First up on this split is Italy's New Risen Throne with three lengthy tracks of masterful dark ambient running a minimum of nine minutes each.? "Rex Verminorum (II)" starts things off with subtly melodic low-end hums and percussive textures resonating around faint speaking samples.? This general approach ebbs and flows in volume and density for the entirety of the 11+ minute duration, remaining persistent and ominous throughout, yet never becoming stale in its delivery.? "At the Shadow of the Gates" follows on a very similar note, though relying more on minimalism in terms of layering.? For the most part, though, everything is still very fluid and consistent, which works excellently for this particular approach.? The dense percussive textures don't come in until midway through the piece, along with some strange chanting, carrying things on towards the softer finish.? As expected, "Anointing Rite" is right along those same lines, based around slow moving bass drones and reverberating ethereal tones.? Samples are reintroduced later on and sound more aggressive in the depths, which is probably my favorite moment among these three compositions.? The significant amounts of thick low-end in the tracks tend to keep the output volume sort of low, despite a very clean sound, so I'd like to hear a slightly louder mastering job, but it's of little concern in the long run.? The sound quality is very nice.? Cruel Harvest follows with four tracks that also fall on the lengthy side, and while I've never heard of this American project before (this may be its debut release) the surprisingly melodic and billowy compositions are very effective in their meshing of sinister undercurrents with oddly relaxing drones.? From the stormy dirge of "Black Aura Funeral March" to the contrast of vibrating resonance and absolutely bare minimalism heard in "The Darkness Beyond" - which is nearly silent at points.? The 10+ minute "Sacred" is softer and more repetitious, taking more time to round itself out with suffocating low-end and strange sweeping textures; while the shorter "Haunted By the Same Dream" is probably the eeriest of these selections, rumbling more aggressively and adding in sparse additional textures throughout.? As with New Risen Throne's material this work sounds great.? I again wish it were a bit louder, but the fluidity of the tones is quite nice, and when you give it some volume it fills the space very well.? The layout keeps it fairly minimal and consistent with bleak black and white or faintly toned images of rundown buildings and such over black backgrounds with simple type.? Overall the desolate imagery definitely fits the style of the music perfectly.? The two projects are quite consistent with one another, making for a listening experience that requires some endurance, but this is still one that's among the stronger dark ambient releases I've come across as of late.? New Risen Throne possesses more of an actively menacing tone, but that doesn't find Cruel Harvest any less threatening as a result.? This is definitely recommended for fans of this style.
[God is Myth]
Running time - 62:45, Tracks: 7
[Notable tracks: all seven are of admirable quality]
God is Myth Records - http://www.god-is-myth.com
