ZeroNull - Blue Mars

The third and final installment of the Mars-themed sci-fi trilogy! The first one was the Red Mars, the second was the Green Mars... and yes... this one is the Blue Mars. We reviewed Red Mars in 2023, and that one even ended up on the list of best-of-2023. Again, its out as a limited cassette-release on Marbre Negre. 

The design of the artwork follows the blue theme offcourse. Nice touch that the tape is a transparent blue one. Love the mystical kind of coloring, various kinds of blue... and that cool kind of deep-space sci-fi font really gives the release a futuristic feel to it. The album contains 2 tracks, each track for each side of the tape. Bout 39 minutes in total. 

The first track is called The Accelerando-Deep Space Exploration. There is... the sound of... something metallic like a huge church bell in space, creating this huge and engulfing sound... giving the listener the impression of how BIG space really is. Something or someone bangs on something, something with a lot of echo and reverb. Everything is levitating in free air at the moment! Another sound comes in, a bit like a huge geyser really... and the tiny tabbing of crystals in some deep cavern. In comes a lovely futuristic, melodic retro-synth ambient drone, wrapping it all up in a completely focused vision. It´s soo beautiful, I mean... damn... Klaus Schulze would have been proud! I mean, I'm not even halfway through the first track! Stuff is very moody with light touches of dark elements here and there, but there is a lovely sense of hope here. I do know that I often mention Frank Herbert´s Dune stuff in my reviews. And here I go again. Just listen and you´ll get it! The ending of this track is also... breathtaking! 

The second track on the B-side is called Phoenix Lake. Sound of rain inside a huge... open garage. U know... the kind of garage where all the machinery of the farm is inside. Then there is a strange electronic hum, of something vibrating... something alive. And that hum keeps on building, and getting more and more dynamic in the way it builds up. Not overwhelming, more in a subtle way. Additional layers of electronic drones of sound are being mixed into this otherworldly hum. There is also a banging hammering sound, coming from... some distant room. Everything tunes out, and the listener is being led into another strange room. Eerie sounds merge into one another, and some chittering and watery insect-like sounds are there as well. Is it the Martians? Who knows?... 

The big question here is... is there life on Mars?. I don´t know (really), but I do know that there is life in the trilogy that ZeroNull has managed to create! Not just life, but something that keeps on... doing its thing. The whole trilogy works as an independent and living, breathing entity of sound. Waiting for anyone to stumble upon its inspiring path. I really do wish, that this trilogy would be released as some kind of box set... with something like a small book or something. I hope that this project will continue to describe the great cosmos out there, Venus next time?  

Bandcamp (label): https://marbrenegre.bandcamp.com/album/blue-mars

 Yellow Springs - S/T

Another obscure release from the Canadian label Bent Window Records. This time, it's a new project with their self-titled debut, Yellow Springs. I don´t know if we are talking about Yellow Springs in Ohio or the English word for the Chinese and Japanese underworld. We´re probably talking about something related to some underworld. In Chinese, it´s called Diyu, and in Japanese, it's called Yomi. This electronic project has its roots in black metal, and the Bandcamp site informs us of sound/style-related acts like Beherit, Diabolos Rising... and offcourse MZ.412! (why weren´t they mentioned?!) Anyways! The release is out as a physical release, and offcourse on a digital one as well (link below!). 

The artwork showcases a... I think it´s some kind of burning wheel getting torched by a flame. Not just an ordinary wheel, but a kind of horse cartwheel. Maybe it´s the sort of cartwheel that was used on a Phaeton carriage? A carriage that had its name from Greek mythology. The son of Helios is named Phaëthom, he attempted to drive the chariot of the sun and he nearly set the entire Earth on fire! Maybe connected with the Asian underworld? I don´t know. We have 4 tracks on the album, all called Meditation I, II, III, and IV. About 20 minutes in total.  

The first track on side A of the tape is offcourse... Meditation I. The track starts with a... chopped sound of a vinyl player, a whooping eerie bass sound, and a gong giving it a ritualistic feel. A thumping menacing bass drum starts, with a lovely distorted sound following it. Chanting growling black-metal vocals are also added to the mix. It definitely has the same sort of sound/vibe compared to  Beherit´s Electric Doom Synthesis, or early MZ.412. The intent of doing evil things is pretty decent represented here, not your average bunch of long-haired head-bangers here! Really dig the ritualistic live drums around 06:30, yup... there is a bloody sacrifice going on here. And yeah, the drums sound pretty good if you ask me. 

The second track Meditation II is a short track, and the last track is on the A-side of the tape. A nice moody drumming on 2 cymbals, or is it one? Quite simple really, but it works! Very meditative. 

We turn the tape to the B-side with the first track Meditation III. The most industrial-sounding track so far. Those weird electronic sounds and bleeps, and those technoid ceremoniously drums... very nice. And the black metal vocals (sometimes chanting) have been further altered, just to add a certain kind of cyberpunk and demonic touch to it. The combination is just... spot on! Just a matter of mixing certain things together, and you´ll end up having something great!. That is the case here (so far). 

The fourth and last track of the album Meditation IV, is the most melodic and epic-driven track on the album. More in the style of Beherit here, especially with the vocals. Really cool electronic and rhythmic stuff here, and some great synth work here. Great way how the chanting vocals follow up in the melody that the synth creates.  Great horrific stuff with a classy satanic mood going on!  

And that is that! It´s a completely compact and thorough little thing. Every little idea of how to make this thing work... has been accomplished. Really hope that we will get to see a full-length of this act. Any fans of Beherit and MZ.412 will not be disappointed! The feel and vibe are there for sure, but it´s not a clone of it. Closer to being... retro and cool? It is, I miss the satanic imagery with all the mystery it could include... and this album does bring back that feel, with even a new sound!. 

Bandcamp (label):

https://bentwindowrecords.bandcamp.com/album/yellow-springs

    

  

Tryhm – The Silent Hunt

written by Ralle Ravn

I’ve gotten my hands on ”The Silent Hunt” by Tryhm, released on the label Liber Khaos Productions in 2022 which is the third full-length album by this project. Tryhm is a dark ambient/industrial project from Norway that has been active since 2016 and whose general aesthetic revolves around “creepy”, horror-inspired atmospheres. And this album is no exception to that. 

On the label’s Bandcamp page, the album is described as the project’s “most conceptual album” revolving around theorizing a human breeding farm where the subjects are isolated from the real world and thoughts and behavior are controlled so their energy can be harvested. It is clear that Tryhm wants to convey this concept in the music on this album to the point where it’s almost literal but that’s not necessarily a bad thing except when it is.

The album starts with the track “The One Who is the Silent Witness” which begins with a wind-like drone followed by a deep, almost chanting voice followed by martial-like drums interlaced with metallic sounds. This opening track pretty much serves as a teaser for what the entire album has to offer although without completely spoiling the whole thing. The wind-like drones are a recurring element as are high-pitched metallic sounds interlacing with the bassy drones. Many of the songs feature deep bassy drumming. I think Tryhm was aiming for martial/militaristic drumming but they remind me more of a cinematic style of drums like the ones you’d hear in forest/jungle scenes in movies, which I still think fits in given the unforgiving and barbaric nature of the album’s concept. 

Some songs feature “real” instruments that pop up between the industrial sound and the ambient drones such as the fifth track, “To Become a God of Death”, which features piano, and the sixth track, “Beyond Earthly Incubators”, which features bells. As it is with industrial music Tryhm uses a variety of samples to create the atmospheres on the album such as on the aforementioned sixth track that has the sound of a clockwork running throughout most of the song creating a rhythm that fits nicely in between the flowing dark drones. 

Also, on the ninth track, “The Final Song Over Dying Flesh”, there are passages that feature the sounds of flies and rats exclusively. Three of the songs feature the talents of two other artists, them being Asmodeus Bael on tracks 1 and 6, and Paranoia Inducta on track 4. I am not familiar with Asmodeus Bael, but I assume he is the deep voice that chants and narrates on those two tracks. I can’t hear what Paranoia Inducta contributes as the style of that song blends in perfectly with the rest of the album.

I think the album is interesting but not without flaws. Tryhm succeeds in creating an album with a horror atmosphere but also reaches a little too much for exactly that. The interplay between deep drones and high-pitched metallic sounds is interesting as are the use of real instruments, and the harmonic passage on the second track, as they break from the oppressive and mechanical atmosphere of the album. The mechanical elements aren’t bad either as they add to the aforementioned oppressive ambiance, that the album is supposed to have, and also create a rhythm to some of the songs giving an interesting dynamic to the album’s general soundscape. The voice samples used throughout the album are deep and vocal frying and reach too hard for something horror-like and the lyrics on the first and sixth track seem to be taken from the album’s description on the Bandcamp page which I find to be an odd choice. The samples used on the ninth and final track seem a little too on the nose of the track’s title leaving that track shallow and uninteresting despite the track’s cinematic soundscape. 

Another thing I noticed is that most of the songs feature the same almost pop music-like structure: The song starts and morphs into its main theme, then a build-up and a break comes halfway to three-quarters into the song, then returns to its original theme before finishing. It’s a good thing the album features different instruments and timbres on each song or else it could have been a repetitive and boring listen, which it isn’t despite my points of criticism. Some songs are really interesting such as the sixth song, which has a good mix of deep dark drones and and inhuman, machine-like sounds, as well as the seventh track, “Breeding Farm”, which features screams that leave the listener questioning if they are listening to humans experiencing horrors or sheep being rounded up for slaughter.

The album is, as mentioned, an interesting listen. If you are into horror-like soundscapes then it should be right up your alley. If not then you might roll your eyes a couple of times throughout this album. Am I blown away by this album? No. Is it worth checking out? Definitely!

Bandcamp (label):

https://liberkhaosproductions.bandcamp.com/album/the-silent-hunt

 CrAwE - PrimalStar

I am so excited to review another release from Inner Demon Records! Last time, we reviewed the excellent Fog Baptism, and this time, we are dealing with a solo act called Cr(A)wE, or just CrAWe. The album is called PrimalStar, and it was released in September 2024. 

The album design comes with the iconic Inner Demons-look. Hand-stamped 3" CD-R. Art printed on heavy card stock and enclosed in a vinyl pouch with a flap. Hand-numbered and everything. I simply love the design! Almost giving the CD a sort of take-out-the-vinyl feel, the same sort of aesthetic u get with the CD releases from E.C.T Recordings. 

This EP album works around a specific concept. Specifically the brightest star in the sky from Earth...Sirius. The recordings even contain subliminal radio pulse from Sirius itself! Bound to be very exciting, right! 

The first track is called SiriusA(TheDogThatFollowsMountainSheep). A distant drone from the great cosmos, or the sound of a distant star. You are looking straight up into the dark sky and witnessing the bright stars on a cloudless night. The sound is incredibly immersive, and heavenly epic without the drama. Space-drone-ambient stuff for sure. The listener will get that feeling of how big things are out there in space, the track feels incredibly abysmal! 

The second track DopamineForDollars-Sewa (everything is fine). Same kind of levitating sensation, the same kind of... thinking and feeling that there are other kinds of worlds out there. Some are already within us, waiting to be discovered. Immersive melodic drones done on guitar strings... sounds like a crack in the sky and the voice of several arch-angels can be heard and felt. Bit like when The Swans do these instrumental ambient tracks, just not as dark or disturbing offcourse. (and yes, that is the Sirius star below!)

The third track is called HeavenlyWolf (TheDogStarThatLeads) which is probably my absolute favorite track on this album. Finally, through the ages of space travel, we find a habitual planet! That feeling, focus on that! That is the exact feeling that is contained within this track. The moody slow-driven and archaic alien melody, swirls, rises, drops, and grows with every epic second. And yup, I am afraid of heights... I can feel it on this track! So incredibly beautiful and well-done, it truly is! 

The fourth and last track Sinnesloschen (ThePathOfTheSouls) works as a black hole, a vortex that slowly sucks you back into reality... or your own dimension! A bit more of a dark and frightening track, getting that fear of the unknown vibe here. 

PrimalStar is a journey worth every penny! I had no idea how much depth a tiny 3# CD-R could actually contain, the longer I listened to it the deeper it just sucked me in! And it is true. It really gives you that impression of how fascinating space really is, but also terrifying as well. Arthur C. Clarke once said : 

Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying

Which is a good way of ending the review of this magnificent piece of work. My thoughts? Well, really want to get hold of the other CD-Rs with this act on Inner Demons Records! I want more of this! 

Bandcamp (label):

https://innerdemonsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/primalstar-ind183

Bandcamp (band):

https://crawe.bandcamp.com/music