Nerthus - Sudor Anglicus
One of the latest releases from this great German dark-ambient act. Released as a limited CD on the Greek label E.C.T. Recordings. With the iconic, sexy, and recognizable CD-cover design, offcourse!
This new release is about a certain deadly and mysterious disease. 5 epidemics in England between 1485 to 1551. The symptoms were extreme sweating, shivering, and high fever. Death occurred only after a few hours! The cause of the disease remains unknown to this day; some have speculated that it may be related to the Hanta-virus. A virus that is being spread by rodents, through their urine, feces, and saliva. Yugh!
Anyway, this album comes with 5 tracks. About 50 minutes in total. All the tracks are nameless and are just called I, II, III, IV, V. Might just be the 5 stages of the disease maybee?.
The first track puts the listener straight into some murky place/crypt under the earth. Kind of close to the ambient undertones/sound to Brighter Death Now´s Necrose Evangelicum/Great Death-era, just without the harshness, but more focused on atmospheric soundscapes. Cold repetitive drones, haunting and sorrowful angelic sounds, and the rustling sound of metal in the distance. You almost get the sense that there is a melody there, but there isn´t. It´s the storytelling ability to tell a tale through sound, which is present. Beautiful track!
The second track starts where the former track ends (offcourse). Following up on the murkiness with new touches to the soundscape. A heavy synth is present, and the sense of a ritualistic practice is being focused on here. There is a thick, icy, and dense fog here, and the sense of being in a town which is completely...silent and dead. Also, another creepy sound in there, a cold wind blowing through a crack in the wall, and more mournful voices of the dead.. The virus is being transmitted right now. While the slow banging of rusty church bells is in the air. A very epic long track (23 minutes), don´t worry... it doesn´t even get tedious!
The third and fourth tracks kind of get back to the repetitive death-industrial drones from the first track. More focused on the murky sounds, with fewer lighter elements. Coldest moment on the album so far.
The fourth track has a soothing effect after the third and fourth tracks. Death has finally entered the sick and released them from the agony of a diseased existence. The dead can finally be buried. There is the feeling of release here, but also... in reality... There isn´t any light at the end of the tunnel. There is no sense of hope. The coldness of the track confirms that.
Sudor Anglicus has a highly enjoyable and pleasing dark ambient release with a high-quality sticker attached to it. Kind of funny how something as dark and cold as this can somehow be an incredibly pleasant thing to lay your ears on. It can be somehow related to, that the recorded material has been made in a state of focused storytelling through sound. Gives the album a sense of warmth that u can sense the creator through the darkness and coldness. Highly recommended album to listen to in the coming winter!
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