A fascinating drone album that oscillates between airy dark ambiance and raw experimentation. YOGA’s mystical surrealism opens up a sonic space punctured by bursts of distorted guitar noise, warbling synths and martial percussion. There are no voices echoing across this landscape, only the chirps, grunts and groans of unknown animals (cryptozoology).
The atmosphere is dense and absorbing, lulling the listerner into an eerie dream, or worse, repressed memories. Megafauna is nothing short of vision quest, using organic textures and subtle progressions to trace paths in the forgotten forests of the mind. While some of YOGA’s noisy bursts are odd, if not unsettling, they are used to light up the caverns they plunge into. Megafauna is a unique piece of psychological terror that challenges the listener to go beyond melodic structures and stand in a primordial clearing.
Glorious psychedelic drone music from the prolific Steven R. Smith (of Hala Strana). Both of these albums are largely guitar based, sending distorted space-rock riffs through hazy ambient mist. Loose, jangly melodies crackle in the arid and ancient atmosphere, sounding like weathered field recordings from Mars. Light noise hovers above the drawn-out instrumentation, painting a beautiful autumnal skyline for the music to dance against. Chords warble and twist like the pitched lure of the snake-charmer.
Ulaan Khol manages to be epic and absorbing without building up steady cresendos or crushing finales - this music deserves meditative patience much like the venerable Natural Snow Buildings. These albums should not be described as walls of sound but more as bubbling streams of consciousness. The expereince is a deep and mysterious one, full of texture, nuance and cosmic wonder. Smith’s compositions wander and haunt like specters over a vast alien landscape, never reaching their destination, but content in their long, winding journey. Simply masterful.
2009 ends on a high note with this dense and highly immersive album from the prolific Njiqahdda. The duo delve further into their mystical aesthetic, merging the oppressive atmosphere of black metal with dark ambient textures and cascading post-rock guitars. Yrg Alms is easily their most refined and creative effort so far, pushing their heavily layered compositions to hallucinatory limits. Lyrical content here is void, leaving the listener to meditate on drawn-out and distorted vocalizations that rush over the music like gusts of wind. At other times, like on the sorrowful “Sombre Fortu”, something vaguely human creeps in, though the voices are unintelligible (but emotionally stirring) mantras.
The guitars are intricate and complex, either pulsating through fluid arpeggios or rumbling under ominous noise. They provide the album with a surprising cathartic energy that provides consistent momentum across its lengthy duration. While portions of these epic tracks do meander (like in the extended droning bridge of “Yrg Alms”), the serpentine guitars always manage to bring the journey back to a cognizable path.
A fitting companion for the harsh winter months, Yrg Alms is an intense effort that compensates for its less cohesive sections with its raw, creative and uncompromising vigor. There are few albums within the already diverse metal subculture that push against convention quite like this, though its sheer density will likely leave casual listeners puzzled. Nonetheless, there is a compelling artistry that Njiqahdda possesses that is consistently evolving into a stronger and deeper creature.
Another masterpiece (if not their finest achievement to date) from this prolific avant/drone duo. Delicate, ethereal folk songs are interwoven with wispy psychedelia, eastern-tinged guitars and mysterious, ambient noises. A soundtrack for levitation. Shadow Kingdom is an incredibly exhausting and expansive album (over 2 hours) that is full of awe-inspiring moments. It may take dozens of dedicated listens to unearth all of its riches.
Oceanus Procellarum. Amidst Nature . 2009.
Low, rumbling drones and minimal acoustic accents run through this deep and challenging album. Subtle transitions lumber in the caverns of these five evocative pieces, sounding like lost requiems, left to rot in the woods.
Starbird. Nanook of the North. 2007.
A very unique piece of drone/ambient/free-folk music inspired by the famous Canadian documentary about the Inuit in Quebec. Strange percussive instrumentation, chimes and woodwinds grant this album an authentic, indigenous atmosphere. The sonic landscapes may be sparse, cold and foreboding, but Starbird’s eclecticism also makes them strangely inviting, finding a primordial connection with the open North.
Sleepwalker is a mysterious project out of Santa Cruz California that I know little about. I do know that it incorporates the stark post-rock of Slint and the droning black metal/ambient of Velevet Cacoon to produce one of the most mesmerizing records of its kind.
It’s mostly raw, lo-fi instrumentals that have a strange, cosmic expansiveness to them. Three tracks that move from punchy cresecndos to hit a gritty, wall of sound. In the more aggressive passages, repetitive waves of guitar become earthy texture as distant, ghostly voices hover over. When I listen to this, I feel meditative, out of my head, see-through, or like seeing-through. Sleepwalker takes the most obscure and subtle elements of their respective form and revels in it. Both dense and transient, a deep, emotional hole to hide in.
Radical drone, imploded wonder, insomniac trudge, clearing by fire, the blinding light of morning.
Birchville Cat Motel. Our Love Will Destroy the World . 2006. New Zealand
Harsh, dissonant noise coupled with pulse-pounding drums make for one of the most caustic and powerful albums of its kind.
Menace Ruine. Cult of Ruins . 2008. Montreal
Blackened drone, oppressive and mystical. Creative use of both male and female vocals, wailing from the dark tower.
Boris. Feedbacker . 2003. Tokyo.
A classic drone doom record. Long, stoned dirges that slowly build into monolithic walls of sound. The band’s most patient and celestial album.
Jesu. Infinity. 2009. The U.K.
The newest release from Justin Broadrick. One 45 minute track that encompasses both digital experimentation and guttural throwbacks to his industrial (Godflesh) days. Not nearly as gripping as Conqueror but still a finely crafted and hypnotic work.
Corrupted. El mundo frio . 2005. Osaka.
A tour de force, bringing togehter steady post-rock arpeggios, lumbering bass drones, gritty sludge guitars and a haunting, desert atmosphere. One mesmerizing 71 minute track that lurches menacingly across an arid landscape. A massive effort that rivals the best of doom metal.
The robed duo return with what is likely to be regarded as their most sophisticated work to date. While the bone-crushingly slow and heavy guitar drones they are famous for remain intact, they are now accompanied by haunting spoken verses (from Mayhem’s Attila), eerie choirs, ambient horns and other atmospheric flourishes. All of these elements weave together to absorb the listener, opening yawning black chasms to the unknown.
The opening “Aghartha” doesn’t verge too far from convention (aside from it’s horror-inspired use of creaks and groans) as the familiar rumble of O’Malley and Anderson burrows its way into your skull. “Big Church” on the other hand, is an evocative departure, as female choirs welcome the seductive pull of these guitars. Their airy voices gracefully line the strange and vivid occultism that lies at the heart of Sunn O)))’s aesthetic. The murmuring male mantras, distant in the mix, also provide another layer of estrangement, recalling rituals long covered by dust and debris. Sunn O))) revives them with dramatic subtlety, pushing their sound from being a curiosity for the drug-addled to a truly avant-garde experiment. Their live project Dømkirke was clearly instrumental in shaping this welcome progression.
Hunting and Gathering (Cydonia) is a more rhythmic piece, with chugging riffs reminiscent of Earth’s seminal Earth 2 . The use of black metal vocals here is far more effective on this track then as the first, as they are more raspy, emotive and convey more “presentness” to complement the powerful guitars. Then the horns kick in, pushing the song into celestial ambiance. An inspired inclusion.
Finally, the concluding piece of “Alice” features the most surprising and cinematic moments on the album. While the opening guitar chords are sparse and spacious, they are soon filled with creeping strings and horns, amplifying the horror film tension that hangs over. The interplay between droning guitar and brass fills moves Sunn O))) closer to dark ambient/avant-garde jazz territory, producing a sonically diverse landscape. The piece lurches forward, like that infamous beast towards Bethlehem, as the horns begin to slowly rise over a grisly bed of distortion. The effect is strangely uplifting, as if the duo has finally found some transcendent resolution to the subterranean tension that has been building in their sound for so long. No other song of theirs is quite like it.
In conclusion, Monoliths & Dimensions is Sunn O)))’s most accomplished work to date. It features moments of both suffocating grimness and ethereal release, encapsulating the band’s steady progression down new and exciting musical paths. This album works both as an experiment in cinematic ambiance and as a highly disciplined metal opera, though it’s self-seriousness may deter the casual listener. Despite some underdeveloped segments at the start of this disc, it’s overall presentation is highly engaging and original. A highly satisfying release.
Afterlives . A Ticking Clock I Couldn’t Stop . 2009. 4 stars.
This is a strange, lonesome and intensely personal debut from Connecticut’s William Barett. His project Afterlives consists of haunting lo-fi dirges that move from sparse guitar passages to squalls of droning noise, providing many jarring moments to catch the listener off guard. While it is clear that this album is a loosely knit sample of ideas, there are some stirring gems to found here. "Ever the Optimist" is one of the finer examples of how Afterlives can usurp expectations. Loose, jangly riffs dissolve into a wall of noise as Barett screams over the storm, yearning for hope and resolve in a darkening world.
"Still Lakes " is a stunningly vulnerable piece with distant, weepy vocals and sorrowful acoustic strums that move towards a resonant chorus that pushes the song into slow, pulsating psychedelia. Sounding broken down and alone, Barett’s voice trembles across the yawning chasms lying between soft percussive beats, as the plodding guitars foretell imminent doom. It’s a subtly powerful song that seeps in ever so slowly, drawing you into the fractured psychology of its author. A clear highlight of this disc.
Songs like "Fireworks" move dreamily along as wiry riffs play hypnotically against harmonized vocals and slow-burning distortion before rising to an inevitable climax. "Distance Runner" follows with spacey atmospheric effects, shimmering post-rock guitars and unsettling vocalizations that buzz in the background. Other experiments, like the cacophonous drone exercises on "Sanderban Tigers" and "I Am the Heroic" provide occasional shocks to the system, shaking off sad stupors with blasts of blind catharsis.
Taken in its entirety, Afterlives’ debut is both brave and perturbed, weaving noisy experimentation with intimate, heart-tugging revelation. While its highlights are distinct, the entire work should be admired for its artistic abandon and honesty. The crackling home-recording aesthetic has offered Mr. Barett a unique vehicle to expose his darkest demons. For those fascinated by the post-rock amalgamations of Have a Nice Life, be sure to track down this brother project.
An excellent performance of one my favorite Bjork songs. Her voice is so strange and evocative and the sound of that music-box gives me chills. This song can be found on Vespertine(2001).
Natural Snow Buildings. Daughter of Darkness. 2009. 5 stars.
It’s been some time since I have been so deeply immersed in an album. It’s rare for me to forget that I am even listening to a recording, to just let it seep into my brain, to be so naturally absorbed by the senses, like the snow in my backyard, the wind against my window or the blinding sunlight spilling in. Daughter of Darkness provides such an unusual and powerful listening experience that is ceases to be a an impossibly long collection of songs and becomes an avenue for meditation and psychedelic escape.
This mysterious and prolific French duo have produced a mammoth work that rivals the equally ominous efforts of Godspeed You Black Emperor. Combining drone, post-rock, psychedelic folk and noise rock, they have produced the ultimate opium den soundtrack, a drawn-out, enveloping sound that can bring you to the darker caverns of your subconscious. Middle eastern guitar work, haunting choral vocals, strange chimes, and tribal percussion are some of the eclectic elements that stand out across this collection’s unbelievable 6 hours. Yes, the album (rather, a series of cassettes) is that long. But it doesn’t really matter, because an extraordinary release needs extraordinary time to (un)settle. It is truly something to be lost in and can be entered into from any song.
Needless to say, Natural Snow Buildings are intimidating. But as soon as you get a taste of these organic pieces, you will be hypnotized, or at the very least intrigued. The duo’s anti-commercial and uncompromising ethos is simply admirable. Such commitment to the transcendental power of music is humbling. Its just too bad that this act hovers so low below the radar because they really do have a powerful sound that expands on the spiritual and esoteric dimensions expressed by bands like GYBE and Six Organs of Admittance.
Daughters of Darkness, being self-released, is incredibly hard to find. I scoured the Internet looking for a myspace page, band website or label that sells it but I’ve come up with nothing. If anyone has further ordering information or anything else to say about this band or album, please leave a comment below.
“If I can find my way through the darkness”
Not on the album, but it gives you a sense of what they sound like.
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