This is yet another dark ambient project out of Finland that fits very much in line with the unusual character of other releases from the Aural Hypnox label.? Expect a lengthy journey through nine tracks, as short as barely past one minute or as long as nearly 13 minutes, built around eerie low-end pulses and ethereal textures that create a certain ritualistic sort of vibe that really swirls around and fills the space very nicely.? As with the other releases from this label the sound quality is pristine, so everything sounds loud, clear, and resonant - which truly helps to create a convincing atmosphere that feels rich and encompassing.? All of the tracks run together, but despite a significant overall consistency there are noticeable differences from piece to piece.? The first three tracks make up around 10 minutes that sort of seems to set the tone for "Exo", the first in a set of much longer compositions that comes across as a bit more sinister and involved - offering up seven minutes of subtly melodic drones with ominous scrapings and lots of distant intricacies tucked away in the mix (including very faint piano).? "Flesh Treasury" is a little more active than some of the other tracks, seeming to become a hint louder and certainly bringing in more of a vibrating movement with a significant amount of layering that, while not chaotic, is definitely a little more frantic than anything else herein.? "Dark Grammar" then sees the inclusion of singing bowls and human thighbone trumpet, the latter of which is certainly one of those handmade instruments that has quite a powerfully suggestive quality to its presence by nature alone.? "Possessed Constellation" is softer and more spacious at the start, not to mention significantly quieter and thinner than most of the material, building in with lots of blips and cascading undercurrents that do indeed have an astral sort of characteristic going on.? The aptly titled "Theriomorphic Heralds" is another quieter and thinner piece, using animalistic sounds deep in the distance behind a set of minimal hums layered together to gradually swell forth in volume before sinking back into the simplistic low-end drones of closer "Skeletal Sphinx" - which shifts and turns over the course of 12 minutes with hints of chanting vocal work and another of the more menacing presentations.? Not just specifically in this selection, but overall, there are definitely a lot of hypnotic qualities to this record, and that's always something that I tend to enjoy with these particular genres.? Also like some of the other work from this label the disc is housed in a black digipack with metallic silver printing and a textured finish.? All of the imagery is suggestive yet odd in its use of symbols as well as recognizable features such as hands, a bird, etc.? Very nice, and extremely curious, as always.? I bet these Aural Hypnox artists are all quite powerful in the live setting, assuming the conditions are correct, because I can really imagine this kind of material being amazing when delivered in a dark, cavernous space where excessive volume levels would really suffocate the listener with this brand of ambient exploration.? Nicely done... as always.? I've definitely grown to trust this label's output 100%.
[Aural Hypnox]
Running time - 66:15, Tracks: 9
[Notable tracks: Tellus Sinks, Exo, Skeletal Sphinx]
Aural Hypnox - http://www.auralhypnox.com
