This lengthy and massively conceptual full-length is a step forward for this curious Finnish dark ambient project - here making use of vocals/chanting, EBowed guitar, bass, analog synths, windbones, samples, and shamanic percussion, among others. The vocals, when present, are delivered in a soft lull, not very prominent, and certainly not discernible as actual words or phrases per se. In "Varjoutomaa" there are some slightly more aggressive and sneered vocals, but they're still so subdued underneath the surrounding elements that they're not a dominant factor. Percussion is also very evident, but still relatively forced back in the mix amongst deep and active ambient noise - sweeping back and forth, to and fro. It's very interesting, as the ritualistic atmospheres of the percussion against the unique textures of the music create a subtle industrial feel that at times reminds me on some level of a looser and more experimental In Slaughter Natives. "Kulku Iska Ajan Alla" blends very light background distortion with eerie wisps of feedback for a very sinister and at times minimal passage. It's tracks such as this that vary ever so slightly from the path, but this is an extremely consistent record that, while divided, certainly does come off as a complete and whole entity. The brief "Tulvi Alas Keesiin" (the shortest pieces at less than three minutes) is also a bit darker and more minimal, though still based around similarly winding tones that perfectly mesh smooth midrange with flowing low-end. "Aurash" is the most "musical" and chant like composition, using a persistent structure with repeating chanted vocals and basic percussive rhythms over an almost musical synth progression - accented by other indescribable textures cascading about. "Sie Lus To" closes with more than 16 minutes of perfectly melodic feedback (likely due in part to use of the EBow) and some of the more intense percussive patterns, closing with absolutely bleak synths... I can't even put into words how powerful and apocalyptic the final minutes of this CD truly are. As a whole the recording quality is also excellent, thick and clear with an oppressively dense mix that has no empty space, yet still feels rather bright and effective. Nice work. The disc comes in a large oversized booklet with a number of excellent visuals and a great deal of explanatory text outlining the concepts behind this record. Each track is represented by a physical title as well as a symbol, with the front cover representing the entire album as a complete whole. It is stated that meditation on the properties of these aural and visual "sigils" will allow access to the forces that each represents, and that this release is "highly inspired by the triad formation of night, sky, and time", etc. Very nice. It all looks quite impressive. This, in my opinion, is the best work to date from Halo Manash. I look forward to following the project's future efforts.
[Aural Hypnox]
Running time - 63:23, Tracks: 9
[Notable tracks: Kulku Iska Ajan Alla, Tulvi Alas Keesiin, Sie Lus To]
Halo Manash - http://www.halomanash.cjb.net
