Scott Lawlor is one of the most diligent artists in the Ambient community as his Bandcamp page seems to have a new release every week or two. Not to mention, the quality of his work is unparalleled for the consistency that is always on display as well as the epic album lengths to keep the listener engaged on all the magnificent journeys he takes them on. It just amazes me how he seems to effortlessly put out top-quality drone and ambient music when you least expect it. ‘The Veil Between The Worlds’ is another masterclass in minimalistic drone and space ambience that engages the listener for nearly two and a half hours.

“Passing Through The Veil” is the perfect album opener for this extremely lengthy drone album, as the buildup lurks along at a snails pace. The anticipation assembles in drudging layers just as the spacey drones do. As the deep drone moves slowly in the background, other sinister synths stretch out elongated modulations in random patterns as if there is a particular evil at every turn. This near 15 minutes drone certainly calibrates the senses for the massive output that will immediately follow. “In This Forever Unfolding Moment Now” catapults the listener into the far corners of the universe where not even the closest star provides an ounce of light. This bleak, eighteen plus minute long drone, will have the listener wondering in the vast, cold vacuum of space where they are alone and without contact from any living being. The frequency and pitch increase and grow louder, shedding light and hope while the continuous hum becomes warm and effervescent. However, toward the end, darkness prevails and the tone changes back to a minimalistic and mystic occurrence. “Shadow Aspects Of The Veil” starts with a warming drone sensation that flows seamlessly into other timbres that are also mild and accepting. Then suddenly, the sound drops off to a desolate cry from an empty apocalyptic wasteland. Slowly, a tepid buzz emerges, like the sun through a thick layer of smog and fog – the brightness is upon you but you are submerged in a gloomy atmosphere that is almost suffocating. This seventeen minute long journey comes to a merciless end as the last few minutes are filled with horrifying, deep-end whirrs that could waken someone for a nightmare. “Mystical Field Of Limitless Possibility” is the first of two tracks on the album that surpasses the twenty minute mark. The piercing drones continue, as if you’re on a doomed mission in deep space and the only enemy is time itself. As the purr shift from a dark to light focus, it allows for many moments of recollection. “The Exploration Of Inaccessible Realms” continues the ill-fated mission with a more minimalistic approach than on previous tracks. The drones here make me feel as if solitude isn’t an option and there is a particular coldness about these twelve minutes that make them even more haunting. At just under seven and a half minutes, “As A Distinct Energy Form” is the shortest track on the album but that does not take away any of its relevance at all. The bending of the prolonged notes are distinct on this song, making it one of the stand-outs on the album. “An Infinite Field Of Interconnected Vibration” starts expanded, singular notes and after a while, multiple notes are fused together to create a piercing, grande effect that would work extremely well in a Sci-Fi movie scene. The final few minutes are almost like calming white noise and almost mesmerizing to listen to. This sound leads right into “The Mirroring”, although it fades out rather quickly at the beginning, while a monstrous, industrialized drone slowly ascends at an agonizing pace. As the build up reaches its apex, screeching vibrations cry out in pain at blistering volumes and fade with a calming effect. This leads right into the second longest track on the album, “Veiling Process”. At over twenty minutes long, this is sure to satisfy all of your drone wants and needs as it maintains this expanded note for the entire song while only deviating from its singularity with a few chords and soundscapes. This is probably one of my favorite songs on the album and is meticulously crafted as a drone should be. The final track on the album is, “Beyond The Veil”. Expanding the dissonant hum from the previous track, it adds layer of horrific sounds and effects to give this album a thirteen plus minute long nightmarish ending. None of the sounds are rushed, as the are sequenced and fade out at their own speed. Another genius track for an album full of magnificent drones!

Scott Lawlor is a Jack-of-all-trades ambient musician that can do no wrong (in my book). He can release an extremely dark ambient one day and a few days later, release a beautiful piano album. Not to mention over the past few years, he’s done some awesome collaboration work with artists such as The Flesh, Full Of Black Sand, Wings Of An Angel, DeepDark & Rebekkah Hilgraves (just to name a few). That being said, he has quite the resume for releasing spectacular albums at any given time and ‘The Veil Between The Worlds’ is no different. As a matter of fact, this is probably one of my favorite albums by him at the moment. Please support this hard working musician and download this epically amazing album at the link below.

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Links:

https://scottlawlor.bandcamp.com/album/the-veil-between-the-worlds

The Opinionated Optimist:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-opinionated-optimist-podcast/id1485260250?i=1000494787519