ASHTORETH - Rites III​-​IV (2021)

Peter Verwimp released his Rites I and II in 2019. Since then he was involved in other projects and cooperations but it's finally time for the followup in the form of Rites III-IV, making the Cyclic Law's release one of the highlights of the ambient music at the end of the last year.

As Ashtoreth is "the preeminent goddess in the Bible, and the plural Ashtaroth is a generic term for goddesses", it's no wonder that Verwimp's music is all about the pagan-sounding, sacral and dark ambient. It is a sea of gloomy, minimalist electronica that is filled with horror-like, unnerving whispering vocals and distorted instrument sounds. The soundscapes he produces sound mystical and very mysterious and are supposed to explain people's "interconnectedness with nature as a whole and the necessity to acknowledge and use this connection as an amplifier of thoughts, ideas and emotions". One thing is certain, this is one of the darkest ambient pieces of the year.

Rites III​-​IV costs 8 EUR.

Check: Rite III 

Country: Belgium

Genre: dark ambient

Label: Cyclic Law

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Hiemis - Zothique (2021)

Juan Carlos Toledo is known as a member of Silent Love of Death and under the moniker of Hiemis. As the latter, the Spaniard releases albums filled with dark and tribal-characterized ambient music, probably best sounding on his newest work called Zothique.

His music makes subtle soundscapes collide with clear folk-like drums and unnerving chanting, a perfect recipe for dark and unsettling ambient music. The gloomy parts generate such a massively spooky atmosphere, but in my opinion, the tribal folk intrusions are what really fuel the darkness here: it certainly has the vibes of folk-inspired horror movies and I'm here for it. The pretty complex album goes on and on without losing anything from this dark grip and this is something that should be appreciated.

Zothique costs 7 USD.

Check: Xylac

Country: Spain

Genre: tribal dark ambient

Label: Noctivagant

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Kælan Mikla - Undir köldum norðurljósum (2021)

I remember getting to know Kælan Mikla when they came to Poland to support King Dude three years ago. Since then, they managed to release an almost perfect album Nótt eftir nótt, threw more exciting live gigs, create solo albums and now, they're back with a new album, Undir köldum norðurljósum, that is easily as good as the last one.

There's a lot of those darkwave's dark discotheque vibes all over the release (just have a go at Ósýnileg!): the synth backgrounds burst with lively sounds while still generating the gloomy and mesmerizing atmosphere. This is only empowered by the whispering vocals singing in Icelandic, the mystic and mysterious readings quickly get out of the scale. Especially in my favourite Sólstöður with its witch-like tribal screamings adding to the exciting horror vibes (it comes with absolutely zero surprise that the track's title translates to "Solstice"). The album's title, on the other hand, means "Under the Cold Northern Lights" but, truth be told, it doesn't feel that cold; maybe there's a hint that it is freezing outside, but here, in the vicinity of hot, dancing bodies and in the warm darkness they bring, it is hot and steamy.

Although their sounds differ much, Kælan Mikla seem to be close with the French icons of Alcest: they toured together and now they collaborated in the studio as well with Hvítir Sandar being more guitar-oriented and Alcest-like atmospheric. The three witches from Iceland will be back on tour when the day get longer again, and, fortunately, are coming to Kraków once again, this time as the main course - can't wait!

Undir köldum norðurljósum costs 10 USD.

Sólveig Matthildur - Constantly in Love (2019)

Kælan Mikla - Nótt eftir nótt (2018) EN

Check: Ósýnileg

Country: Iceland

Genre: synthpop darkwave

Label: Artoffact Records

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Rorcal - Muladona (2019) EN

Another time the Swiss alternative music is audible, this time it's the post-metal Rorcal who decided to create something really terrifying and formed it into a new album called Muladona.

The band show that the metal-esque music doesn't have to create fear only by the means of the aggressive, overwhelming and very sad music, not only with the screaming vocals but also with the fantastically ill-omened lyrics, ones that make the listener shudder over and over again. Those spoken word fragments of the album are its might and characteristic feature. The Swiss took them from the book Muladona written by Erik Stener Carlson who not only gave them a blessing to use his prose but also recorded his own voice reading it.

This fantastic experiment engages the audience in many various ways into its dramatic and terrifying plot but also treats the ears with a great quality post-metal music that makes no room for pauses and peace from the album's omnipresent feeling of danger. 

Muladona can be yours for anything you want to pay.

Check: The Only Constant in This World Is Blackness of the Human Heart

Country: Switzerland

Genre: horror post-metal

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Rorcal - Muladona (2019) PL

Kolejny raz szwajcarska alternatywa daje znać o sobie, tym razem post-metalowcy z Rorcal zapragnęli zrobic coś naprawdę przerażającego i zaklęli to pod postacią nowej płyty Muladona.

Zespół pokazuje, że muzyka około-metalowa przerażać może nie tylko agresywną, przytłaczającą i bardzo smutną muzyką, nie tylko wrzaskliwymi wokalami, ale również fantastycznie złowieszczymi tekstami, przy których słuchaniu człowiek wzdryga się nieraz. To właśnie melorecytowane fragmenty tej płyty są siłą i znakiem szczególnym tej płyty. Szwajcarzy wzięli je z książki Muladona pióra Erika Stenera Carlsona, który nie tylko udzielił muzykom błogosławieństwa, ale wręcz użyczył swojego głosu czytając prozę.

Ten fantastyczny eksperyment wciąga uczestnika na wszelkie sposoby w swoją dramatyczną i przerażającą fabułę, ale również cieszy ucho znakomitej jakości post-metalową muzyką, która ani na chwile nie daje wytchnąć od wszechobecnego na płycie poczucia zagrożenia.

Muladona można mieć za tyle, ile chce się zapłacić.

Sprawdź: The Only Constant in This World Is Blackness of the Human Heart

Kraj: Szwajcaria

Szufladka: horror post-metal

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Meczup - Songs of the Others (2019) EN

Theremin is a music instrument developed by Leo Termen, the function of which is based on field disturbances of human body. Another name for the instrument is etherophone and this alone makes me love it unconditionally. If there's someone who doesn't know the horror-filled sound of theremin, they can catch up thanks to this extremely original album by the Turkish duo Meczup.

On daily basis, the band play electronic music contaminated with some Middle East folk influences, but here, they employed the theremin itself. Together with gothic-flavoured keys, they play, as the title suggests, the songs of others. The others are not chosen by coincidence, this bunch consists of legendary composers including Tschaikovky, Shubert, Mozart and much more. This combination of classical music and theremin that is mostly connected with horror b-class movies makes an extraordinary impression. Especially that the whole album is dominated by this atmosphere that reminds me of some weirdly gothic projects such as The Black Heart Procession. Great idea and phenomenal execution.

Songs of the Others costs whatever you want to pay.

Check: Dance of the Swans

Country: Turkey

Genre: gothic/horror neoclassical

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Meczup - Songs of the Others (2019) PL

Theremin to instrument muzyczny skonstruowany przez Lwa Termena, którego działanie polega na zakłócaniu pola przez obecność ciała ludzkiego. Inna jego nazwa to eterofon, za co ma moje dozgonne propsy. Jeśli ktoś nie zna pełnego grozy brzmienia thereminu, ma szansę nadrobić to dzięki niezwykle oryginalnej płycie tureckiego duetu Meczup.

Zespół grający na co dzień zarażoną bliskowschodnim folkiem elektronikę, tutaj postawił właśnie na brzmienie thereminu. Wraz z gotycko brzmiącymi klawiszami wygrywają oni tytułowe piosenki innych, a są to nieprzypadkowi inni - wśród interpretacji Turków mamy więc i Czajkowskiego i Szuberta i Mozarta i wielu innych. To połączenie klasyki z kojarzącym się głównie z podrzędnymi horrorami thereminem robi niezwykłe wrażenie. Zwłaszcza, że nad całością dominuje klimat kojarzący się z twórczością takich gotyckich dziwolągów jak The Black Heart Procession. Znakomity pomysł i fenomenalne wykonanie.

Songs of the Others kosztuje ile tylko chcesz.

Sprawdź: Dance of the Swans

Kraj: Turcja

Szufladka: gothic/horror neoclassical

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