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Sophia

Sophia – The Age Of The Narcissist (2024)

In 2016 I reviewed “Unclean“, the first Sophia release in 13 years at the time. After another 8 year gap, Cyclic Law announced another new Sophia album. Discogs also has two releases in 2017 and 2022 that I had not heard about, though, but these are not full lengths.

The blurb for the new album promises innovative rhythms, new kinds of vocals and experimentation with the Sophia sound, “a deliberate evolution in sound”.

The album is very recognisably Sophia. Pomp walls of orchestrations in the background, poundings rhythms and Peter’s vocals. The sound is not as bombastic as Sophia can be.

“The Age Of The Narcissist” is perhaps not the best Sophia material in my opinion, but a descent album. Out on 25 July. It comes as a cd and in two vinyl versions. The length is (thus) about 40 minutes.

Links: Sophia, 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

Victoria * Homo Rattus (7″ 2001 erebus odora)

Yes I know this review is very late, but it took me a while to get myself one of the 800 copies of this 7″. For those also looking for it, I just got my copy from Tesco, so you may want to try them as well. It is said there is a new 800-copies-7″ coming up.
To the few who don’t know Victoria, I can say that this is a project by the male halves of Arcana and ORE, released by Peter Pettersson (Arcana/Sophia) on his own Erebus Odora label. Side A is a nice ORE-like song called “This Carnival Of Light” but the best reason to buy this 7″ is a crazy jazz/bossanova/60’ies song on side B called “Like Rats Rattus Rattus”.
But don’t worry if you are not able to find a copy, the “Like Rats” song can be downloaded as mp3 from the Erebus Odora site. <13/4/02><4>

Sophia * Spite (cd 2002 cold meat industry)

Mr Pettersson is so active that I stopped buying everything he releases. I don’t have the latest Arcana releases and I skipped the mcd that came before this full-length. Besides the endless flood of releases there is the point that most releases are good, but not brilliant, this also goes for “Spite”. The 45-minute cd starts with a dark ambient track that goes over in the bombastic industrial style that we came to know Sophia for. The second track is another quite heavy piece with harmonic singing (very nice!) and there are also more of the militant sounds. Something new are the vocals (sung or more in a grunt-way) which definately adds something to the music. Of course the sound is still very orchestral and the beats are still out-of-proportionally loud which I always found the most wonderfull thing about this project. The cd doesn’t sound too much like the previous releases but you immediately hear that it is Sophia. Like with the previous cds that is heavy industrial and dark ambient, some tracks are brilliant, other not too much. Overall another nice cd. I don’t like the artwork and the cover too much, but the photos inside the booklet are wonderfull. All of ‘industrial equipment’. <29/6/02><3>

Sophia * Aus Der Welt (10″ 2001 erebus odora)

I had to wait so long for this 10″, that I got it at the same day as the new cd, which has this 10″ as bonus-mcd (see below)!
A while back Peter Pettersson of Arcana released a surprising cd under the title “Sigillum Militum” (reviewed elsewhere) which contained some dark ambient and extremely bombastic industrial. He continues in this vein on this 10″ with three heavy tracks and a dark ambient one. Already more varried than the debut cd, which has a bit too much of the same.
This 10″ is the first Erebus Odora release and this label (?) also Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio on it’s page. <4/7/01><4>

Sophia * Herbstwerk (cd+mcd 2001 cold meat industry)

Pretty short after a debut cd and a 10″ (see elsewhere), there is a second cd on Cold Meat which contains the 10″ as 3″ free bonus mcd. Again the style is bombastic industrial. Fairly tranquil (dark ambient) music with extremely heavy beats and marchdrums. Also live this sounds pretty damn impressive. The music on this second cd is more varried than on the debut, which is more or less built around one idea. The resemblances with label mate and studio-master In Slaughter Natives become more obvious, but who cares? I like Peter’s bombastic orchestrated and heavy industrial as much as the better ISN recordings and since mr Havukainen isn’t too productive with his own music, Sophia comes as a welcome alternative. Of coursrse the two don’t sound fully alike and Sophia also has some ambient-like things on his cd, which are quite well-done as well.
Oh, and I keep complaining about the recent CMI cds lay-outs, this one is simple, but beautiful. <4/7/01> <4>

Sophia * Sigillum Militia (cd 2001 cold meat industry)

As you may have heard Sophia is a solo project of Peter Petterson of Arcana. However I am not a very big Arcana fan I ordered this cd because it was said to be darker and more martial than Arcana. Sophia lives up most of what I hoped for.
This short cd (40 min) opens with a very nice dark industrial track and continues with an Arcana-like track with fierce drumming. Further the cd is full of dark ambient and industrial and bombastic martial and medievalish sounding tracks that definately proves this to be from the same mind as Arcana, but what I like a lot better. Only the irritating two minutes of nothing and the seven minute last track aren’t too good in my ears. <27/1/01> <4>