picture of the horrors of war, personal torment, and post-traumatic anxiety is smeared across six monumental tracks. From eerie soundscapes and choir-like chants, to winter cold field recordings, these and other evil sounds augment the minimalistic low-end drones to create a recipe for an integrated and depressive audio assault.
“Yikilith” commences the attack right away with a bizarre opening keyboard section, followed by some quiet yet monstrous tones just as the droning begins. Choir-like singing – although inaudible – can be heard in the background, adding an additional frightening layer to the mix. The next track, “Urbo-Sathla” contains beautiful female chanting vocals in a few spots, giving this track a really creepy vibe. I can imagine a troop of soldiers finding solace in an abandoned cathedral, right after a hard fought battle, and unsure of their potential rescue from the situation at hand. This is probably my favorite track on the album and it could easily be on the soundtrack of a top-budget horror movie. “Tsathoggua” is a shorter track but has a consistent, droning sound throughout with added gloomy keys that provide a sense of urgency. The following track, “Voormithadreth” is a twelve and a half minute long polar ambient hymn that gives the listener the feeling of solitude, or even anxiety from the lack of knowledge of not knowing what is to become. Throughout the track, random noises emerge, making the listener more anxious of the unknown. “Polarion” has almost a dark jazz feel to it, as if chamber music meets chilling lounge music with added warm drones in the background. The trance-like sounds almost give this song a depressive feel, making it one of the darker songs on the album. The albums final track, “Yhoundeh”, is another short track containing a simple, yet affective dark drone, with some looping atmospherics layered over the top. The message that this track conveys to the listener is that although the battle is over, there is no winner. The damaging affects of war has affected both sides and recovery for all is now necessary.
The Noctivigant Collective label out of New Mexico is home to some of the worlds most innovative artists when it comes to dark ambient and experimental music. Releasing “Hyperborea” on their label is a collaborative effort that I hope will continue for many more albums to come. Hiemis is a very talented artist that has managed to keep the ideas fresh and the overall theme of “Hyperborea” in a league of its own. Show your support by downloading the album from the link below.
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Imagine waking up to a world you’ve never known, in an area where you’ve never been. The man-made city lights give way to post-apocalyptic darkness, in an industrial wasteland where you’re surrounded by heavy machinery that hasn’t been affected by the near complete annihilation of human existence. You find yourself on the run, with nowhere to hide, with no sense of direction, guided only by your heightened sense of awareness for survival. The noise generated by the machines grow louder, almost deafening, as they close in on your existence. There are others on the run as well, and you watch in complete horror as they are decimated by the industrialists. You may be safe – for now – but you can only run for so long before you become a victim of the industrial takeover. This is the kind of bleak story that Black Earth auspiciously creates with their sophomore effort entitled, ‘Gnarled Ritual Of Self Annihilation’. Containing forty five minutes of bludgeoning, ritualistic & industrial Dark Ambient, Black Earth have set out to conceive a soundtrack for the end of the modern world and the dawn of the post-industrial wasteland.
From the onset, “Doctrines Of Dissociation” provides the sudden impulse of urgency as if mass annihilation is imminent. With tribal-like thumping beats and harsh industrial soundscapes that gets louder and darker throughout the track, it pulls you in and grabs a hold without letting go, barricading the mind of all positive thoughts and dragging you down to an agonizing demise. Without skipping a beat, these soundscapes morph into “Abject Practises Beyond The Threshold”, where the listener is now subjected to grim, inaudible vocals that provide an endless nightmare to the rhythmic patterns. “Behold The Serpent” contributes the same chilling vocals, only now the multitude of industrial sounds are at maximum volume and are coming from all angles, with improvised guitars to add another layer to emit a grand feeling of claustrophobia. Right from the start, “The Sharp Blade That Mutilates The Void” produces a feeling of severe tension and anxiety as if you suddenly find yourself on the run from an entity that you cannot see. Although you know it’s there, it’s proximity cannot be determined. During the middle of the track, the industrial soundscapes giveaway to dark ambient drones and provides the feeling that you’re suddenly alone, although you feel you are being closely watched by your predator . “Drowned Under Seas Of Coagulation” is another ritualistic drone piece that – although not as harsh as some of the previous tracks – sets a very dark and depressing tone that is equally eerie in nature. “Lurking Hounds Stagger In The Deep” starts with a constant, deep thudding noise and is joined by some deep growls, ritualistic drones and evil, off-key synthesized noises that add an extra feeling of dread to the track. The song slowly fades into the albums final track, “The Mourning Waters Where Fire Never Dwells”. Whereas the previous track may be considered the climax in the fictitious story of the industrialists harsh takeover, this track is the descent from the madness, a sort of winding down of all of the ritualistic patterns that have ceased the brain for the previous forty one minutes. This is a much needed cool-down track, to allow for the mind to readjust after soaking in Black Earth’s soundtrack of decimation.
Dark Ambient is the perfect genre for letting your imagination run wild on creating a story that matches the music. Although a lot of Dark Ambient is deep droning with soundscapes and field recordings, most of it is rather smooth and mellow, albeit evil in tone. However, Black Earth plays a very ritualistic, industrialized droning Dark Ambient that is harsh on the body, mind & spirit. Even though you may not be able to kick back and relax with a Black Earth recording, you can certainly visualize being in another world, far from the reality for which you live today. This is another scorching hot winner for Cyclic Law Records! Support this amazing artist by clicking on the link below and downloading ‘Gnarled Ritual Of Self Annihilation’ now.
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After fronting the Swedish neoclassical dark wave band Arcana for nearly two and a half decades, Peter Bjärgö has decided to fully concentrate his musical talents and efforts in his own eponymous project. With a musical shift focusing more on dark atmospherics and songwriting geared toward live instrumentation backed by droning keys, Peter embarks on a soulful dark ambient journey filled with crystal-clear production, haunting vocal patterns and melodies throughout that show a versatile album containing the complete package for pleasing the ear and mind. Peter’s latest solo album, ‘Structures And Downfall’ soars to new heights, creating a perfect wall of sound that is as much wistful as it is opulent.
“Inner Cathedral” opens with an alluring guitar riff with a slight reverb and echo that would even please the production efforts of the great Devin Townsend. That soon gives way to the addition of drums and a backing ambient keyboard track to add to the sorrowful grimness of the song. Peters vocals come in and are absolutely chilling. This is a slow, droning track filled with beautiful, harmonized vocals and live instruments and is one of my overall favorite tracks on the album. “Into Eternity” starts off as just a man and his guitar, but with exquisite production and the eventual inclusion of vocals and ambient keyboards. “Anemoia & Onism” is an instrumental piece that has a tribal drum-like pattern and long, drawn out keyboard patterns that provide both the melody and backing ambience for the track. “When Thoughts Become Your Enemy” is another angelic piece that contains a very hazy, acoustic guitar riff, which is soon complimented by a graceful piano arrangement. “Structures And Downfall” is another one of my favorite songs as it slowly builds with a dream-like guitar riff, simple drum pattern, and a droning keyboards that constantly crescendo in the background. When Peter finally sings in the last half of the song, it’s very reminiscent of David Gilmour singing any of the classic songs from the ‘Wish You Were Here’ album. “Disintegration Of The Mind” showcases Peter’s vocal talents once again as he pushes the boundaries of his lower register and belts out a beautiful vocal melody from the very depths of his voice. The final track on the album, “Winter Song” is a very gloomy track, exposing the grayness of winter as it doesn’t get any brighter than perceived seasonal representation of the song.
Peter Bjärgö has struck gold with has latest release ‘Structures And Downfall’. Although it’s unlike any dark ambient album you’ll hear anytime soon, the atmospheric structure of these songs and the overall production, easily make this one of the album of the year contenders of the genre. Although vocals are used sparingly throughout this recording, there is not a single spot where it sounds discordant or disconnected from the track for which it is contained. The Cyclic Law Label once again produces another high-quality gem in its lineup of unmatched artist. Show your support by clicking on the link below to purchase this excellent album.
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