Subterrestrial – Conspiracy Music : Dark Ambient / experimental

Reviewed by Gird_09

We have reviewed these guys before and convincing us to do it again isn't hard. Subterrestrial has to be one of the more fitting band names out there. Their music does not belong under the bright light of the sun. It's fragile, obscure and nocturnal – and at times it feels like one is somewhere down in a cavernous space surrounded by the chirps of unseen, gigantic, blind, albino insects and rodents. It's not pleasent, despite being ambient. Unsettling is the word on my lips. Conspiracy Music is another venture into this underground labyrinthine landscape. Travelling down Acheron with a single torch to light the walls and ceiling above us, while the black water hides a world better left undiscovered.

The music is detailed, yet also very minimalistic and mostly made up of treated sounds, echoes and soft strings with squelching synthesizers providing a sort of shadow puppet theatre against the granite walls. In one way it's like a soviet sci fi film from an abandoned Mars colony, while at other times it's like standing in a lost temple complex in Peru. The music is cinematic and evocative, but also very contamplative.

As downloads go, this is one of the best I've heard. The power of the track the Bohemian Grove is something I rarely come across, and the contrast between the melodies and the minute soundscaping is effective as well as admirable. It takes me back to when I first discovered ambient music, despite being miles away from the likes of the Orb and KLF. Still in a track like Black Helicopters I hear touches of both Orbital and Future Sound of London. The tracks stand out against each other in a good way, and they are allowed their own personality. While the album concept is cohesive as few each track is still an individual track. I'd be hard pressed to find the fillers on this one.

I also feel an urgent need to address the "weight" of the instruments. The music never sounds computer generated or like its been composed on software synths. While there is no doubt that the music is electronic (and atleast mostly digital) it sounds and feels real and organic. The reverb and textures feels entirely natural.

I do have trouble relating the titles to the mood of the music though. There's very little that feels like black helicopters and Illuminati, or the cross and bones society in this music. Still, I'm not going to let that stand in the way of my enjoyment. I can literally feel my heartbeat and breathing slow down as the album progresses. And that is despite having to pay extra attention to write a review. That's a rare quality.

Subterrestrial has done it again, and they are rapidly becoming one of our favorite bands of the genre here at Kaliglimmer HQ!

2010, Free Download, Self Released

1 Bovine Mutilator [07:50]
2 The Bohemian Grove [8:00]
3 322 [8:08]
4 October 13 1307 [8:04]
5 Black Helicopters [808]
6 Illuminati [15:34]
7 Things Seen in the Sky [8:18]

http://www.archive.org/details/SUB004_Subterrestrial_Conspiracy_Music
http://www.subterrestrial.blogspot.com/

Black Velvet Stereo – Iron Trees EP : Dark Ambient / Drone

Reviewed by Gird_09

This four track EP comes with an anaglyph "cover", depicting a riverbed in a forest. While the sounds might not immediatly conjure forth arboreal images its not entirely unfitting. There is something entirely artificial about anaglyph images, while the image itself is of nature in motion. The music is organic, while certainly artificial in every aspect. The music is not about being "real", it's closer "metareal".

The music is distorted and many of the audio fragments are dislocated, battered and broken, but the result is oddly soothing. Like it says on the download page: "Played & recorded at home by Black velvet stereo
Use on this record : Old Synths / Bad Samplers / Piano Toy / Reversed Guitars / Tape Echoes / Broken Drums / ... " As much as the aesthetic is one of low tech, distorted and improvised it sounds incredibly clean and precise. Low tech certainly doesn't translate to muddled, in this case.

The only drawback on this release is its length. It could be twice as long. Each track could easily be stretched for a few minutes more without losing any potency or mood. Not often I would say that.

So, break out your mp3 player and your anaglyph glasses.

Epileptic Dog Productions, Free download, 2010

1 Small Leaf [05:30]
2 The Space Below [04:09]
3 Let the Sun Burn Your Eyes [04:08]
4 Flowers [05:16]

http://epilepticdogproduction.bandcamp.com/album/iron-trees-ep
http://epilepticdogproduction.bandcamp.com/

Hyios – Consuetudines : Dark Ambient

Reviewed by Gird_09

The cover for this thing is simply beautiful. The dark blue depiction of something that I don't really recognize is captivating and mysterious, and once I pop in the CD I realize that the match is 1:1. Upon leafing through the digipack I am even further enthralled. Runes, greek letters, a pyramid and a pharaonic individual and several oblique and mystical references triggers my natural curiosity. The inside cover also contains the words "cultus subterraneus", and this translates well to the images that float around in my head as I listen to the first track "tephra". I can nearly feel the cold granite against my bare feet as I descend a spiral staircase into the bowels of mother earth, dressed only in an acolyte's humble garments.

The element I really want to bring to your attention on this album is the balanced texture of the music. The well crafted soundscapes are rich and saturated with moist tactility. There is so much surface on this music you almost expect to find moss growing on the CD.

When I was a teenager me and some friends used to hang out in an old German bunker from the occupation. It was a dank and mildewed cavern where we lit dozens of candles and torches and set up tree stumps to sit on. The floor was covered in planks, and it was quite comfortable in there, despite the presence of hundreds of spiders, egg pouches in the ceiling and grimy water dripping down from above. We even brought a oiuja board along at some point. That is the place I would like to bring this album. I'm quite certain the sounds would mesh perfectly with the natural ambiance of the place, to the point where you're not certain what's in your head, what's background and what's music. I think I even hear a bat sonar in there, on the track called "Algor".

It's very hard to imagine this as ever having been recorded in a studio, and as I progress through the tracks the album even makes me forget the sun shining outside my window on this spring day. I'm gonna keep that in mind for the bright sweaty horror that is July.

At some point I think I hear some audio artefacts in the reverb, but I mention that only to point out to you that this album is so good I have to pick it apart with tweezers to find something negative. It's excellent. In fact it's so good I wish I had bought it when I was 19 and had the time and concentration to really enjoy an album as much as this one deserves.

2010 – Malignant Records, CD Album.

http://www.myspace.com/malignantrecords
http://www.myspace.com/hyiosinfo

1 Tephra [7:17]
2 Algor [8:54]
3 Teiwaz [5:00]
4 Crater [4:29]
5 Aquila [8:17]
6 Rex [7:55]
7 Nasjoir [7:48]

Flores Funebres – A moment before Nothingness : Neo Classical / Dark Ambient

"Reviewed" by Gird_09

The first thing that hits me with this release is digital, digital and more digital. I hate digital spinet, and I hate digital strings. It sounds like shit, always has always will. It's something I just can't see beyond, even though I try. If you don't have access to the real thing or usable samples I say you're not meant to "compose classical music". It sounds like plastic, and even as cheap plasticcy sounds go this one is worse than most I've ever heard.

Additionally it's conceited, pompous and completely anonymous. I usually try to find some redeeming feature about every bad album I review, but with this there is nothing. There is no texture I can relate to, there is no discernable content to hang on to, the sounds are 90% horrible and the compositions are less interesting than nearly anything. It even seems that every god damn awful track is a variation on the same theme.

The only positive thing I can say is that it would probably work well as a soundtrack for a fantasy computer game – where people aren't paying attention or expecting anything of quality.

This album is worthless, and I'm not going to say more about that. If you like this kind of music you're deaf, desperate and born three centuries to late.

I'm not going to be bothered to type in the titles and shit for this album. Just go here if you want to download it, for some absurd reason. It's free, and that's about as much as it's worth paying for.

News Update!

Kaliglimmer is going through some changes, and for now that means that we are not accepting new submissions for some time.

We will continue to post reviews of the material we have accepted so far, and look forward to future updates. Stay tuned!

Burzum - Fallen : Black Metal

Reviewed by Gird_09

Following up on last year's Belus is no easy task, and the cover does make me a bit sceptical. It's a sharp departure from the gloomy aesthetics we've come to associate with Burzum (while still deply rooted in romanticism). Even the fonts have been changed from gothic to a simple plain font with serifs. Belus was a powerful and personal album and one of the best comebacks of all time. With Vikernes' discography in mind he really needs to work hard to stay interesting.

The first track is an ambient introductory track and sets the level of expectations high. Much higher, alas, than the album can live up to. Apart from the two neo classical albums Burzum has been consistently interesting on all the releases, and Det som Engang Var, Filosofem and Belus represent some of the best metal albums of all time, as I see it. Like I said, not easily followed, and evidently Varg Vikernes has gone off on the deep end with this album. One of Burzum's strong points has always been a direct and primitive minimalism with harsh sounds and vocals straight from the throats of a dying troll. None of this is present on Fallen, and the arrangements are even at times something more akin to progressive metal. The vocals are quite simply sad. I will never forget when I first heard Vikernes' vocals, and when Belus came out I was a bit let down by the change in style (but it still worked well) – on this album the change is complete. Melodic clean vocals are combined with some of the most boring attempts at distorted vocals I've ever heard. Very sad, very sad.

It's commendable that Burzum changes style, and I respect Vikernes' intention with this, but it ends up being somewhat mediocre. It's hard to judge objectively considering Burzum's history and legendary status, but I'm not convinced. I can see this album growing on me, but I doubt very much that I will ever grow to like the vocals (though Vikernes sings better than you'd expect). The melodies are interesting and Burzum has matured in its expression and depth, but the content doesn't really match the ambitions. I wish there was a bit more power, and perhaps a little bit more of the primitive nerve of earlier albums. It's not entirely bad, but it's not really good either.

The lyrics nowhere near approach the mythical content of the earlier albums. Varg Vikernes is perhaps one of the very few black metal lyricists with any demonstrable ability to actually write a good lyric, but the ones on this album certainly doesn't represent his best work. The mystic dark gnosis has been replaced by very obvious psychological lyrics. For the most part anyway.

Fallen is Burzum's second album since getting out of jail, and the years of near isolation has evidently had effect – as is to be expected. You might say it sounds uninspired, but I suppose unfinished is more accurate. Despite evidently having been more meticulously produced and mastered than previous efforts. I recommend this album for completists. The rest of us are just gonna have to see what he comes up with next year. I do hope he comes up with something.

Norway, 2011, CD album, Byelobog Productions

http://burzum.org/

1 Fra Verdenstreet [1:03]
2 Jeg Faller [7:51]
3 Valen [9:22]
4 Vanvidd [7:06]
5 Enhver til Sitt [6:16]
6 Budstikken [10:10]
7 Til Hel og Tilbake Igjen [5:57]

The Black Scorpio Underground – Attica : Electro Industrial / Experimental

Reviewed by Gird_09

The first thing that strikes me when I open the cover to stuff the cd into my player is the alchemical imagery. Presumably a rendition of a cosmological model complete with the three alchemical processes and astrological symbols – as well as a whole lot more it would take me more effort to interpret. It's a good way to tickle my curiosity.

I'm a bit disappointed when I hear the Hitler sample on Acid Fascist. It's a bit overdone, and I'm certain I've heard this particular speech in atleast three different tracks. But this initial scepticism is rapidly vanquished by the power and energy of the track. It's a thumper, put simply. The juxtaposition of Hitler and Leary is also interesting in its own way. Not sure if it's the way that's intended, but it does make me smile. Something about different forms of totalitarianism.

In general I'm often reminded of Skinny Puppy from the Too Dark Park / Last Rights era. The methodology is certainly reminiscent of Goettel's audio sculptures (sadly something they've abandoned or failed at since his death) and the choice of samples and the way they are processed is pure electro industrial at its peak. There's also other stuff here, and BSU manages to mix genres in a compelling way. Skinny Puppy is supplemented by smatterings of Syd Barret and Nurse With Wound – there's even some Death in June in there... Old school as we like to say.

The tracks are mostly consistent in terms of style. Blessed B the Little Children sounds a bit out of place, but it's a good break – and good albums should have a break. Too many people create albums thinking they are collections of single tracks and pay little heed to the album as a conceptual whole. This is not the case with this one. It has that well considered dramaturgy an album should have. It progresses through the tracks and builds something towards the end. I like that.

This is a form of music I rarely hear these days, and I have missed it. Not sure it's the most original album, but it's certainly not the most derivative either. There aren't too many leaves on this particular branch anymore, and very few of them are as brilliantly green as the Black Scorpio Underground.


2009, CD Album,

http://www.myspace.com/blackscorpiounderground

1 Acid Fascist [4:14]
2 Artificial Infestation [4:54]
3 Eulogy Satanis [5:16]
4 Blessed B the Little Children [4:21]
5 Chant ov Dreams [2:22]
6 Digital Whore [3:40]
7 the Rise of the Magus [2:49]
8 Blood in my Dreams [5:11]
9 War Mantra [4:46]
10 I Saw You Dead [2:18]
11 Revolutionation [3:14]
12 Ambient 23 [4:43]
13 NYC1970 [2:08]