News and reviews on all macabre melodies: Metal in its many manifestations, dark and synthwave, audio dramas, soundtracks, ambient, and dungeon synth.
…a culmination of four hours of Cesare Alexandre’s subtle mastery with his gossamer ambience. Gentle rains and field recordings wrapped in subtle blankets of warm synth pads and soothing atonal raiment abound in this release, reminding us once more of the gentle brilliance of the composer.
Read MoreThese musings almost feel like a sonic blanket falling upon the minds of the listener; it is an audio manifestation of the words of Jim Jones slowly enrapturing his disciples, with subtle glitches, and slight manipulations of the tones which add an unsettling nature to the serene backgrounds.
Read MoreTribal drums pound loud and deep through the tracks of the album, their dolorous, martial cadence a lumbering, kinetic propulsion drawing you inexorably closer to the rituals and practices within this primordial forest, but never in a hurry, nor in any perceptible rush - rather, this album moves of a whim all its own, slowly drawing the listener into its mysteries.
Read MoreThese are sounds that echo to the listener from beyond the veil of time, and the album does an excellent job of presenting this aesthetic, as if the listener were in a trance, and hearing fleeting remembrances of notes and stanzas in the transom of forgotten history.
Read MoreMoallem (God Body Disconnect) and Boström (Cities Last Broadcast/Kammarheit) are both masters of their craft, and this album lends evidence to their finesse with formulating subtle atmospheres of sonic ambiguity.
Read MoreInspired distorted drones and amorphous rhythms pulse in much the same way as the slimed and effluvial striations along the corridors of this hellish cave wherein we traverse, these melodies are organic, but they are also manufactured, the copper-tinged electronic taste of wiring stinging the peripheral of the mind’s palate.
Read More…an excellent showcase of talent in the Cryo Chamber roster, and as mentioned above, the eight artists on this collaboration are known for their penchant with weaving analog and synthetic textures with a decided retro aesthetic.
Read MoreThe music of Dahlia's Tear is as insightful as it is masterful, and Tales from a Feeble Dream is just as one would expect from such a talented composer; a rich exploration of melancholic sound and atmosphere.
Read MoreThis album contains the filtered, slow resonance of the universe all throughout, with doldrum pads and airy stabs of synths that help the mind drift along the currents of nebulae; Delicate oscillations trickle through the low rumblings like telemetry data proceeding through the vacuum of space, with heavy sub bass rising and falling intermittently to help create the sense of cosmic scale that we lack through our limited human perspective.
Read More[Keosz] soundtrack work in Neven is nothing short of inspired genius, and his style of subtle drones and intermittent piano motif as a focal point works immaculately with the movie…
Read MoreSleepy Town of Winter both continues a previous narrative, as well as carries that oblique story arc with it… a measured continuance of the Murken Hollow storyline given to us in November of 2022, a dreamy, lackadaisical meandering of sound design and smooth jazz over a noir, almost horror-adjacent backdrop.
Read MoreRuptured World delivers a thoughtful and imaginative ambient adventure, similar in some regards to other offerings on the Cryo Chamber label, yet wholly unique and stylized that make Alistair Rennie one of the best visionaries of the genre.
Read MoreThe Lovecraft compilations have become… a showcase of individual talent from the various artists associated with the label, while also being exemplary pieces of collaboration, weaving the delicate nuance of each musical vision into one longform narrative.
Read More…a collaboration between Dronny Darko and Ugasanie. Dronny Darko’s genius sound design is coupled with the ice cold proclivities of Ugasanie to deliver a frozen narrative of Lovecraftian and existential sci-fi adventure.
Read More…his use of analog synths coupled with his style of presentation help this album create a serene fresco of slow-moving ambience, painting vistas of stars and nebulae, of silent planets in distant star systems, orbiting in celestial solitude. Musically, this album has a very cinematic feel, but more as a background piece, reminiscent of a late 1970s to early 1980s sci-fi film.
Read More…six tracks of perfect narrative sound design and soundscapes - ultimately this album accomplishes exactly what was intended: a sci-fi epic that can only be realized through the imaginations of the listener and Soludenia has excelled in that.
Read MoreAll it really takes is firing up your music-playing program of choice to realize that DarkThrone have been on an absolute tear over the past few years. Old Star released in 2019, and it was only last year that I was reviewing Eternal Hails, which is why I was pleasantly surprised when I was given the opportunity to review their latest effort, Astral Fortress.
Read MoreA true master of the atmospheric craft, Tom Moore has crafted subdued drones and pads, muted percussions and soft strings, muffled basses and field recordings… A perfect convergence of imaginative storytelling and purposeful atmospheric sound design, this is the soundtrack to a modern noir/thriller film in the listener’s imagination, and I cannot recommend this album enough.
Read MoreRandal Collier-Ford is back with a collection of remastered ambience celebrating ten years in the cinematic soundscapes. These assembled tracks have been curated by the composer himself and presented in full ephemeral radiance, showcasing Ford’s artistry and the evolution of his style and thought processes.
Read More“The sounds and canvas used in this album are unique, and almost “feverish” would be a term I would use to describe them, the tremulous miasma of an almost fever dream state, with dynamic use of sounds and techniques, and the distinct nature of this palette of sounds make Watchtower stand out among its peers…”
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