Nerthus - Gong
Nerthus is out with a new album! We got to know Nerthus through the collaboration album made together with Praying For Oblivion. An incredible industrial-ambient/drone album focusing on... well abandoned factory buildings. This album is available on the Nerthus Bandcamp site, and if you are quick (and lucky), you can get your hands on the lovely (and limited) physical CD-R version. A cool-looking DVD-sized red cardboard paper cover inside a plastic sleeve, housing a nice-looking CD-R with some decent print on it. 12 tracks, almost about 55 minutes in total. All the tracks on the album have simply been named 1,2,3,4,5 etc etc.
The first track starts with some haunting notes on an old piano, with some... blebbing short-wave radio clattering in the background. Additional layers of atmospheric effects are there as well, a short track... ear-opening intro if you please.
The second track is where the album really kicks off. Ritualistic, mysterious, and deep metallic sounds with some eerie ghost voices.. from the same short-wave radio. You're inside the basement of a factory, with only a short-wave radio. You can clearly hear, that some kind of catastrophe is happening...outside. And the only bits of info you can receive are from that short-wave radio. This sound going on does sound recognizable (for some reason). So far I am loving it!
The third track slowly churns into a sort of... death-industrial vibe. Monotone machine sounds, the clattering of metallic bells, and reverbed chattering voices. Clearly a return to that excellent CMI sound! A bit of Megaptera, Morthhound, and Archon Satani/Inanna.
The fourth track is a total death-industrial treat. Say Pain In Progress or Necrose Evangelicum with BDN! Bone-crushing ambient bass sounds, clinical high-pitched radio tones, and those... eerie ghost voices from the radio. Very good so far!
The fifth track jumps straight into more... acid-drenched territory. Slowed metallic noises, insect sounds, and reversed human radio voices. The sort of track that u don´t want to wake up to in the middle of the night! Otherworldly beings crawling out of my speakers as we speak!
The sixth track moves away from the nightmare and further into... the state where the sleeper isn't actually sure... that you are either awake or dreaming. Clearly, you are awake since u can look around your room, but something is not right. It´s a quiet, pleasant ambient track with a sinister tone hidden... inside the recording.
The seventh track has that... Anenzephalia kind of bass sound. That kind of religious and hypnotic sound. Sounding like that there is truly no hope here, some additional angelic ambient sounds here uplift the heavy mood. Love the adventurous diversity so far!
And that is all that you are going to get from this review, all the other tracks are still waiting for you to listen to. The whole thing is a bloody larger-than-life experience. Like a small thing with a huge world hidden inside. A masterpiece?. Might so... Underrated, might so. Highly recommend listening to this otherworldly thing while there is a storm brewing outside while being in the basement (that is). Ambient music for basements anyone?! Bound to give you pleasant dreams!.
Bandcamp: (band)
Bandcamp: (band)