ambient

Album Review: Spectral Lore — “11 Days”

ColinLeave a comment

After an extremely fruitful 2022, with five albums under five different projects, RABM’s most prolific musician Ayloss has returned to his paramount project. 11 Days is Spectral Lore’s first release in almost two years; a four-song, 44-minute EP alternating between metal and ambient tracks depicting the harrowing journey of refugees across the Mediterranean, a trek which has claimed over 25,000 lives since 2014. With powerful music as heavy as the subject material (and lyrical themes to match), Ayloss has crafted a scathing indictment of the EU’s immigration policies alongside what is some of the strongest material under the Spectral Lore moniker so far.

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Album Review: HYPNO5E — “Sheol”

HeraLeave a comment
Hypno5e - Sheol


Have you ever returned to a place that meant a lot to you, only to realize that you still haven’t come to grips with what has occurred there? This is the story that HYPNO5E brings on their sixth album, Sheol, where departed souls have returned to Lake Tauca, a former lake in Bolivia, where singer and guitarist Emmanuel Jessua grew up. The album is also part of a diptych that started with 2018’s A Distant (Dark) Source, which showed the end of the story. Although I knew nothing about the concept before deciding to review the album, I dove straight into it with an open mind, as I had a feeling this album would not disappoint.

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Rainbows in the Dark:  Karin Park — “Private Collection”

Angela BlockLeave a comment

Combining crystal clear vehement vocals, expansive synths, and a small assortment of airy instrumentation, Karin Park has created a beautiful album of thoughtful, calculated compositions that is Private Collection.  This album may seem simple upon first listen as there is not a lot of variation in style or a wide range of instruments used, but it is clear that each contribution is with immense purpose and it is finished with a clean production.  The beauty is in Karin Park’s vocals and the personal nature of each arrangement as she shares herself with listeners as a singer-songwriter as well as a wife and a mother.

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Album Review:  Holy Fawn — “Dimensional Bleed”

Angela Block1 Comment

Blooming into something strong and dynamic, combining elements of shoegaze, rock, metal, electronic, and more, Holy Fawn are back with their sophomore full-length album Dimensional Bleed.  Getting into their stride, this release brings something a little new and a little more experimental while still showcasing the sounds and vibe fans fell for in the band’s debut.  Dimensional Bleed offers electronic and ambient passages that feel cosmic and otherworldly, while at the same time grounding listeners with lyrical themes around death, nature, and the cosmos.  The dynamic between the music and the lyrics make for an immersive and enlightening experience making this album something special and Holy Fawn a creative force to indulge in.

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Gridfailure’s David Brenner on new album “Dismemberment Cabaret,” and much more!

opethbodomLeave a comment

It has been said that Gridfailure is for those that love a challenging listen. And, we are not ones to argue that point. However, Gridfailure is a band that must be experienced as the way they mold noise, drone, ambient, jazz, and dark sounds of all natures together into a cohesive mass of thought provoking music is a thing of beauty. Their most recent album, Dismemberment Cabaret finds the band collaborating with veteran trumpet player Mac Gollehon and the results are astounding. Buke recently sat down with David Brenner for a wide ranging discussion surrounding the new album, how it came to be, how it was working with Mac, and a multitude of other topics. This discussion is one for the record books so we don’t want to spoil it any further. With that being said, we now bring you this conversation in its entirety so grab your beverage of choice, a seat, and enjoy.

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