Vrna - La Vecchia Madre
Vrna has released a steady stream of releases since 2000 so this is not exactly a new act on the post-industrial/dark ambient scene. I remember the Lares album fondly but have not heard anything since then until this album landed in my lap. “La Vecchia Madre” is also not exactly a new release, but actually came out in 2018, making it 6 years old already. Befitting that a release entitled ”The Old Mother” should receive a review when it is itself a bit old, right? The packaging is simple but effective and the cover art has a nice tactile feeling to it. Some kind of surface treatment that makes it feel kind of rubbery to touch. The music itself is dark ambient with some percussive tribal industrial elements and some hand-played instruments in the mix such as flutes and, I think, guitar?
The album starts out in a very calm fashion with “Of Great Silence”, a 7 minutes long droning piece with some chants. The second track, “Ritual Of Self-Burial”, follows the same recipe but quickly evolves into more percussive and noisy territories. For me personally a step up from the first track, which was a little too static and “nice” for my taste. The third track, simply titled “Empty” follows suit and is equally calm and chaotic, balancing the two poles and ending with some almost new age-like sounds with some serene piano chords before descending right back into chaos. A strong central piece with a few elements that disturb the organic progression towards chaos, which is kind of a pity, I think, but which in turn creates a certain dynamism.
The next track is my favorite on the album; a whirlwind of ritualistic ambient noise called “Cenere” (Ash) with howling distorted chants and drones drenched in reverb taking me straight into dusty catacombs and dark vaulted cellars. The next track called “Campi Di Polvere” (dust fields) is a calm affair that does not do much for me except for leading to the final track “La Vecchia Madre – Ritual of Awakening” which in turn goes full-on ritualistic tribal industrial with nice polyrhythms, chants, screams and growls (male and female) and a beat you can almost dance to. A strong way to finish the album.
Overall, despite a few critical points, I am quite pleased with this album. The sound is very good, sharp, and focused, and everything is nicely and neatly done. At the same time, it left me wanting a little more. Something that makes it stand out a bit. Much of the things I like about “La Vecchia Madre” have been heard before, and I could have done without the new-age parts that pop up in most tracks. Personally, I would have liked a stronger focus on the rhythmic and ritualistic parts. More chaos and darkness and less calm droning, flutes, pianos, and whatnot. I am, however, sure this will appeal to dark ambient fanatics who like Raison d’Etre, Sephiroth, and acts of that ilk, and deservedly so: if you like ritualistic dark ambient with noisy and percussive tribal industrial elements, this will certainly not disappoint.
Overall, despite a few critical points, I am quite pleased with this album. The sound is very good, sharp, and focused, and everything is nicely and neatly done. At the same time, it left me wanting a little more. Something that makes it stand out a bit. Much of the things I like about “La Vecchia Madre” have been heard before, and I could have done without the new-age parts that pop up in most tracks. Personally, I would have liked a stronger focus on the rhythmic and ritualistic parts. More chaos and darkness and less calm droning, flutes, pianos, and whatnot. I am, however, sure this will appeal to dark ambient fanatics who like Raison d’Etre, Sephiroth, and acts of that ilk, and deservedly so: if you like ritualistic dark ambient with noisy and percussive tribal industrial elements, this will certainly not disappoint.
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