Artist: SiJ & Item Caligo
Album title: Queer Reminiscence
Release date: 31 March 2017
Label: Reverse Alignment

Tracklist:
01. So Terrible To Contemplate
02. Queer Reminiscence
03. Her Soul Involuntarily Yearned For Rest
04. If Our Hope Not Fades
05. Tranquility of Mind
06. It Was Good To Destroy Once Again
07. Life Loves Your Pain
08. Oblivion is the Reward of the Former

This new collaboration is an excellent example of dark ambient/neo-classical collaborations gone right. SiJ and Item Caligo are both known for their sounds that often float from ambient, to dark ambient, to neo-classical, and then back again. As is to be expected of these two artists, we have a nice combination of drone, piano, and various other lesser elements. SiJ and Item Caligo combine to craft a sound that is undeniably listenable. There is nothing harsh here, at many times its not even particularly dark.

Tracks like “It Was Good To Destroy Once Again” showcase a lot of the diversity presented. There are moments when the track is peaceful, with gently sweeping drone-work. Yet, as it progresses it moves into areas of looping and a faint but steady percussion. Reminding of something which generally falls into more experimental and ambient musical outings. It can be something almost akin to the sounds of some artists on the Ultimae or Glacial Movements labels, with their minimalistic yet structured usage of percussion and drones. The cold feeling Queer Reminiscence evokes is another reason to make this connection to Glacial Movements.

The pervading themes throughout Queer Reminiscence are melancholia and frigid temperatures. One can easily find themselves imagining a winter spent in some cold and isolated region, sitting beside the hearth in a tiny log cabin. This feeling of isolation will bring on a sense of longing for the past or some idealistic yet unwritten future. The sadness of Queer Reminiscence is woven into the music. There are no blatant cues to direct one’s emotions in any certain direction nor are their any noticeable field recordings.

This hypnotic suggestion stems from the pure minimalism on Queer Reminiscence. There certainly are some active elements here, as already mentioned about the percussive sections peppered through the album. Yet, this variety of styles and instrumentation still hold a stripped down and minimal feel because of the sparing use and perfect placement of the various sounds. Unlike so many collaborative albums in the ambient realm, Queer Reminiscence makes it extremely hard to label any specific sounds to the musician responsible for the sample. There is never the moment where one thinks, “oh, this is certainly done by SiJ and not Item Caligo“. This is a testament to their individual skills and their years of experience writing music. But it is, even more so, a sign of their natural connection. They don’t seem to be fighting one another for the lead. They manage to give listeners the sense that Queer Reminiscence was created by one mind channeling its concepts into reality.

Queer Reminiscence is an album that should be pleasing to many diverse musical appetites. There is something here for the ambient fans, something for the dark ambient fans, and something else that naturally makes it accessible beyond these boundaries. Having fully focused their attention on concept over stylistic execution, SiJ and Item Caligo bring forth something beautiful and serene. It should be able to evoke a sense of longing from each listener, in their own personal way. This all leads to my suggestion that Queer Reminiscence is one of the strongest releases on Reverse Alignment since its revival. An album which could be recommended to almost anyone.

Photography by: Richard Walker
Written by: Michael Barnett

Artist: Aegri Somnia
Album title: Endtime Psalms
Release date: 7 March 2017
Label: Cryo Chamber

Tracklist:
01. C.A.H.R.
02. Archives
03. Endtime Psalms
04. DNA Cult
05. Mundus Moriens
06. Borg Sands
07. Puppets
08. Metamorphosis
09. We Were Stardust

Croatian cinematic dark ambient artist Aegri Somnia delivers another post-apocalyptic gem, this time taking listeners to bold new vistas. Aegria Somnia has been around in one form or another for a decade. 2007 and 2008 saw some early albums by this artist on Kaos Ex Machina Promotions and Dark Winter, respectively.In 2015, Jurica Santek revived Aegri Somnia with Monde Obscure on Cryo Chamber.

Monde Obscure would be a major moment in the career of this dark ambient artist. It would bring his soundscapes to the forefront of the dark ambient genre, greatly due to it’s release on the monolithic Cryo Chamber label. Monde Obscure took listeners into the underground tunnels, basements, and fallout shelters of a dead world. Aegri Somnia is at his best when depicting a world dying or already deceased.

Monde Obscure featured static landscapes, which seemed mostly devoid of life. Now, with Endtime Psalms, we find similarly decrepit and irradiated landscapes, but this time humanity is still present. Endtime Psalms is a living and breathing entity. The echoes of our civilizations still reverberate through the decaying walls. It depicts a world that is actively dying, a sentiment that is blatantly referred to in tracks like “Mundus Moriens” which literally translates to ‘dying world’.

From a technical standpoint, Endtime Psalms will sound familiar to fans of Monde Obscure. Yet, there is noticeable evolution here in the soundscapes. It is worth noting that Jurica Santek has recently released several albums under his alias, Tertium Organum. It seems that project may have given some influence to Aegri Somnia. Endtime Psalms uses a good bit more drone than we heard on Monde Obscure. This doesn’t totally change the face of the project, but it does add a depth that wasn’t previously afforded. The soundscapes now have a solid foundation, a sweeping, doom-laden dronework which rarely subsided on Endtime Psalms. It is, luckily, used in a way that doesn’t overpower the cinematic elements. It mainly adds an extra layer of texture, building up the sense of smog filled atmospheres and acid rains. When, occasionally, the drones do fade away, the field recordings take on a more meaningful tone, giving the listener a cue to focus more specifically on their narrative.

Within this dying world we are offered visions of its inhabitants. Fleeting images of the doomsday cults, which have come to prominence. We must imagine that these cults, years before, were laughed at, prodded and ridiculed for their depressing predictions. Yet, here in the era of Endtime Psalms, we see that the joke was on the naive.

The world seems to have warmed significantly. Tracks like “Archives” and “Mundus Moriens” have a marine element that rarely fades. We are forced to accept the effects of global warming. The poles have melted, the glaciers are no more. In this new world many lands have been submerged. Humanity was forced inland. Whole nations have been submerged. Thus is the world of the Endtime Psalms.

Tracks like “DNA Cults” and “Puppets” must allude to the rise to prominence of the doomsday cults. With the world set on an irreversible trajectory towards utter annihilation, these fore-tellers of doom have been given due credence. Gone are the hopes of salvation, washed away with the millions of lives that have already expired. These cults now rule the lands. Their worshipers, enshrouded in the filth of the land, listen attentively for some sense of hope. Yet, there will be no hope, all is already lost.

Of course, this is just one interpretation of an album which packs enough cinematics to keep listeners’ imaginations inflamed. Each play-through conjures new landscapes in the devastation. It is certainly clear that humanity now lies in ruin, but the time-line and cultural shifts are left to the imaginings of each individual.

After such an impressive product as Monde Obscure, one could wonder how Aegri Somnia would top its achievements. Jurica Santek doesn’t try to conquer his previous work, instead he moves off to the side, building a new foundation, with new stories, even if they fall within the same general narrative. Like its predecessor, Endtime Psalms is the epitome of cinematic dark ambient. Aegri Somnia is one of the best at conjuring narratives and irradiated landscapes. He affords listeners enough flexibility for their imaginations to run wild. I would absolutely recommend Endtime Psalms to any fan of the cinematic dark ambient style. The evolution of the Aegri Somnia sound has been worthwhile. There are no setbacks; no points where we could look to the past in critique of the present. This is the end of humanity, delivered neatly in the form of dark ambient. Where once we ruled supreme, now we cower in trepidation. Endtime Psalms is the soundtrack to our undoing.

Written by: Michael Barnett

Artist: Стужа(Stuzha)
Album title: Siberian Sketches
Re-issue release date: 22 October 2016
Label: Ksenza Records / Infinite Fog Productions

Tracklist:
01. Дождливая Ночь [A Rainy Night]
02. Дети Подземелья [Children of the Underworld]
03. Печаль [The Sadness]
04. Туман [The Fog]
05. Воющий Перевал [The Howling Pass]
06. Болотная Топь [Marsh Swamp]
07. У Ручья [Forest Stream]
08. Родина [The Homeland]
09. Море [The Sea]

From 2006 forward, Daniil Kazantsev, an artist from Novosibirsk, Siberia, began his journey into varied versions of ambient music. His initial project Algol, which is still active today, self-released Searching for Inner and Outer Void. To this day there are now six albums from Algol, making it his main project. There is also the nascent project, Black Wanderer, which should be making more news in the coming year.

Stuzha, however, is the focus of this review. The album Siberian Sketches has its roots as far back as 2008 when it was self-released. Since that time, the album has gone through several re-releases. But in 2016, it finally found its proper release on Ksenza Records and distribution through Infinite Fog Productions, both Russian companies. This re-release has brought along with it a bonus track, the addition of bass guitar, and a proper physical release in a brilliant digipak, donning all new album-art.

Focusing on the Siberian landscape, during spring and fall, Siberian Sketches looks to take a glimpse into different parts of Daniil Kazantsev’s environment. Throughout the entirety of the album there is the dense presence of field recordings. In fact, much of the album is only field recordings complemented by electric and acoustic guitar as well as the new addition of bass guitar.

Siberian Sketches is sort of an ode to the landscape. Tracks like “Печаль [The Sadness]” and “Болотная Топь [Marsh Swamp]” beautifully accomplish this task. Both having sounds of running waters and rain. After the long Siberian winter, it becomes as likely that this is the melting run-off of snow as it could be some gentle brook, babbling and meandering through the chilly landscape.

The other major element presented on Siberian Sketches is the use of traditional Russian music samples. The album opens with “Дождливая Ночь [A Rainy Night]”, a track which incorporates choral, operatic singing over great gusts of wind and dripping waters. As if there is some great storm raging outside the cathedral. This theme is revisited on “Родина [The Homeland]”, a magnificent track. Rain, thunder and rushing waters are heard over a contemplative acoustic guitar melody. Birds are chirping, the Siberian landscape truly comes to life. Closing one’s eyes will likely send them soaring into these remote lands, in a part of the world which is rarely witnessed. As the track moves into its second half the field recordings momentarily fade out, leaving us with a lonely yet beautiful piano section. The thunder storm re-emerges, and with it comes some more of these beautiful Russian song samples. A sort of operatic female singer delivers her lines over the backdrop of a male choir, all the while thunder and great torrents of rain can be heard pummeling the Earth.

Some points in the album can seem slightly disjointed. For instance, the use of field recordings depicting a person walking through the muddy landscape don’t sit well thematically alongside other sounds of traditional vocals and guitar, which should be presented in a static location. Logistical issues like this happen on several tracks. Yet, this is no reason to disregard the talents and technical prowess of Stuzha. He accomplishes plenty of beautiful work throughout Siberian Sketches. Also, we must remember that this album was originally released almost a decade ago. Stuzha has had much time to hone is talents over the years. One need look no further than his latest album Бутугычаг[Butugichag] to see that he’s learned from his past works and can now deliver an album which stays perfectly on topic and presents no inconsistencies.

Siberian Sketches is alive and breathing. The landscape of Siberia comes to life. It can easily leave the listener daydreaming about making a proper visit to these remote lands. With the likelihood of Siberian Sketches II being just around the corner, we have plenty to look forward to in a career which seems to be finally finding its place in the ambient/dark ambient world. I would highly recommend Siberian Sketches to any dark ambient fans who love variety and constant activity in their music. This easily delivers entertainment and brilliant atmosphere for the entirety of the album. We must now only wait for the next chapter in the life of this promising artist.

Note: I’ve recently interviewed Stuzha, it can be found here.

Written by: Michael Barnett

Artist: SiJ
Album title: The Time Machine
Release date: 21 February 2017
Label: Cryo Chamber

Tracklist:
01. Forwards in Time
02. A Place to Live
03. In Ancient Times
04. Instantaneous
05. Floating Clouds
06. Realm of Eternal Rain
07. Particulate Matter
08. Morlock’s Path
09. The Death of the World
10. Vision of Hell
11. Shine of Dark

SiJ is the ambient project of Vladislav Sikach. He’s been a prolific player in the ambient / dark ambient scene for the last few years. After self-releasing a number of albums, SiJ has made his way into the Cryo Chamber roster of dark ambient musicians. This very concept of joining a dark ambient label has clearly reflected a shift in the sound of SiJ. Where previously there was abundant piano work and more positive and celestial field recordings and drones, he has shifted to a style which still has many of these elements, but they are used in a different way.

His first encounter with Cryo Chamber delivered a brilliant performance. The collaboration with Textere Oris, Reflections Under The Sky, featured cold, rainy elements. The music had a thick emotional texture, yet the sense of darkness came mostly from the choices of environment. His latest release, The Time Machine, takes on a story-driven cinematic experience.

The album title, The Time Machine, is a clear reference to the book of the same name by H.G. Wells. As such, we are taken on an adventure through the course of the album. The Time Machine starts out with a protagonist character at its central theme. The opening track “Forward in Time” is a clear reference to the protagonist taking a time machine forward into the future. All sounds on this track lend themselves to a forward moving dynamic.

As we move further in the album the protagonist will make several stops and revelations. “A Place to Live” and “Floating Clouds” have clearly positive vibes, much like the opening track. While “In Ancient Times” gives us a glimpse into the distant past. Sounds of oscillating whispers and a distant drumbeat help to paint the picture of this early stage of humanity, when it still had tribal foundations.

Proceeding to the second half of The Time Machine, it is obvious that things are taking a turn for the worse, thematically speaking. “Realm of Eternal Rain” and “Particulate Matter” both feature prominent sounds of rain. As the one track moves into its successor, we can sense a darkness enveloping the landscape. Feelings of isolation and loneliness take the lead as the drones take on a fuller, more ominous feel.

“Morlock’s Path” dives into full darkness. The Morlocks of H.G. Wells novel are a subterranean people, working ceaselessly in deep mine shafts. We are cued to the changes by what starts with sounds of hooting owls, alluding to a night-time on the surface of our world, which soon recede, giving way to dripping waters, hollow drones, and the occasional metallic hammering, all seeming to represent the mine works. The darkness quickly becomes all encompassing on “The Death of the World” and “Visions of Hell” as we go deeper into the Earth. All the while, hearing the mining activity all around us. The albums ends with “Shine of Dark” as we return to the surface of the Earth, cuing the return of rain and gentle chimes. Yet, the darkness never lets up as the album draws to its close, conveying a sense of an bleak end to Earth, an inability to right the wrongs.

The Time Machine is possibly the best work to date by SiJ. He applies all the varied techniques he’s mastered over the years to this one album. Not only the technical achievement stands out, the use of a cinematic approach is clearly presented and followed through the album. We are given enough information to have a foundation, without being told what to think of the album’s shifts in plot. I would highly recommend The Time Machine to fans of active forms of dark ambient, sounds which will evolve over the course of the album. There is plenty here to stay entertained. Yet, like any good dark ambient album, it is easy to allow this to fall into a secondary role, providing an intricate background music to other activities.

Written by: Michael Barnett

Artist: Ajna & Dronny Darko
Album title: Black Monolith
Release date: 24 February 2017
Label: Reverse Alignment

Tracklist:
01. Facing The Void
02. Watching the Lights While Falling Asleep
03. Black Hole Entropy
04. 1000 Years of Cryosleep
05. Orbiting Probes
06. Subterranean Hallucination
07. Corrupted Waters
08. Amongst Unknown Species
09. Cerulean Glome
10.Approaching the Unrevealed
11. Black Monolith

Black Monolith is a fitting name for the latest release on Reverse Alignment. Ajna and Dronny Darko, two well known drone ambient artists, have come together to create a massive double-disc album, which is sure to leave a lasting impression on listeners. Black Monolith presents seven new tracks, along with the massive long-form “1000 Years of Cryosleep”, and tracks from the EP Facing The Void, which had been previously released in 2013-2014 on Petroglyph Music.

Dronny Darko should be a well-known name to anyone who has been following the Cryo Chamber label over the last few years. He solidified his presence with his album Outer Tehom, which featured some of the most sinister sounding music in the dark ambient genre. Also of note was his magnificent collaboration with protoU, entitled Earth Songs. Yet even before Outer Tehom he had already been working with Ajna.

In 2016, Ajna released his greatest achievement to date, Inevitable Mortality, through Reverse Alignment. Inevitable Mortality showcased a varied spectrum of sounds and styles, true to the versatility of the musician. Tracks like “Forlorn” featured isolationism and black ambient intricacies which could leave the listener in a trance-like state.

Realizing the detail and craftsmanship of their previous collaborations, Kristian Widqvist of Reverse Alignment decided to pull together two previous releases of Anja and Dronny Darko, and gave them a proper re-mastering. “1000 Years of Cryosleep” is a slow moving, yet still quite entertaining track, which lends itself to an extraterrestrial sort of sound. The three tracks, “Facing the Void”, “Watching the Lights While Falling Asleep” and “Black Hole Entropy” all taken from the previously released EP, Facing The Void, also seem to reside mostly in this sort of space ambient sound.

As for the new tracks, we have a combination of space ambient and something that seems to be more of a sinister terrestrial sound. “Orbiting Probes” carries many of the same features as the previous tracks, adding in a nice touch with the obscured radio transmissions. The albums picks up the pace with “Subterranean Hallucination” a track which bares a nice palette of field recordings. Strange noises present themselves as they are simultaneously blanketed in a dark aura, which feels particularly sinister at some points. “Corrupted Waters” is another example of horrific soundscapes, which feel like they would be the perfect soundtrack to some occult horror film. The title track, “Black Monolith” is another highlight incorporating sounds which would feel right at home on Outer Tehom.

The decision to release these three separate albums as one whole, by way of a 2 disc digipak, was certainly a bold one. The two previously released albums benefited from the remastering, courtesy of Chris Sigdell at The Loft. The album art is a fitting visual representation of the sounds presented here, seeming to represent some dark and barren landscape on another planet. As far as the new tracks go, there are some interesting moments, and overall the sound is of a high quality. But, as each of the newer tracks comes in at exactly 8:00, I can’t help but feel that some of what is happening here amounts to filler. In the moments when the field recordings take the lead there are some truly entertaining twists. But the length of both discs combined can lead to a bit of listener fatigue around halfway through the new material. This isn’t to say that all the tracks aren’t good, it just seems that the album is better viewed as two separate entities. Playing just the first or second disc in a sitting can offer the listener a better overall experience with Black Monolith.

Black Monolith as a whole is true to its name, dark and monumental. The space ambient sound mixed with a sort of black ambient is a good recipe for Ajna and Dronny Darko, bringing out some of the best qualities in both artists. I would recommend Black Monolith to listeners who are already fans of Dronny Darko and Ajna. I fear that choosing this album as a first time experience with the two artists may not do them justice. Yet, for fans of both, there is certainly plenty to love. There is a magic and chemistry between these two artists that shouldn’t be overlooked and future collaborations with one another may still hold the key to some of the best yet from either musician.

Written by: Michael Barnett

Artist: A Cryo Chamber Collaboration (Alphaxone, Council of Nine, Xerxes the Dark, Wolves and Horses)
Album title: Tomb of Seers
Release date: 7 February 2017
Label: Cryo Chamber

Tracklist:
01. Alphaxone – Witchcraft
02. Council of Nine – Fallen
03. Xerxes the Dark – Ethereal
04. Alphaxone – Secret Path
05. Xerxes the Dark – Omniscient
06. Wolves and Horses – Procession
07. Council of Nine – Ashes
08. Wolves and Horses – Aphelion

Cryo Chamber is becoming known for their collaborative work more and more with each passing year. While some albums, like the Lovecraft series, are truly collaborative, in the sense that every piece of music has 2 or more artists working on it, albums like the Tombs series and Locus Arcadia fall more into the realms of compilation. But, the thing that keeps these more compiled works coherent and centralized is their strict adherence to themes. On Tomb of Seers, once again Cryo Chamber proves that they can step outside the normal boundaries and still manage to release a brilliant album which receives as much love from new fans as it does from those who have been following the genre for the last 25 years.

Tomb of Seers is the second installment in the Tombs series. On Tomb of Empires we were first introduced to Council of Nine, a brilliant Californian artist, who has a mastery of drone-work. His style of keeping the track subtle, while simultaneously filling it with a plethora of soundscapes, was first put to the test here. Alphaxone had contributed some of his most praised tracks to date on Tomb of Empires. As usual, the album art was spot on, bringing a sense of the fallen ancient civilizations that the artists wanted to portray.

Tomb of Seers seems in part to keep that same sense of ancestral gravity. As this is a series of Tombs albums, it makes sense that the sounds would lend themselves to some ancient time period, long forgotten and erased by modern humanity. While Tomb of Empires focused on the loftier goal of bringing full civilizations into the mix, Tomb of Seers is able to focus on a more specific concept, that of the seer. The seer is something like a fortune teller, but much more revered. Like the town’s shaman, or the virgin oracle of Delphi atop Mount Parnassus, the seer is able to give advice, premonitions, and warnings to those who would seek their counsel.

Many religions throughout human history have found solace in the answers of their seers. While some religions, with a lack of clairvoyance, found their worshipers wandering off, in search of a more mystical and occult answer. The first track on Tomb of Seers hints at this concept. Alphaxone delivers the opener, “Witchcraft”, which is a high point in his musical career, delivering a sound that is larger than life, and truly fitting for this endeavor. As the Christians of Salem found, during their witch hunts, many people were willing to trade their very souls for a taste of occult knowledge. “Witchcraft” sets the album off as a dark and exceedingly frightful track, the gravity of which is felt in the deep bassy drones. Council of Nine continues with this nightmarish narrative on “Fallen”. “Fallen” takes the listener for a tour of the cavernous depths of some subterranean metropolis. You can almost feel the dank air as it accumulates on your skin. The vibe is equally as mystical as it is dark. Again, we hear something that is quite likely one of Council of Nine‘s best tracks to date. “Fallen” incorporates a more active use of field recordings and sacral samples than can often be found on his two full-length albums.

While Alphaxone and Council of Nine seem to be honing their talents, reigning in their visions, there is also new blood in the waters. Xerxes the Dark, long-time colleague of Alphaxone, both hailing from Iran, finds himself on his first foray into the Cryo Chamber discography. His track “Ethereal” has a wondrous feel to it, with a mood that is slightly brighter than that of the previous tracks. On “Omniscient” Xerxes the Dark takes us on an aural voyage, filled with field recordings which give the album even more depth. His conservative use of drone, along with these field recordings makes it possible for listeners to close their eyes and take that aural journey into lands long forgotten, searching for answers to the age-old existential questions. A performance of this caliber is sure to increase the likelihood of hearing more from Xerxes the Dark on the Cryo Chamber label for future releases.

The second new-comer to the label is Wolves and Horses, an artist who really seems to walk the tight rope between ambient and dark ambient in a tasteful and compelling fashion. “Procession”, true to its title, seems to be taking us on a journey to the oracle. A procession of believers, on their pilgrimage to the seer. Minimal use of percussion and crystalline chimes give the album its first real taste of something which could be construed as ritual ambient. Yet this is nothing like the ritual sounds of Shibalba, or even any of those legendary Aural Hypnox artists. The sound is something fresh, which seems like the darkest new age track ever written. It imbibes that same sense of peacefulness, oneness with the gods, without having a nightmarish atmosphere. We again hear Wolves and Horses on the final track of the album, “Aphelion” where they, again, take the listener on a dreamy journey toward the all knowing, all seeing, interpreter of the gods.

With top-notch performances by each of the artists involved in Tomb of Seers, Cryo Chamber gives us an album which is sure to have as much of an impact as Tomb of Empires did, years before. Alphaxone and Council of Nine both present us with career topping performances, while Xerxes the Dark as well as Wolves and Horses give us a taste of where the future may lie in this dark ambient label. A label which has made monumental advancements within its short lifespan. Tomb of Seers is as potent of an album for die-hard dark ambient fans as they could ask for, while it has enough activity and breadth of styles to be a first stop for the newest wave of fans, having just fallen for dark ambient over the last year. It’s albums like Tomb of Seers that prove the wide range of formats that Cryo Chamber is willing to conquer. Never settling down, never devolving into repetition, Tomb of Seers is one more masterpiece in the ever-expanding catalog of Cryo Chamber masterpieces.

Written by: Michael Barnett

Photo credits:
Rembrandt, Belshazzar’s Feast, 1635
Leutemann, The Oracle of Delphi Entranced
Baker, Fanciful representation of the Salem witch trials, lithograph from 1892

Artist: R.C. Kozletsky
Album title: Pulsed In A Dull Glass Bell
Release date: 14 August 2016
Label: Danvers State Recordings

Tracklist:
Side A
01. The Paling of Bones
02. Trooping the Rim of My Skull
Side B
03. Pulsed In A Dull Glass Bell

Starting with the sounds of a music box, R.C. Kozletsky makes us think this will be a lovely experience, building on reminiscences of childhood. This is anything but the reality. Pulsed In A Dull Glass Bell is brutal. This is death industrial / black ambient done right. The soundscapes presented here are a thing of nightmares. Of chaotic, bloodthirsty demons, creeping from under the bed, grabbing an innocent child as they swallow their heart, screaming in terror for mercy.

R.C. Kozletsky is better known for his projects Apocryphos, Shock Frontier, and the now defunct Psychamanteum. 2016 was a huge year for this artist. Kozletsky’s second Apocryphos album, Stone Speak, took the dark ambient community by storm, quickly snatching up tags like “dark ambient album of the year” in the hearts of many of its fans, if not by the music industry itself. He also took part in the second collaboration with Atrium Carceri and Kammarheit, entitled Echo. Just like Onyx before it, these three collaborators were a match made in heaven, or in hell as it were.

Apocryphos is far from the only project that fans know Kozletsky from, he first came onto the dark ambient scene a few years back, fresh out of college, with his project Psychomanteum, of which he was one of two members. Despite its general praise among listeners, Psychomanteum was short-lived, only producing one full length album. Maybe out of the frustration from Psychomanteum breaking up, or maybe just due to the pitiful state of humanity in the modern world, Kozletsky needed to let off some steam. Shock Frontier was the project which allowed him to take out his sonic rage on innocent listeners. The Shock Frontier debut on Malignant Records was a powerful death industrial album, rivaling some of the greats of the genre.

Apocryphos was the revised vision of Kozletsky’s dark ambient. As a solo project, Kozletsky was able to prove that he lost none of his musicianship by becoming the solo member of a project. Both the debut, The Prisoners Cinema on Cyclic Law, as well as its follow-up, Stone Speak on Cryo Chamber, were brilliant examples of dark ambient done right.

But all this still wasn’t enough. Kozletsky still had other terrain to tread, new horizons to discover. The project R.C. Kozletsky finds its music falling somewhere between dark ambient and death industrial. The sounds shift from blistering noise, rattling metal, inhuman bellows, to something far more serene. Like two sides to a bi-polar madman, Pulsed In A Dull Glass Bell takes the listener to places they never knew they craved. The devastation is mirrored by the beauty. The villain showing his soft side to the victim, just before the murder.

Pulsed In A Dull Glass Bell finds its perfect forum in the cassette format. It should be listened to at full volume. This is something that is often said about death industrial albums, and barely holds true, if at all. Not so with Pulsed In A Dull Glass Bell. The tape hiss becomes part of the music, the sounds terrorize the speakers before plunging into a brooding staticy darkness. Tortured souls meet soulless victims. The mind is torn to pieces as the listener becomes fully encapsulated in this grotesque offering.

Each of the three tracks take on a life of their own. They pound the listener, brutally raping their senses. Leaving them bruised and bloodied, before calming, telling them its alright, taking on both aspects, executioner and victim. As the first side creeps toward its close, after the climax of the aural molestation, the sounds are broken, staticy, aging yet still aware. There is a moment of peace and serenity, when the listener forgets the trauma of the previous moments. As we flip the tape, the devastation continues full force. As the victim lies weeping in the filthy corner, tears mixing with blood and semen, the serial killer / executioner / Luciferian priest takes even more of their hatred out on the innocent soul. Side B, possessing a single track, named after the album title, slowly begins to creep back to full intensity. Droning, shifting layers stack upon one another taking us by surprise. This is a sonic assault in its purest of forms, a testament to the talents, and the rage, of Kozletsky.

Danvers State Recordings released this brilliant album in an ultra-limited edition. The tape features cover art by Pär Boström of Kammarheit, Cities Last Broadcast, and Hymnambulae. True to Boström’s tastes, the cover art is black and white, rough, emotive, only showing the portrait of some demented, pained soul. He holds one hand to his head, as if trying to make sense of the aural assault, caving beneath the terror of the soundscape. It is also worth noting that the album title, Pulsed In A Dull Glass Bell, is a phrase taken from the post-apocalyptic story The Road, a bleak and depressing narrative capable of bringing the most stoic of men to tears.

You will not find this album on Bandcamp, there are no tracks available online. You must take my word for it when I say that Pulsed In A Dull Glass Bell is an absolute masterpiece. A brilliant aural representation of the darkest and ugliest corners of the mind. Little praise will be found about this album, as its soft release on tape format has left it mostly off the radar of fans and zines alike, but this may be Kozletsky’s greatest achievement to date. If terrifying, insomnia-laden emotions are to your liking, there was no better album of 2016. I personally would love to see this album get a vinyl pressing in the future as the quality of the work and sound palette would fit perfectly to the vinyl format. You have been warned, this is not for the faint of heart. If you continue forward with this album, it may just change you forever.

Written by: Michael Barnett

Artist: Monocube
Album title: The Rituals
Release date: 30 December 2016
Label: Malignant Records

Tracklist:
01. Visiones III
02. Drowned Sun
03. Downwards (feat. Apocryphos)
04. Totem Incantation
05. Fires Shifting – Nocturnal Motion
06. Through Our Blood
07. Father Fenris
08. Anthracite Glow (feat. Treha Sektori)
09. Initiation (feat. Asmorod)

The sophmore album The Rituals by Monocube is the first outing with one of the leading post-industrial labels, Malignant Records. Monocube has been working toward this release for several years now. It seems that Monocube has truly found their sound with this one. Where their first album focused mostly on drone ambient, The Rituals delivers a plethora of sounds, styles, and emotions. As their first foray into the mainstream of dark ambient, if one can call it that. The Rituals is a brilliant example of how versatile dark ambient can be, and how one need not always stick to the script.

Blazing forward with an album which certainly retains some drone work, Monocube enters new territory on almost every track presented. The Rituals starts out with “Visiones III” a re-imagining and more refined version of the track which made its debut last year on Terra Relicta Presents: Vol. I Dark Ambient. The intensity is immediately obvious. The track seems to be summoning some demons from the nether realms, demons which will unveil their motives as The Rituals progresses.  The album doesn’t fully deliver its assault on the senses until the following track, “Drowned Sun”. “Drowned Sun” is a combination of sounds which lean more toward a death-industrial output than dark ambient. Ghastly drones collide with irreligious vocal growls. The track smashes through the psyche paving a path in blood and bones which will only further fester as the album progresses.

After the cacophony of violent noises presented on “Drowned Sun”, we move again into a slower more droning realm. “Downwards” is the first track on the album to feature a guest musician. Apocryphos, fresh off the release of another collaborative album, Echo, lends his unique take on guitar drone to the track. What we are presented with here is a relaxing yet deeply disturbing soundscape. “Downwards” takes the listener on a slowly evolving journey through the minds of Monocube and Apocryphos. The chemistry between the two musicians is immediately obvious. More collaborations between these two artists would almost surely continue to solidify this natural bonding of tortured souls.

As the album progresses it becomes more and more obvious that these rituals unfolding before us are conjuring a wretched demon. This is not a faint-hearted attempt to give listeners some sort of meditation music. These are incantations which could likely have originated from the dreaded Necronomicon. Incantations which leave the conjurer shivering in his boots. As is so often the case with demonic incantations, The Rituals seems to be opening a portal to another realm of consciousness, and once opened the portal may well never be closed. “Totem Incantation” continues with the demonic screams and human cries of terror from “Drowned Sun”. Monocube enters territory which would seem at home with the likes of Shibalba. Visions arise of vast subterranean cathedrals. Gusts of wind billowing up from within the depths of the Earth, as some ancient being is brought back to the realms of man. The faithful watching, incense smoke burning their eyes and nostrils as the demons begin to materialize in their very presence.

All these aforementioned forsaken emotions and visions continue to plague the listener, devouring their innocence as they continue through The Rituals. Each track manages to feel wholly fresh while simultaneously bringing something new to the table. The album draws to a close with two more collaborative tracks. Both seeming as natural as the first with Apocryphos. “Anthracite Glow” continues with this subterranean soundscape, while bringing in some ritual elements which immediately hint at the input of Treha Sektori. Hammering tribal drums complement the harsh yet somehow subtle drones. Treha Sektori contributes some of his most haunting vocals to date, seeming to bring the irreligious incantations to life.

The album draws to a close with “Initiation” which features the talents of the lauded dark ambient mentor and musician Asmorod. “Initiation” is one of the more subtle pieces on The Rituals. It acts as a perfect close to an album which is as beautiful as it is wretched. Lonely gusts of wind mingle with demonic whispers, seeming to reach from the depths of the Earth, attempting to pull the listener back into its deathly grip. This horrific experience gently morphs into something truly beautiful. A lonely piano arrangement slowly materializes out of the black void. This small taste of comfort and refinement is the perfect close to the album. It leaves the listener in a state of exstacy, begging them to hit the play button once again, to return to those horrific moments.

Not only is the music painstakingly perfected, but the album art is another gem of its own. Featuring paintings by Ksenia Gladushevska, Monocube is granted the perfect visual representation. Printed on a matte finish, the gentle golds and the image of the horned beast brilliantly combine the blend of subtlety, occult mystery, and demonic possession witnessed throughout the album.

Malignant Records knew they had found something special when deciding to work with Monocube. This album was not hastily prepared, being recorded between 2012 and 2016, Monocube was willing to take the time needed to properly bring these demonic incantations to life. Once they were ready to be unveiled, it is blatantly obvious that Monocube deserves to be ranked among the most elite of the ritual dark ambient genre. The album is as original as it is demonic, never leaving the listener lulling in a dull moment. It begs the question, what can Monocube possibly present next? With such a magnificent opus, the stakes will be set high for future albums by this gifted artist. We can only hope that he continues to pay as much attention to detail as he has with The Rituals. If so, we are likely looking at an artist that will become increasingly relevant and lauded as his career progresses.

Written by: Michael Barnett