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Cyclic Law

Nordvargr – Metempsychosis (cd 2018)

This album sounds a bit like a companion to “Kainskult” of Trepaneringsritualen. Even though Spotify lists TxRxP’s cooperation for only one track, I have the idea that all vocals are done by Ekelund. Otherwise Nordvargr’s voice sounds very similar!

“Metempsychosis” in some tracks sounds like the more tranquil tracks of “Kainskult”, very dark, with similar sounds and especially with similar vocals. In other tracks there is more of the dark ambient sound of “The Secret Barbarous Names” and towards the end some more experimental (technoish) sounds that Nordvargr sometimes blends into his music. This does result in some nice sounds though.

I particularly like the TxRxP-like tracks, the others are nice to good. The album is fairly short: 37 minutes.

Links: Nordvargr, Cyclic Law

In Slaughter Natives * Ventre (cd 2016)

I get quite a few newsletters and I keep an eye on websites that review music, but it was Deezer that ‘told me’ about a new ISN. When I wanted to look it up on Discogs, I could not find it. It took a bit of searching, but “Ventre” is actually a book of the French artist Nihil and ISN made an accompanying 35 minute cd. The project is released by Cyclic Law.

“Ventre” starts of pretty tranquilly, not with the pompous ISN style, but more ambient, with slow beats. Less energetic as we are used to of ISN. Lateron the style becomes more typical.

I have not seen the book or the cd, but images can be found on the website of Nihil and that of Cyclic Law. The album is not the best ISN, but it certainly is not bad either.

Trying to find information about this release, I noticed that the ISN part of the 1994 split cd “Mort Aux Vaches” with Deutsch Nepal has been rereleased in a few versions. That is really old-style ISN.

Links: In Slaughter Natives, Cyclic Law

Sophia * Unclean (cd 2016)

Who would have thought there would be another Sophia album after 13 years? Of course Sophia did a few shows in the last years, so “Unclean” did not totally come as a surprise. Before I found a place to order the cd, the album could already be found on Deezer (and undoubtely Spotify) so I already had a listen to this 37 minute album.

Like we are used to from Sophia there are pompous, orchestral industrial tracks and more dark ambient tracks. The slow tracks with the big blasts and whispered vocals remind of In Slaughter Natives, perhaps even more than ever. The towards the end there are two superb tracks in which Bjargö uses his voice in a more interesting way and created more uptempo music.

“Unclean” is not a masterpiece, nor is it really innovating. It is another descent Sophia album though.

Links: Sophia, Cyclic Law

Karjalan Sissit * …Want You Dead (cd 2015)

When I write this, Discogs only has a tape version listed, released by a label called “Total Black”. There is also a cd version released by Cyclic Law though.

Six years after “Fucking Whore Society” Markus Pesonen did not find any inspiration to develop his sound. Putting on the latest attemp initially brought me the idea that I put on the wrong cd. There is the usual orchestrated bombast with manically screamed vocals as on previous albums. The only thing that catches my ears is that guitars are added, or mixed more towards the front.

Now however “…Want You Dead” is just another Karjalan Sissit album, the style is still amusing so the new album makes me think back of the days when Karjalan Sissit was the most aggressive exponent of the ‘martial industrial’ sound that has mostly passed away. For old times sake!

Links: Karjalan Sissit, Cyclic Law

Tehôm ‎* Lacrimae Mundi (cd 2014)

15 Years ago Douglas P. posthumously released Siniša Očuršćaks second album. Now the project is revived (or continued) by Miljenko Rajaković, who produced the previous album.

“Lacrimae Mundi” sounds pretty much like “Theriomorphic Spirits”. The music is really slow, minimalistic and very dark ambient. There are deep drones, slow and heavy beats (sometimes becoming rhythmic), a little bit of melody and here and there a voice. Some tracks the music are more ‘trance-like’ and lighter of tone with drumming and slow melodies.

For the lovers of dark ambient.

Links: Tehôm, Cyclic Law

In Slaughter Natives * Cannula Coma Legio (cd 2014)

The new ISN is, well… a new ISN. Once every decade Jouni Havukainen sends out new material unto the masses, but where “Resurrection” (2004) was somewhat surprising and (partly because of that) a very interesting album. “Cannula Coma Legio” is ISN like we know him from days past. Drumming, pompous choir-samples, a bombastic sound. Nice to hear after all this time, but this material might just as well have been recorded in the 1990’ies. There is even a newly recorded (but very similar) version of “Angel Meat” of the 1992 album “Enter Now The World” to be found.
For old times sake I guess, or perhaps for people who are not as old as myself.
Links: In Slaughter Natives, Cyclic Law

Otavan Veret * s/t (cd 2014)

Otavan Veret is a new project from Finland that (when I write this) is not even listed on Discogs yet. On their debut cd on Cyclic Law Otavan Veret presents soundscapes. “A calm, epic, massive and monotonously rich curtain of ritualistic sonorities escalates as radiant timbres morphs like an aurora borealis amongst stellar luster”, according to Cyclic Law, but to be honest, I think that the description sounds more interesting than the music. The selling line does give you enough information about the music to know what we are talking about though, so that is very convenient for me as a reviewer.
Link: Cyclic Law

Shrine * Nihil (cd 2014)

This is the second album of Shrine that I review. The other album was not totally convincing to me, the second is neither.
Shrine makes alright dark ambient, with many long tones which make the music it more “soundscapes”. The sound is somewhat dark, which is good in my opinion, but not really varried or moody enough to keep my attention.
Links: Shrine, Cyclic Law

Vestigial ‎* Solar / Aeon (cd 2013)

In 2007 I received the debut 3″ mcd to review. It made me have to reconsider my ideas about dark ambient. A magnificent and extraordinary dark piece of ambient was presented by Vestigial. After a great debut cd on CMI (2008) I somehow missed the “Solar” mcdr (2009), but now both minis are made available on one disc by Cyclic Law. Dark ambient like even in the best days of CMI it was not made. Great material!
Links: Vestigial, Cyclic Law

Funerary Call * The Mirror Reversed – Part 1 (cd 2013)

Next year it will be 20 years ago since I got myself the debut tape of this Canadian project. Where did time go? The sound went from eerie ritual to dark industrial to the more dark ambient soundscapes of today. Many releases have been made available. Sometimes shortly after eachother, sometimes after such a lap that we all wondered if the project would still raise again from the ashes. In recent years the other project Sistrenatus seems to have been laid to rest in favour of Funerary Call. It took many years before the countrymates of FC and Cyclic Law found eachother, but here is the first collaboration.
This 45 minutes soundscape does not sound as ritualistic to me as other releases of FC, but I can asure you that it is as damn dark as previous offerings. The music could be the soundtrack for a horror movie to give you an idea of the atmosphere. This sound may not be my favourite FC sound, but this album surely is another good release of mr. MacFarlane.
Links: Funerary Call, Cyclic Law