Among the most accessible, ethereal and darkly introspective albums signed on Cryo Chamber next to materials from Hoshin, Wordclock, Northumbria or Keosz. A highly welcomed release, easily recommended for fans of eerie cinematic soundscapes and elegant naturalistic dark ambient music.
This project name sounds totally new for me but as I’m always pleased to discover Cryo Chamber’s issues in the dark subterranean ambient field I was curious to give a listen. Tom Moore (aka Dead Melodies) is based in UK and has published a handful of digital releases on Sparkwood Records. Legends of the Wood represents his most substantial work to date and benefits a great production and distribution thanks to the technical support of Cryo Chamber. Thematically the album deals with demonologic beliefs, animism, the metaphysical vitalism, the nocturnal poetical path and spiritual strength…in brief everything which can beautifully sustain and enrich the conceptual background of a dark ambient release.
This project is said to be at the cross of experimental post-rock and dark ambient realms with touches of processed field recordings. I must say that it sounds pretty obvious from the beginning. “A Trial of Crows and Blood” is a soothing, deep and aerial soundscape for dense bass lines, languid then melodically detached guitar tricks punctuated by discreet green field recordings. First comparison which comes to mind is “On Land” by Brian Eno and maybe a few materials by Alio Die or Vidna Obmana. This gently and peacefully moving piece is followed by the ecstatic, expressive and droning orientated procession of “On Devil’s hills.” It is an enveloping, aquatic and mysteriously enthralling track with some ritualistic and well mixed acoustic elements. The album does not lack of diversity, alternating ominous and brooding drone chords (as in the doomscaping “Peach Black Descent”), haunted soundtracky feelings (in the tenebrous, reversed and ghostly sinuous “A Malevolent Rising”) and dream-like post rockin’ tendencies. It is a nice synthesis between the most abstract facet of ambient music and its more melodically touching or intuitive tendency.
Among the most accessible, ethereal and darkly introspective albums signed on Cryo Chamber next to materials from Hoshin, Wordclock, Northumbria or Keosz. A highly welcomed release, easily recommended for fans of eerie cinematic soundscapes and elegant naturalistic dark ambient music.
Legends of the Wood is available on Cryo Chamber.
