Gangleri - musicreviews » dark ambient

Le Testament De La Lumière * Echoes Out Of Time (cd 2010)

Roy — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 17:11:24 +0000

Some seven years ago I reviewed the demo of this project. I was aware that this demo later got a regular release, but not until now did I notice that the band slightly changed it’s name going from lights to light. Seven years ago “sounds like Der Blutharsch” was still a selling-line and however Le Testament indeed has some martial edges, the music was more ambient than industrial. Actually, the same can be said about this new album. “Echoes Out Of Time” starts with minimalistic and monotous soundscapes with a bit of drumming, but towards the end the music becomes more industrial with here and there a touch of noise. I am still not particularly impressed by the old style, the last few tracks are alright. Overall this album is not really convincing, but perhaps you happen to enjoy ‘martial ambient’.
Link: Steinklang
1.5 out of 5 stars

Allseits * Hel (cd 2009)

roy — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 14:58:15 +0000

I did not know Allseits yet, but that is because this is only the second release and the debut was not released within our scene. “Hel” is a pretty good album with very dark ambient / drone music. The sound is minimalistic and monotous, but not too monotous and almost all the time there is this very low frequency industrial pulse on the background. Very nice!
Links: Allseits, Cyclic Law
3.5 out of 5 stars

Post Scriptvm * Grey Emminence (cd 2010)

roy — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 14:14:05 +0000

I very much looked forward to this new album of our American masterminds of industrial dark ambient. The last album is 4 years old. When putting “Grey Emminence” in my player, my first thought was: “Post Scriptvm plans to do something different.” The first tracks of the new album sound like (analogue?) experimental soundscapes, the first not the least bit dark of tone and thus nothing like I expected (hoped for). The second track is also a strange compilation of sounds, but already a bit darker. Slowly the sounds evolves towards the dark industrial ambient that we love Post Scriptvm for. There is even a noise track. I have listened to “Grey Emminence” a couple of times now and it starts to grow on me. Post Scriptvm sounds different than before and “Grey Emminence” is surely something different altogether. Not (yet) as good as previous releases, but definately interesting.
Links: Post Scriptvm, Tesco
3 out of 5 stars

Land:Fire * Shortwave Transmission (cd 2009)

roy — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 16:27:34 +0000

I always thought that Land:Fire was a dark ambient project. I have some music on compilations and maybe I (unconsciously) heard that Herbst9 is another project of this duo, but when I recently heard a great noise track of Land:Fire it became time to really listen to this project. “Shortwave Transmission” opens brilliantly with very dark ambient noise with industrial rhythms. There indeed are a few dark ambient tracks, but the larger part is really my kind of noise. Great material!
Links: Land:Fire, Power & Steel
4.5 out of 5 stars

v/a * Kalpamantra Emisions (2010)

roy — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 08:57:53 +0000

Fabian of Dead.Circuit brought this free download compilation to my attention. 5 Times 11 tracks and about 70 minutes, I suppose, since the files do not work 100%. In any case, about 6 hours of music, how do I write a review about that? Emissions is a dark ambient compilation, but there are also more industrial and even noise tracks. There are established projects such as Land:Fire (great noise track), Herbst9, Svartsinn, Northaunt and of course Dead.Circuit (a monotous ambient track, not his best), but most of the projects are new to me. I do not listen all that much to dark ambient, because it tends to be too monotous for me, but I must say that I am not disappointed about the majority of the tracks presented. There is enough variety with darker and lighter tracks, rumbling and rhythmical and quiet and noisy.
Links: Kalpmantra
2 out of 5 stars

Dawn & Dusk Entwined * Cathédrales De Brume (cd 2009)

roy — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 18:12:26 +0000

Dawn & Dusk Entwined has never been my favourite project, but this latest album is still quite disappointing. I do not have everything that David released, this is the fourth album including the split with Golgatha. “Cathedrals of mist” is a soundtrack to a book and very minimalistic and repetative orchestral ambient. Only in the darker orchestral parts and the scarce martial tracks things get better, for the larger part of the 27 (!) tracks are not really my cup of tea.
Links: Dawn & Dusk Entwined / Aube et Crépuscule
2 out of 5 stars

M.O.T.T. * Архипелаг Гулаг (mcd 2009)

roy — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:38:35 +0000

Most Of The Taciturn is a Chinese dark ambient project and they release this mcd (5 tracks, 20 minutes) on the Chinese label that also released the newest Dead Man’s Hill and l’Effet c’est Moi albums. It comes in a very nice digipack, but the soundscapes are a bit too monotous for me. So there is a market for this kind of music in China too? And they manage to get their limited releases here too, since these albums are not very hard to get here.
Links: Midnight Productions, M.O.T.T.
2.5 out of 5 stars

Eldar * Sapere Aude (cd 2009)

roy — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 14:40:38 +0000

“Martial dark ambient” is the best way of describing this CMI release I think. Soundscapes and ambient with drumming, marchdrums and deep beats, sometimes some orchestrations or a sample. Each track of this 70 minute album is recorded with another guest musician/group. “Sapere Aude” is not a bad album, but not particularly good or original either. I guess this might appeal to people who like Toroidh or similar projects. Personally I find it a bit too monotous, but especially the tracks without drumming are nicely dark.
Links: Eldar, Cold Met Industry
2 out of 5 stars

Inade * Incarnation Of The Solar Architects (cd 2009)

roy — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 13:42:50 +0000

At this year’s WGT I bought the shirt of this album (since it wasn’t black) and I figured I might buy the album with the shirt! As you all know, Inade makes dark but meditative dark ambient soundscapes and their latest album is no exception. “Incarnation…” is not a masterpiece, but has some very good tracks and some nice experimentation with sounds and voice. For some reason also this album has arguments with my cd-player, just like that other Inade cd that I have and contrary to all my other cds. Anyway, much better dark ambient than the recent CMI releases and also for lovers of the more ‘ritualistic’ side of the genre.
Links: Inade, Loki Found
3.5 out of 5 stars

Raison d'Être * The Luminous Experience (2008)

roy — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 18:28:44 +0000

I first thought that this was a new album, so I was a bit disappointed that “The Luminous Experience” sounds too much like Raison d’Être, but this is actually a live recording! More even, this was recorded in the Netherlands. I do not think I was there in Enschede, not sure how I missed it. The music reminds of a show that I did see in Antwerpen with a great film of ‘rotting boats’ on the background. Anyway, slow dark ambient soundscapes with industrial sounds and gregorian singing. Raison d’Être, do I need to say more?
Links: Raison d’Être, Cold Meat Industry
3 out of 5 stars