Hum of the Druid "Mountainous" CD
[Barbituarian]
This extremely limited edition release (only 28 copies, and already sold out) was basically put together for the most recent Portland Noisefest, and contains 11 tracks in just under an hour of a slightly harsher style of experimental noise than what I'm used to hearing from the project - similar to that offered by the "Trials" release, though perhaps a bit more refined on this outing. The first couple of tracks offer a pretty even mix of subdued ambient backings and winding midrange distortion that's not too in your face, though the aptly titled "Avalanche" does feel somewhat more controlled and deliberate. "Provokement in Ice" is the only track that reaches into significantly longer running times, hitting barely under eight minutes and creating an excellent atmosphere of cold ambient soundscapes and faintly distorted wisps that are acerbic, but held down in the mix so as not to disturb the overall character. This disc doesn't indicate that no synths are used, so perhaps such devices are being employed by this composition, but whatever the case - I'm into it! "Obscenities" is a similar, yet brighter piece, taking a chilling road to ethereal ambient sounds and disturbing foreground textures that scatter back and forth throughout. The title track most effectively fuses wisps of crunchy distortion with flowing low-end drones, surprisingly bringing in a few faint samples at points as well (a nice touch). "Blackened With Disease" follows and is the most stripped down and minimal selection of the record, using subtle hums and dense ringing sounds that swell around and create a good breather. "Reviving the Extinct" reverts to a delivery more akin to the title track, only thicker and harsher - though it's worth mentioning than none of this material is terribly aggressive, and as expected the sounds manipulated tend to rely on feeling rather than outright corrosiveness. I definitely enjoy the way this track progresses along, bringing in one of the stronger senses of bright, almost melodic ambience. The packaging consists of another black digipack to house the CD-R, but this time there's some red paint smeared on the outer covers, and the black and white insert inside still handles all of the text accompaniments. Without the usual style of abstract illustrations accompanying most Hum of the Druid releases this one does look more typical, but for a strictly limited release it's not that big of a deal, I suppose. Like a couple of the tracks from "Trials", "Hound" suffers only because I'm not a fan of some of those effects that rest within the core of the throbbing distortion (it's that same "metallic" kind of reverberated ring), and there are actually a couple of uneventful little pieces here and there on this outing (namely "Hound" along with "Caverning", which both seem a bit redundant and less interesting), which is a rare occurrence with this project, but it's not a real problem, and my guess is that the scarce quantities and circumstances surrounding the release may have led to a greater level of experimentation with different directions and approaches in some of these songs. Not a mandatory release, but despite several excellent compositions this is the only Hum of the Druid release to date that lacks a little of the focus and intrigue that I admire in all of the project's other work. Not bad, just not his best. (6/10)
Running time - 58:39, Tracks: 11
[Notable tracks: Provokement in Ice, Mountainous, Reviving the Extinct]
Hum of the Druid - http://druid.thekatana.com

This review has been displayed 848 times.