ProtoU & Hilyard- "Alpine Respire" (2017)

I recently made a commitment to quit behaving like a slave to the demands and deadlines in my inbox and function more like the classic download blogs this was inspired by. I'm not about to hand out free music after six years of keeping things legal, but blogs like SVN OKKLT and Salt Goat (R.I.P.) inspired me to focus on curation rather than timeliness. There is so much music I love and find captivating that simply isn't new. Sometimes new music catches my attention. Today alone, I had two things hit my inbox that I was thrilled to hear, but I can't pretend that this blog is a repository of all things current. Quality over all else, right? With that in mind, here's a dark ambient gem that I received approximately a year ago from Cryo Chamber and still find quite captivating.

ProtoU and Hilyard may be operating on entirely separate continents, but their collaborative work in Alpine Respire is so singular in its effect that it's hard to imagine it as the work of multiple parties, let alone two individuals at such a distance. The opening track plays out in a relatively straightforward fashion, offering up a massive bleak drone that belies what follows, although it sets the tone perfectly. "Blood Grass Sojourn" is where things really come into focus, with clear, evocative field recordings taking the forefront and giving way to hallucinatory ambient soundscapes that stretch on like endless grey skies. The work captures all the emptiness of rural industrial regions, stark in their balance of horror and beauty. There is a sense of peace at the center of the otherwise harrowing sound, especially during the cleansing rush of "Boreal Distillate" as it bleeds into "Final Refugium," but it never fully leaves behind the lingering darkness.

Despite the common, false notion that drone is fixed or unchanging, the movement of these songs shows just how much tension and force can be carried in such direct forms. From slow shifts to sudden turns driven by the accompanying field recordings, there is so much at play in any given moment. This is truly the definition of ambient music as sought by its originators: it can be left to the background if need be, but it will also reward full focus listening. Get lost in your head and in the hills and the haze.

Vorash- "Asphodel"

It's time to dive back into the occasionally rewarding, eternally challenging habit of dissecting albums for the consumption of others. Bear with me if I'm a bit rusty as I relearn how to use this part of my brain. Today, we're examining Asphodel by Vorash. This came to me by way of Lighten Up Sounds, who carried a few distro copies of this self-released cassette of cosmic black metal from Vorash, the solo project of a member of Seattle-based outfit Blood of Sokar. On the surface, this tape's shifting and swaying feels like the arc of some grand unseen pendulum, yet deeper examination yields horror and beauty that grow over time rather than immediately revealing themselves.

Vorash specializes in a most peculiar fusion of black metal and doom, opting neither towards crushing drudgery nor depressive weight (although the vocal direction may borrow at times from DSBM and this is certainly not uplifting), but rather shirking off all earthly sound entirely and conveying an otherworldly emptiness. Guitars stretch on forever in a vast sense, but rather than stellar beauty, there's a horrendous sense of isolation. While "Depths" hints at what's to come, the full scope of Vorash's sound is presented on "Surface," which sounds like Darkspace giving their best Burning Witch impression from the other side of a static wall, hammer-fisted riffs and reverb-soaked howls all trailing into eternity, often accompanied by dripping, decaying synthesizers and muted but dense percussion.

If this were merely an exercise in space (both sonic and universal, as it were), it would fall flat, but Asphodel's atmosphere is consistent without just sounding like the gaps between riffs. These songs rise and fall and wander off in such unique directions that I find myself engaged well into the tape's second side despite a massive run-time. Copies of this tape are still available from the artist, despite the fact that this came out nearly a year ago. If you're interested in the suffocating sensation of the void in sonic form, you'd be wise to examine this further.

Synsophony- "Rabbit Hole" (Self-Released)

Readers, you may remember how I gushed about Synsophony's debut, Karmic Existence, some time ago. Today I'm pleased to share another release from these black drone madmen, Rabbit Hole. Like their first album, this digital release is one track of expansive confusion, chaos, and anxiety. While it's not necessarily something I recommend before your morning coffee, it's a great experience for those of us who like to test our boundaries.

Unlike the lingering horror of Karmic Existence, Rabbit Hole starts at a peak of sorts, slowly crumbling as the listener descends slowly. The obvious nod to Lewis Carroll in the title conjures, again, thoughts of the onset of a psychedelic experience of some sort, but far darker than anything you'd find depicted in a story for families. With only thirteen minutes to do its damage, Rabbit Hole is far more of a meandering journey through and past uncomfortable sounds than it is a death sentence. One can occasionally hear chatter in the distance, as if observers to one's descent are nearby, yet are nowhere to be seen through the oppressive haze created by Synsophony. No peaceful closure is presented, yet one feels slightly more resolution here, despite the lack of beauty given.

Rabbit Hole is currently available as a pay what you like download from Synsophony's bandcamp page, but will see release as a cassette from Acephale Winter Productions later in 2014, along with a bonus remix.

New from Malignant Records: The Vomit Arsonist, Phelios, and Aderlating

Since my last "batch" post was decidedly rooted in black metal, I feel it's time to balance it with some fantastic death industrial, dark ambient, and generally horrific music with roots in the electronic rather than metal genres. I recently received a batch of CDs from Malignant Records and these three in particular stood out for me, although it'd be folly to dismiss the rest of this label's impressive catalog. Seriously, take a look--it's stunning. Honestly, there's a chance I might feature more Malignant releases soon, as these have pretty much been in constant rotation over here for the past few weeks.

The Vomit Arsonist- "An Occasion For Death" CD
Of the albums I received, The Vomit Arsonist was instantly a curiosity for me. While the name is slightly curious to me (does he set vomit on fire? is his vomit made of fire?), this album is as serious as it gets. The mechanical percussion sets a fantastic dirge pace for the depressing synth-laden drones, churning static, and violent yelling that make up the meat of this album. It's both somber and terrifying--perfect for dimly lit rooms and long nights of self-loathing. Suicide, or death as a whole, is an easy theme to prey upon for darker music, yet The Vomit Arsonist captures this heavy subject matter in a respectable and convincing light rather than simply throwing out something vaguely negative. There is a true sense of despair and ugliness here that really inspires my faith in death industrial and power electronics as truly expressive forms of music rather than simple ways of shocking people with machinery. The passionate violence here sticks with me long after it's finished, leaving a dull emptiness in its wake. Order a copy here.

Phelios- "Gates of Atlantis" CD
I will admit to already being quite fond of Phelios before receiving this CD, but this album further cements Phelios' role as a talented dark ambient visionary. As its name might suggest, this is a rather subterranean voyage, with rhythms that feel more organic and ancient than byproducts of modern electronic music. The majority of this album feels like a living, breathing thing, almost some ancient force lying dormant. Despite the relatively dark subject matter presented here, there is a euphoric sense of satisfaction to the smoky and ominous atmosphere here, perhaps as a celebration of fear and the unknown. The tension and foreboding on this album serve as a soundtrack to an inner film of both majesty and horror. Whether falling through endless depths of space or boring straight to the core of the earth, this is an ever-expanding experience that grows with each listen. I could put this one on and listen on repeat for days. "Gates of Atlantis" is easily one of my favorite electronic albums to come out this year and cannot be recommended highly enough. Grab a copy and you'll understand.

Aderlating- "Gospel of the Burning Idols" CD
As one of the many projects of Gnaw Their Tongues mastermind Mories, it's safe to say that Aderlating's music is and has always been on the scarier side of the musical spectrum, but "Gospel of the Burning Idols" has taken my understanding of Mories' dark ambitions and given it new depth. This is easily the most unsettling work I've heard from Aderlating, with occasional feedback bursts and startling live percussion illuminating an otherwise ashen landscape of bleak droning death industrial and adding to the anxiety-inducing nature of the music. It's hard to tell if the sparse vocals are whispered or shrieked and simply buried, but they're just one more piece of this horrifying slab of noise. To truly put the intensity of this album into words is a rather daunting challenge, as I have been fortunate enough in my life not to encounter death or torture, but this truly feels like the sounds of a panicked ending to one's life. Absolutely horrific, loosely structured, this album is worth the time for any who are brave enough to endure these challenges. Buy it here.

Lustre- "Night Spirit" LP (Fallen Empire/Eisenwald)

Fans of atmospheric and ambient black metal probably don't need any introduction to this band or album, but since not all of my readers fall into that category, welcome to a review of Lustre's landmark album, "Night Spirit," which is finally seeing release on vinyl thanks to Fallen Empire and Eisenwald. For the uninitiated, Lustre is a one-man atmospheric black metal project from Sweden. His songs transcend the dreary and often forgettable meandering that tends to typify the ambient reaches of black metal by reaching levels of beauty and serenity not often provided by the genre as a whole.

"Night Spirit" is composed of two tracks that are unified, not quite as one seamless song, but in sound and direction they lead the listener on an unmistakable journey. In many ways, this song is hard to describe with words. Every time I listen to this album (which is usually multiple times a week) I feel like I go on a sort of journey into myself. The density of the guitars and keys paired with the stripped percussion and sparse vocals drives me into a very calm and familiar place. This album feels, more than anything else, safe and timeless. There are a couple percussive key lines that I'm sure some people might poke at as a bit cheesy, but I truly feel it's as effective as any melodic lead I've heard on any other instrument. Each of these tracks crosses the twenty-minute mark and each is equally hypnotic in its effect. The album flows from a low to a peak and back down again. This triangular journey works very nicely, as things get coldest and most intense towards the end of the first song but work their way into an incredibly secure and warm sensation by the end of the second. Much like the album's name, it's something of a musical quest from nightfall to dawn, and it's just as beautiful as watching the shifting of the skies. I really can't recommend this album highly enough; it's easily one of my favorite records of 2013 so far.

Snag a copy of this while you're still able. I'm still surprised this didn't sell out immediately upon its release, so you should feel fortunate if you haven't already grabbed it. Obtain this beauty and find your own source of inner calm at maximum volume.