Dark Ambient

Kilter/Andromeda Anarchia/Growlers Choir/Seven)Suns – La Suspendida Review

Kilter/Andromeda Anarchia/Growlers Choir/Seven)Suns – La Suspendida Review

“Never before had I met a Promo God-designated genre-tag so perfect: “silliness.” La Suspendida is a wildly experimental Silent Pendulum-backed collaboration of four artists – and I’m not gonna pretend I know each of the act’s respective history or discography. Mostly based in Brooklyn, Kilteris a jazz metal trio featuring Imperial Triumphant drummer Kenny Grohowski, Andromeda Anarchia is an opera soprano and also a member of the opera/black metal Folterkammer project, the Growlers Choir is a Montreal-based group of metal vocalists, and Seven)Suns is a “dystopian” string quartet dedicated to translating metal to strings.” Gang’s all here!!

R.A Sánchez – L’Ottava Sfera Review

R.A Sánchez – L’Ottava Sfera Review

“The trouble with genre-bending avant-garde artists is the line between utter brilliance and foolhardy amateurishness. Like a sleeping bear of sonic putridity, artists poke it with their toes of jazz and ambiance and drone, and it largely is a matter of time before they’re greeted with the teeth, and consequently, our ears are bathed in confusion. R.A Sánchez, proprietor of the ambient weirdness of Black Baptist, offers this odd concoction in solo debut L’Ottava Sfera.” Creativity is madness by another name.

Virta – Horros Review

Virta – Horros Review

Horros is not a metal album, in spite of Virta’s signing with the weirder-and-weirder Svart Records. What the Finnish trio does well, however, is conjure a tension between pitch-black darkness and ethereal sanguinity, a balance sure to get metalheads drooling. At its heart an electroacoustic album that blends the synthetic and handmade that tastefully paints landscapes with sound, it’s perhaps not surprising that the act was proclaimed a “cornerstone of Finnish experimental music” by members of Finnish media following the release of their sophomore effort Hurmos. How does third full-length and first album in seven years Horros hold up?” The Horros….

Maud the Moth + Trajedesaliva – Bordando el manto terrestre Review

Maud the Moth + Trajedesaliva – Bordando el manto terrestre Review

“Unquestionably I spend most of my listening time browsing this site’s namesake aesthetic, but I also enjoy sticking my nose elsewhere to try to catch a whiff of what else may inspire that same special beauty in ugliness I desire. Though the Maud the Moth (Amaya López-Carromero also of healthyliving) side has a metallic line to the pleading halls of Scotland’s Ashenspire, Trajedesaliva (the duo of Mon Ninguén on synths and unavena on voice) hosts no such connection, living in their own experimental electronic ambient world.” MOAR Moth?

At the Altar of the Horned God – Heart of Silence Review

At the Altar of the Horned God – Heart of Silence Review

“There’s a reason humans have worshipped nature throughout history. The natural world has an allure and a power that many can appreciate, whether or not they attribute divinity to it. At the Altar of the Horned God takes the more worshipful tone, conducting their second rite of reverence through deeply atmospheric, folk-tinged, experimental black metal.” Horns up.

The Lovecraft Sextet – Miserere Review

The Lovecraft Sextet – Miserere Review

“No one does music like Jason Köhnen. His projects like Mansur, The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble, and Bong-Ra constantly push boundaries, and while my reception to his work has been largely mixed, The Lovecraft Sextet has stuck. Debut In Memoriam was a unique and visceral experience, somehow weaponizing dark ambient, black metal, jazz, and opera into six tracks with three disparate but compatible palettes.” Sax and tentacles.

Blood Incantation – Timewave Zero Review

Blood Incantation – Timewave Zero Review

“After releasing a pair of highly acclaimed albums, coupling quality old school death with progressive and psychedelic embellishments and spacey themes, Denver’s Blood Incantation rapidly ascended into a respected, high profile ‘it’ band in the modern death metal scene. As such, any new material is eagerly awaited upon. Hidden History of the Human Race dropped in 2019, rolling the momentum onwards and upwards from their Starspawn debut, again showcasing Blood Incantation’s innovative and experimental approach to death metal. Well-publicized prior to its impending release, third LP, Timewave Zero, marks a drastic experimental detour, featuring a pair of lengthy compositions of ambient, cosmic atmosphere.” Empty space in your face.

Plasmodium – Towers of Silence Review

Plasmodium – Towers of Silence Review

Plasmodium is described by Metal Archives as “psychedelic black/death metal,” and that is definitely appropriate. Formed in 2016, the Melbourne, Australia, sextet features veteran blood, particularly drummer Matt “Skitz” Sanders of Damaged fame, and Aretstikapha of Mazikeen. Releasing Entheognosis in 2016 to underground interest, it introduced this highly atmospheric breed that doesn’t quite land in death metal or black metal, but somehow fills the dead air between. Featuring blackened vocals and drumming, sophomore effort Towers of Silence features some of the strangest soundscapes of 2021 thanks to its deranged string attack and cosmic ambiance.” Enjoy for silence.

Vajra – Irkalla Review

Vajra – Irkalla Review

“After confusing body/soul searching I opened my third eye to Irkalla. Following the band’s advice to light a candle (I could only find a mulled wine scented candle from Christmas) after midnight I listened to the record, enhancing my journey into the esoteric darkness of my soul. What I found, deep within, was dark.” Block the chakras.