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dark ambient

Catharsis & Drape Excrement * Homo Homini Lupus (cd 1999 black plagve)

Here we have two quite known industrial names, but outside the industrial scene they don’t have all that much acknowledgement. So for everyone who doesn’t know them yet, this 76 minute cd is a pretty good introduction. Catharsis makes dark industrial which is alright, but now always fantastic. It is more rhythmical than Drape Excrement. This second act makes extremely dark industrial-ambient which will shake your walls (if you have the right equipment of course). Deep drones, heavy beats and weird samples to frighten your neighbours. The Drape Excrement tracks are the better on this cd, but Catharsis isn’t boring either. All in all this makes a good industrial cd, especially interesting because bands like these have a habit of releasing only vinyl in limited quantities.

Blood Axis / Les Joyaux De La Princesse * Absintha Teatra (cd 2004 athanor)

If my memory doesn’t fail me there was a special recording sold only at the 2001 Portugal show. Later this special recording was released together with live-recordings in a very expensive box. I have neither of these two releases. The normal “Absinthe” split cd is from the same year and now it seems that the box has been rereleased on a normal cd for a normal price. The first 11 tracks seem to be older versions of the “Absinthe” tracks and then you get live recordings from the Portugal show. The music isn’t better than on the normal cd, but different versions make this cd a nice archival release.

Bleiburg * Pieces Of A Broken Dream (2cd 2006 cold spring)

I knew this band only by name and from a few mp3 snippets that I heard. I think that they are part of the ‘new generation’ artists in the scene, but apparently they have been around long enough to have a double cd compilation with almost only tracks for which they coorperated with other bands from the scene. Bleiburg itself makes neofolk and industrial (ambient) and so do the bands on this cd, from The Soil Bleeds Black to Thorn-Agram and from Harvest Rain to Vidna Obmana. The first cd is relatively tranquil with ambient and folky pieces, the second cd is a bit harder with more industrial and noisy tracks, but still ambient. Most tracks are actually pretty good and especially with of the variety of cooperators and styles, the cds are still structered well enough to form some kind of unity. A nice release of a band that I didn’t know well enough.

Blackhouse * Dreams Like These (cd 2000 blacklight records)

I was quite excited when I heard that I was going to get this cd as promo. I knew Blackhouse from their contribution to the dark industrial/noise compilation 2mc “Baited Breath” and as far as I remember, this is a pretty good track. Unfortunately there isn’t too much dark industrial or noise on “Dreams Like These”. There is some pretty dark rumbling and a few noisy interludes, but most of the ‘music’ contains of a collection of sounds. It is very minimal and often I wonder if the cd still plays. I’m no fond of such soundscapes, and to me there are only a few good moments with some dark noise or rhythm, but these are rare on this 70 minute cd.

Bisclaveret * Psyche Nomine (cd 2006 the eastern front)

I don’t know why the name of this Polish act starts ringing bells. I don’t believe that I had anything of them. Maybe it is because they tour extensively, with CMI-acts for example. The cd is packaged superbly, like an oversized digipack with nice artwork. The album is “dark ambient/wave” in the description of the band. The 50-minute album has six nice tracks with distorted/stretched voices and sounds, piano and other orchestrations, weird samples and a nice dark atmosphere. In track four the music becomes a bit more intense and more orchestral, but this can still fall under the catagory of “ambient” in my opinion. “Psyche Nomine” is a good album for people who like soundscapish dark ambient.

Baradelan * Non Omnis Moriar (cd 2001 sin organisation)

A three-inch mcd on Sin (remember the “Il Sium E Il Venvul” lp? see elsewhere if you don’t) with two tracks, a primitive package and in a limited amount of 115 copies. One long (15 min) and a short (5 min) dark ambient tracks that are very monotous and not too good.

Axon Neuron / Vagwa * Thorned Messages (cassette 2000 ragnarune)

The biggest compliment that I can get for these music pages is of course when a band asks if they can send something for review. This hasn’t happened to me too often yet, but a while back I got an email from Axon Neuron / Vagwa and yesterday I received this tape.
I only know the band from their contributions to the “Immortal Legends” and “Collapse” compilations, but their discography has an impressive list of 7 cassettes, 2 cd-rs and 6 compilation contributions. “Thorned Messages” is the last release of the band itself and followed up by the “Collapse” and “Za Dom Spremni” compilations.
The music on the tape varries from monotous and dark soundscapes, to dark ambient, industrial and here and there a touch of noise. Since I am not too crazy about too monotous music, I don’t like the tape entirely, but overall it sounds very well, especially in the more industrial parts. The atmosphere reminds me a bit of Inade and I guess that if you enjoy dark industrial/ambient, you should give Axon Neuron / Vagwa a try and buy one of the cassettes. Be quick though, all items are limited, this tape to 6 copies (special edition) and 150 copies. I got #37, so that means that there are probably about a 100 left by the time I write this.

Axone & kNOw * Night Of Deliverance (cdr 2002 somnambulant corpse recordings)

SCR keeps putting out releases at high speed. In the usual DVD-box comes the usual black disc with the (usual?) dark ambient/ industrial/ noise soundscapes. Axone we know from earlier releases. They contributed two long tracks go from tranquil soundscapes via tranquil to harder industrial and noise. kNOw is a new act to me. They contributed four tracks, which start with strange soundscapes and extreme rhythmical noise. The other two tracks are more ambient soundscapes, quite monotous, but dark. Again quite a nice release on SCR, but I hope the next releases will have a bit more variety in style. The noise tracks of kNOw are for example something that I would like to hear more of.

Axone * Casus Belli (mcdr 2002 somnambulant corpse records)

When I had ‘discovered’ Somnambulant Corpse I thought I had something, only to find out that my colleague of Funprox.com already had a review of the Tugend cd. I don’t think there is already a review of Axone on Funprox.com yet though, so at least once I have been a little faster…!
“Casus Belli” is a 3″ cd that comes in a very nice small and sealed package. Three tracks making a length of about 20 minutes. The opening track is a strange soundscape with vague sounds and samples and is not too great. The second track is an even stranger soundscape and already a bit better. Then comes a brilliant third track which lasts for only 5 minutes and which I would have expected on the Tugend cd. It is a soft industrial soundscape with some warlike samples and sounds, noise-influences and deep drones. Really a great track which makes up a lot for the first two.

Atrium Carceri * Cellblock (cd 2003 cold meat industry)

This cd is advertised by saying that the man behind this solo project studied classical music. This doesn’t have much to do with the music though. “Cellblock” is a cd for people that long for that old CMI-dark ambient sound. Atrium Carceri reminds of the tranquil parts of Sephiroth, but also has its own style. Dark creepy ambient with very minor orchestral influences and here and there a sample. Not too original, but also not badly done.