Xuthal of the Dusk - Demo 2017
I am a huge fan of Robert E. Howard, and of his work regarding the brutal sword & sorcery world of Conan the Cimmerian. And letting the brutal in-your-face Conan-attitude collide with noise-wall and repetitive dungeon-synth... is actually not a bad idea at all.
A demo-debut which was released last summer of 2017 by an act called, Xuthal of the Dusk. Here I might reveal to you that Xuthal is an ancient city from the world of Conan. Here and only here, is the first and only time where Conan meets his match in close hand-to-hand combat with a terrible creature/half-god called Thog. Which actually resamples (very much) Clark Ashton Smith´s toad and sloth-like Lovecraftian entity-god Tsathoggua. Xuthal of the Dusk is actually the name for part 3 of the Slithering Shadow comic Savage Sword of Conan... ANYWAYS!.
We´re dealing with 3 long tracks, 15 minutes each .. 45 minutes in total. A hypnotic and brutal account of repetitive noise-wall and static dungeon-synth elements. The very first track Fatigue of Victory gives u the impression of waiting to be executed... or the impression of watching over a smoking battlefield with thousands of dead warriors scattered all over, while the few (who are remaining alive) are scavaging what the can find among the dead. The next track Snakewood Wand has a slightly ritualistic and ceremonial approach. Maybee someone is getting ready to be sacrificed to Thog?. Being bound to the sacrificial-alter, while someone is either chanting and giving it away on some eerie musical instrument. Either way, your doom is sure to come... you just have to wait for it. Flange-like (sound effect) noise-wall working up and down in your head/ear, while an esoteric and metal-clanging melody is repetitive being played. Last track called Grey Tunnel Moss is giving the listener a means of escape, from being sacrificed from whatever terrible entity you were being bound to be engulfed by. It is quite a long tunnel, and it goes on for quite some time. A tiny dose of hope lingers with your tiny candlelight, all while the heavy gloom of darkness is brooding heavily in your mind. A saddened bell-like melody with a reverbed heavy bass-driven wall. Done. Hope you enjoyed the journey through Xuthal. The novel The Slithering Shadow can be bought from the nice clerk at the exit!.
It´s not a complex and abstract journey into noise, nor is it an extremely melodic dungeon-synth treat either. Less is more?. Works in that fashion... while having that certain charm which isolated releases like this have. Not for everyone for sure! I don´t mind, I like it!.
Bandcamp: