Sunn 0))) & Ulver – Terrestrials (Review)

Sunn 0))) & UlverThis is a collaboration between Sunn 0))) and Ulver, both well-respected artists in their own right. This is a worthy collaboration resulting in brilliance.

The first track Let There Be Light starts off slow and minimalistic, with a lone saxophone forlornly reaching out from a fog. It builds up and up until the only real way to describe it is to use words such as epic and cinematic. So there we are – epic and cinematic music.

Second song Western Horn is an ominous journey through dark corridors where the lights have all been smashed by persons unknown, for reasons unknown. It’s an eerie place and even though you suspect that you can sense salvation just on the edge of your hearing the overarching feeling of black despair is weighing down on you. You end up crawling through the maze of abandoned doorways crying to yourself, hoping that someone will save you and fearing that they will not. This song sounds like that.

The third and final track Eternal Return is a lengthy foray into ghostly melodics and features the only vocals on the album. Feeling like a twisted, warped version of Laura Palmer’s Theme by Angelo Badalamenti from the Twin Peaks soundtrack; it evokes similar feelings and drips hypnotic beauty.

An album for lonely nights. An album for sleep’s dark embrace.

Queen Elephantine – Scarab (Review)

Queen ElephantineQueen Elephantine, from the US, treat us to their fourth album of psychedelic experimental Doom.

Straight from the off in first song Veil the band create an experience unlike most, with spaced out psychedelia paving the way. In fact the word experience is an apt one as that’s precisely what this is; a listening experience. There is a lot going on here, even when it sounds on occasion relatively minimalistic.

There is a wide range of instrumentation employed and the clear, organic sound does everything justice. In addition to the standard instruments one would expect we also get slide guitar, tanpura, additional effects/noises and two drummers, which makes for a great and varied collection of songs that have lots of individuality.

The vocals, when they appear, seem to be almost an afterthought. They appear at select points in the songs like ghostly apparitions floating in and out of reality. It all adds to the feeling of space and timelessness that the songs evoke and it’s easy to get lost in the endless hypnotic jam of Queen Elephantine.

I was not expecting to like this as much as I do. Not because I had any expectations of the band being bad or anything, (I had not heard of them before listening to this), but purely because it surprised me with the high quality on display and because it’s just so damn good.

If you’re looking for something a bit different and like to be taken out of reality then I advise you get your hands on this as soon as you can. If you’re in the mood for it then this is just excellent.

Night Heir – A Maze of Evenings (Review)

Night HeirAtmospheric metal from the US. There is plenty of variety and individuality on display here, with varying styles from Black Metal to Doom, and everything in between. The band are not afraid to experiment, so you’ll find plenty to hold the interest on this album if you like your metal with a touch of the Avant Garde/experimental.

I also notice what seems to be an In The Woods… influence, so if you imagine a band like In The Woods… with extra Black Metal, Doom, Folk, etc. parts thrown in you’ll be on the right lines.

This will not be to everyone’s tastes of course, but if you are in the right mood then stick this album on and relax, zone out and just get swallowed up in the atmosphere and the journey.

If you’re looking from something a bit different then give them a listen – you won’t regret it!