Entry 1659 - Setherial - Nord...

Style: black metal

Thoughts: I know I've said this before, but there is a misnomer out there that all the good early second wave black metal comes from Norway. While, yes, the most well known bands do come from the fjords there are excellent bands that come from all over the world - even next door.

Setherial hail from Sweden and on Nord... are perhaps one of the finest representations of early second wave black metal to ever be recorded. I've already talked about the follow up to this (Lords of the Nightrealm) and how it was one dimensional in it's approach. I found that took away from my enjoyment of the album somewhat, but that is not a problem here.

Nord...  contains a lot of the blasting that Nightrealm has, however there is so much more to this album. More melody, more nuance to the music, more intricacy, more classical instrumentation, more experimentation... more of almost everything. 

There is so much going on in the album that normally I would be concerened that the band was trying to do too much. Not so with Setherial, every element that they put into these six songs fits incredibly well. The riffs blend and weave therough each other without a second of hesitation. Keybaords and violins dot the riffscape and add finite touches that propel the music further into the realm of the elite. 

If there is one album from these guys that I find myself coming back to time and time again it's this one. The music mixes that classic second wave blast beat driven minor chord riff fest that the best bands of the era do with small little touches that makes the album a clear stand out of the era. I may not have been into Setherial as much as I have their Norwegian counterparts, but these guys early material is just as good if not better than a lot of the best known albums. Damn good stuff.

Entry 1658 - Haircuts for Men - 19-83

Style: vaporwave, barber beats

Thoughts: Some albums I can leave on my turntable for hours on end and not get tired of them. When I find a good barber beats album this tends to be what happens. What better artist to do this with than the godfather of the entire genre: Haircuts for Men.

I had not heard this album prior to No Problema announcing it getting a physical copy. I've listened to a lot of HFM's music, but I can't even claim to have gotten close to listening to all of it - so I ended up going into this one nearly blind. I wasn't sure if I was going to grab it or not, but one of my close friends said that this was one of HFM's best so I decided to pull the trigger.

What I got was essentially most if not all of Haircuts for Men's discography distilled into sixty minutes. It has the classical guitar work, the lounge/jazz hybrid that I love so much, the experimental stuff that sounds out of place, - yet somehow also works. It grooves, it hypnotizes, it is quintessential HFM.

I don't really have much more to say about this one. If you know what barber beats sounds like, this was around before the genre was even coined. If you don't know what it sounds like then this is an excellent place to start. In fact Haircuts for Men is the logical starting place for all things groovy and chilled out vaporwave. Funny how that works, even after all these years. 

Entry 1657 - Knight of the Round - War of the Triad

Style: video game music, metal

Thoughts: Okay, so I don't like cover albums most of the time. I especially don't like metal cover albums of video game music. The metal almost always ends up being a half assed version of the original song that does little to nothing to change the song, nor deliver anything in the way of quality metal. That was what I thought until I came across Knight of the Round.

This is not the Black Mages... this is so much more than that. This is metal... h e a v y metal. These guys bring the 7 strings and are not afraid of working in death metal riffing, blast beats, and the intensity that those two bring when combined. 

The band also is not afraid to use keyboards to accent the metal riffs. This does a couple of things: it adds atmosphere and it ties the music back to the video game music roots. It's not always present, but when it does show up it's a nice addition to the music.

Not every single song on here is great. The boss music from FFV is not the greatest rendition and I wish that there was a bit more to Dancing Mad. That said there are some truly excellent covers on here as well. End Battle and Into the Darkness are both excellent renditions of classic Final Fantasy songs.  Beyond the Deep Blue Sea is a great atmospheric break in the sea of brutality. 

War of the Triad is one of the better video game metal cover albums I've ever heard. I don't really care for a lot of this stuff, even stuff like Mini Bosses, Bit Brigade, and The Black Mages didn't do anything for me when I heard it. These guys though... these guys know what they are doing and I am glad that I stumbled on them. 

Entry 1656 - Eternal Tyrant - A Dark Dream...

Style: lofi dungeon synth

Thoughts: There are legends of a place that no man dwells. Legends of a kingdom that was forgotten by time, where ancient wyrm's rule and feyre roam the forest. A place where the written languages of man no longer exist - stricken from the memories of those who remain. This is the land of the Eternal Tyrant. 

A Dark Dream... is a short album that encapsulates everything that I love about dungeon synth. The melodies are simple, yet incredibly dark. The atmosphere is oppressive, harsh, and completely unwelcoming with it's lofi production and nearly dissonant melodies. 

The first track exemplifies everything that I love about this album: the production rivals that of raw black metal. The instruments are played on cheap keyboards yet entirely menacing. There are these bells that are used as an atmosphere builder that completely saturate my speakers whenever they go off, they are overwhelming to the senses and only add to the completely unwelcoming atmosphere of the album... amazing stuff. 

The one down side to the album is that it's short, just over twenty minutes. This is the kind of music that I want to listen to more of. It hits every single facet that I love about dungeon synth. I suppose the short length is a double edged sword. On one hand I want more, but on there other there is not a singular bad moment on the album. If there were more that may not be the case. Either way top quality dungeon synth. 

Entry 1655 - Widertod - Anemoia

Style: atmospheric black metal

Thoughts: I have a lot of black metal in my collection, to the point where I've become more selective on what I add in. A record either has to be something I've been looking for or the band has to impress me to the point where I feel like they deserve a spot in the record stacks. It's this second option that we find Widertod in.

Anemoia does not contain any novel ideas, nor does it do anything in a completely unique fashion. It is black metal through and through, played to the strength of the genre. This is where the band truly finds themselves at their best though. They play straight forward black metal yes, but they do it better than most in the genre. 

This is the classic example of the genre being played at the absolute highest level. The riffs on Anemoia are intense, melodic, and create a dense atmosphere. The way that all of these things come together is exceptional. The riffs fill the air with a majestic presence. The vocals guide them through the twists and turns. The drums provide a backing that is both competent yet does not distract from the atmosphere the riffs provide. There are quiet moments in between the songs where a violin will play or wind blows, a small touch that gives the songs a sense of belonging together. 

Anemoia is an excellent album. Not original, yet still excellent. If more bands took their black metal art as seriously as these guys did when it comes to writing good riffs and songs I think the genre would be in a much better place. Looking forward to seeing where these guys end up taking their sound in the future. 

Entry 1654 - Ba'a - Egregore

Style: black metal

Thoughts: There is a simplicity to some black metal that gives it an edge. No gimmicks, no fancy shit, just guitars, drums, and vocals. This is almost exactly the formula that Ba'a adheres to with their second album Egregore. 

Continuing almost exactly where the first album left off, No nonsense riffs paired with brutal vocals that result in an incredibly violent atmosphere. The riffs play like razors in the night coming to slice open the wounds of whoever would stand in their path. The vocals howl  and shriek in ways that should not be humanly possible.  

The riffs take on many shapes and forms. Be it the blisteringly fast In Umbra et Luce, or the slow and brooding Fames the band has created a set of six songs that do not pretend to be anything other than violence incarnate.  

There is something about French black metal that is different from every other country. There is an inherit quality to black metal in particular that is not found in other parts of the genre. Ba'a only solidify this further with their two albums. They do not know the meaning of weakness, nor do they have any sense of what it means to compromise. This is black metal at its simplest... at its purest. 

Entry 1653 - Blut Aus Nord - Thematic Emanation of Archetypal Multiplicity

Style: black metal, dark ambient

Thoughts: Decay. Decay is the natural conclusion to life. That which was once living and full of vigor now succumbs to the slow return back to the earth. Blut Aus Nord has captured this part of the life cycle perfectly within the thirty minutes or so of Thematic Emanation of Archetypal Multiplicity. 

There are but five tracks on this EP, during those five tracks however Blut Aus Nord explores what happens to the physical body after death and rigor mortis have set in. These riffs don't play specific notes as much as they display what once was a coherent series of notes. There is recognizable music here, however there is a distortion, an aberration that takes place. That which we once new is no longer as we expect it... it has decayed.

These riffs mixed the dark tones of droning ambient create the basis for the five tracks that make up Thematic Emanation of Archetypal Multiplicity. There are hardly any vocals, in fact I think you could argue there is hardly any metal at all. Sure there are distorted riffs but they share little in common with metal, rather they add into the atmosphere of the album that the dark ambient brings. 

The final piece to the puzzle is electronica. There are points where the music takes on a near IDM or industrial feel to it. These sections are the farthest that Blut Aus Nord had traveled from their icy metal roots to this point - the transformation that began on the Mythical Beast of Rebellion was now complete. 

I'm torn on wither I enjoy this album or not on a regular basis. It doesn't have the crazy riffs that The Work Which Transforms God does, it doesn't have the deep atmosphere of the celestial black metal releases. It lies somewhere in the nebula that is Blut Aus Nord. This along with MoRT is their most experimental of the releases that I own. It's a fascinating listen, but not one that I find myself revisiting that often. 

Entry 1652 - Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - After the Hearth is Out

Style: video game music, modern classical

Thoughts: All things must come to an end. Even the longest standing monuments built by man will eventually fade away into the ether. The greatest stories ever told also fade away with time, even those immortalized in video games. 

Listening to Tears of the Kingdom has been a journey unlike many that I have had since I started writing this blog. There is so much nostalgia that is contained in each record. So many memories that remind me of my play through of Breath of the Wild and how I tried to enjoy this game and failed. 

I have since started playing Tears of the Kingdom again and allowed myself to lose my per-conceived notions of what I expected the game to be and simply allow the game to be its own thing. Needless to say, I've been enjoying this second play through a whole lot more than the first one. 

The music has helped me take the joy that I need out of this. This is the core tenet of what brought me back... what keeps me playing. I have found joy in exploring again, the music that whispers in the wind has been critical to that. I have had enjoyment in fighting bosses again as their clunky tunes play. I have had tense moments when I'm in over my head and the world's music reminds me that I'm one bad move away from death. All of this is critical to my enjoyment of this game.

This final record encapsulates all of that. It plays like a "greatest hits" version of the soundtrack. A little bit of everything is here. A little bit of ambience, a little whimsy, a moment of bombast, and of course moments of pure wonder. 

Listening to this soundtrack has honestly surprised me. I didn't think breaking it down record by record would be something that would enhance my enjoyment here - but it has. That's both a testament to how good this music and how well these records were arranged. The track selection is excellent for each volume and is a major factor as to why this record set is so excellent. 

Tears of the Kingdom is still not nearly as good as Breath of the Wild, but it is better than I thought it was at first. Once I jumped through the games hoops I was allowed to run around at my leisure to find all the random stuff that I loved so much in the first one. There are secrets to be found, treasure to be gathered, food to be cooked, and adventure to be had. This is the soul of these new Zelda games, and I am glad that I have found it once again in this second entry to this reborn series. 

Entry 1651 - Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - The Demon King

Style: video game music, modern classical

Thoughts: Every Zelda has an antagonist, and nearly every time that is in the form of Ganon - the bearer of the rune of power. This record is dedicated to him and the horrible destructive power he wields.

There are many things that can be said about Ganon. He is a destructive force of nature. He is insidious in his pursuit of the triforce. He subtly manipulates both the kingdom, the rulers, and the inhabitants against each other so that he may further his gains. All of these things are reflected intimately in the music present on this, the sixth disc in this epic set. 

The music is both powerful, yet contains this ever present malice to it. Even when the music is quiet... especially when the music is quiet - the music feels like there is some terrible fate that is about to befall the listener. A deep dark evil is lurking and we would do well to heed its warnings to stay away.

When the evil does show its full force the music swells into this incredible crescendo of choirs, brass, and percussion in ways that the music has not to this point. It's so powerful it takes me aback every time I listen to it. 

Again, the music's dynamics is what draws me in and causes me to pay more attention than I normally would to a soundtrack - especially one this long. Listening through this again has been a huge trip for me, one that has convinced me that replaying the game is something that I need to do in the near future. Now... one record remains. The dawn of the final day. 

Entry 1650 - Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Chronicles of the Upheaval

Style: video game music, modern classical

Thoughts: What a fascinating record. In so many ways this is the same as the previous record in this extended series: Rise of Tyranny. What's different here though is that this music feels more profound, more self reflective. It gives me pause.

There are still bombastic sections, there are still moments of cinematic glory, but there are also moments where all of that is stripped away and the music allows me to dwell on the emotions that I have felt during these sections. There are several points where the main Zelda theme is played in conjunction with these bombastic moments and the familiar melody makes for truly epic moments during the time that I have spent with this record.

I think what is different here than on Tyranny is the fact that this record embraces the dynamics of Tears of the Kingdom. There are moments in the story that require great reflection, great sacrifice from those involved. That is reflected here. There are other points where instantaneous action is required, that is also reflected. The difference between these two is staggering, and it makes for a truly enjoyable listening experience for me. 

As I've been going through these records one by one I'm finding that I enjoy the music more and more in this game. I want to go back and explore the renewed Hyrule once again and have allowed myself the grace that I can enjoy this game knowing now that I need to go and do some quests before I really start exploring Hyrule. Once that is done I think I will enjoy this game much more than I did my first time.. at least that is my hope.

Entry 1649 - Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Echoes of Tyranny

Style: video game music, modern classical

Thoughts: We had to fall off somewhere right? It's not really that this music is bad or worse than the records that came to this point, it's just that I prefer the music on the other ones. Part of what makes Tears of the Kingdom's music so great to me is it's minimalist approach for so much of the game. With Echoes of Tyranny we have none of that.

This is the part of the game where Gannondorf is taking control of things. The parts where evil rises above the world and threatens to destroy it. Objectively it's great music, its dramatic, it's lively, and it paints a vivid picture of action and fighting against a great evil. It's just not the part of the soundtrack I like that much.

In many ways this outlines why I like this record set to much. Each record is themed around a specific part of the game and I can listen to whatever strikes my fancy at any given moment. So when I want to listen to ambient parts of the game I can put on other records, when I want to listen to the more bombastic parts of the game I'll put this record on. A small but crucial detail that adds an innumerable amount to my enjoyment of this record set.

Entry 1648 - Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Of Depths and Dungeons

Style: video game music, modern classical, dark ambient

Thoughts: My journey through this massive soundtrack continues. We are now in the thick of it. We have passed through the open fields as well as the towns that litter the landscape. We now delve into the depths, the caves, the dungeons of Hyrule. 

In Breath of the Wild this was some of my least favorite music in the game. Sure it fit with the tense moments of combat, but listening to it on it's own was not really fun nor something I sought out after a casual first listen. 

With this record however, the selection is handled much better. The music gets that deep dark feel that going into the depths gives you. It also captures the tension of the lack of light and the unknown that comes with it. The battle music is still included, but it feels like it flows better this time than the previous record set I had. 

A majority of this record is essentially the opposite of what the first record in this set was. Instead of wandering around planes and fields we are exploring the unknown, the dark. Instead of ambience we have dark ambience and the minimalism that goes with it. This is no longer a whimsical frolic, this is a tense exploration where danger lurks around every corner. 

To be honest I did not expect to like this record in the set as much as I do. I was worried about the combat music and that it would ruin it. It does not, in fact it acts as a nice contrast to the minimalist ambience of the remainder of the record. Three for three so far, this record set easily lives up to the legacy of Zelda music so far.

Entry 1647 - Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Songs of Sanctuary

Style: video game music, ambient, modern classical

Thoughts: Sometimes I reflect on how wonderful life can be. To be in the same world where the music from Tears of the Kingdom exists is truly something to be thankful for... especially in the current state of the world. These simple tunes can bring a glimmer of light and hope to places where there typically are none.

Those are high words of praise, but the music in both Breath of the Wild as well as Tears of the Kingdom is some of the finest video game music ever created. Every time I listen to this record (specifically) I am taken away to the towns and places where people have built their lives up from nothing and finally able to live in prosperity again. 

This may very well be my favorite record from this new set. Not only does it include the near ambient music of the first record but it also includes smaller renditions of Terry Town and other villas from Breath of the Wild. This reprise is so incredibly delightful with their whimsical melodies and tunes. This record truly does put me in a better place.

Tears of the Kingdom remains a sore spot for me in the Zelda game chronology, however the music is one of the best things to happen to my collection. The more I listen to this album the more I want to go back and try playing the game again. Maybe I missed something the first time.

Entry 1646 - Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Through Sky and Wilds

Style: video game music, ambient

Thoughts: I may have made a mistake. Instead of tackling this massive boxed set as one entry I decided in my infinite wisdom to do each record as its own entry. I think I'm in over my head. Well what has been done cannot be undone, so here we go.

So Tears of the Kingdom... the game that came out after one of my favorite games ever. Not only possibly my favorite Zelda game, but also my most recent entry into best games of all time list. To say that I had high hopes for this game is the understatement of the decade. I was hoping that this would be better in every shape and form possible. The possibilities were endless, and my hopes were sky high. Then I played it.

The initial area was great. I was a little annoyed with the controls of the ultra hand but I could get passed that. I almost soft locked myself more than once by being dumb but that's what I loved so much about the first game. After I had all my abiliities I was ready to take on Hyrule again, except I didn't have my para glider. No problem it's gotta be somewhere right? Or maybe its not in the game. No problem.

I figured lets go get a tower to get the map going. I work my way through a huge encampment of moblins and finally get there only for it to say that it's not activated yet. This was the moment that I put the game down. What did I need to do to get these stupid towers to work? Why couldn't I explore like I wanted to? 

I talked to a friend and it turned out that you have to do some quests to get the paraglider unlocked as well as the towers. Nope, not doing that. I quit playing. What an utter disappointment. 

You know what wasn't a disappointment though? The music. 

This part of the game was every bit as majestic as Breath of the Wild. The subtle ambience as I walked through the fields. The air of mystery as the piano whispered on the wind. The moments of tension that came when enemies were nearby. How everything blended together so seamlessly. It was... perfect.

So here we are, after all that tom foolery, with the first record in this epic set. The music contained on this opus aligns with the first part of the game. The initial exploration of the fields, the small moments of bliss, discovery, and joy that come with the discovery of a new place. 

This is my favorite part of Tears of the Kingdom. The music is so emotive, so subtle during these parts that it draws me in deeper to the game. It resonates with my soul. Piano's cascade like water anear a river. Small notes whisp by with the wind before silence takes over once again. The world is built through the music as much as it is the visuals. It was perfect... just perfect.

I can't speak highly enough about the music contained on this record. This part of the soundtrack is some of my favorite video game music ever... maybe even some of my favorite music ever. I hear so many things in this, so many moments of joy and wonder. Listening again it makes me wonder what the game could have been... maybe one day I will go back and do the bare minimum in order to get the paraglider and towers unlocked... maybe I should do that.

Entry 1645 - Dim - Compendium Reliquiae

Style: dungeon synth

Thoughts: Mystery. Wonder. The beauty of being in awe of the unknown. This, this is the realm of Compendium Reliquiae.

Dim's fourth opus takes yet another turn from the first three. Each has their own identity, and Reliquiae frolics down the path of the unknown. It flirts with the concept of that which humans cannot comprehend. It revels in the realms of the ether and the world of the unseen. It delights in all these things as we are led astray.

Much like the fey of elden time, Dim plays with the listener. We are taken down musical fancies that are far from the treaden paths. These melodies are again played by harpsichord and piano primarily, however they are now shrouded in mystery. Not in any sense that the melodies are obscured, or that they are unpleasant to listen to - rather the opposite. They are perhaps too pleasant, to easy. 

Rather, these songs have a natural beauty to them that begs me to listen further... like there is more to discover than ever before. You need only look. With the music being as simple and minimal as it is, this seems a bit counter intuitive. 

In truth I don't know why this comes across the way it does. It's like a dimly lit room or a shadowed forest path. You can see everything that is there, but the details are obscured. Musically everything is clear, but I always get the sense that it's hiding something. I need to search just a bit further to uncover the truth.

This is the continued beauty of Dim's music. The fourth album in this series explores yet another facet of what makes their music stand out within the genre. Their continued evolution from one release to another, while still maintaining the extravagant quality from the very first release onward is beyond commendable.  

Entry 1644 - Dim - Compendium III

Style: dungeon synth

Thoughts: I was once asked what I thought one of the best representations of modern dungeon synth was. Without hesitation I said Dim. 

Dim's first four albums are incredible. They take all sides of the dungeon synth genre and explore them fully. Ranging from lighthearted renaissance fare music to exploring the depths of darkness found in caves and the deepest of dungeons the Compendium's do not disappoint. 

Compendium III tends to be on the darker side of the musical spectrum. It still contains some of the livelier music found on I and II, however there is a dark cloud forming over the music. An ominous tone that permeates all of the melodies and casts a shadow onto the music that is not easily overlooked.

Much like the other two entries that came before it, III focuses on simple yet intricate melodies. The music starts with beautiful melodies played on either harpsichord or piano for most of the album. Sometimes a guitar or other synth will join them, but they are secondary to the aforementioned instruments. 

Much of the music on the album is written in a melody/countermelody fashion - almost a call and response. The way that these melodies intertwine and resonate with each other is what really makes this album special for me. There is hardly a moment where the music is not wrapping itself around me and beckoning me in further with it's enchanting melodies.

That said there is a bit of experimentation on this album that was not present on I or II. Sounds like Mound-Dweller deal with music that has an interesting fade in/fade out effect that gives it nearly a four on the floor effect. The song almost sounds more like electronica rather than dungeon synth.  

The experimentation hardly ruins the album. Rather they are small little musings in the midst of what I would typically expect from Dim. III is an interesting yet wonderful album, it never ceases to amaze me with how much I get into these songs and their beautiful simplicity.  Albums such as these set the standard for the genre.

Entry 1643 - Cynthoni - Draining Love Story

Style: drum n' bass, breakbeat

Thoughts: I'm not sure what's wrong with me. This album has everything that I should love. It's atmospheric, the drums are well programmed, and the songs are well written. For the life  of me though I cannot get into this.

I had the same problem with the original release under Cynthoni's other name. All of the ingredients are there but for the life of me I can't do it. I can't remember a damn thing about the release. Even now when I'm listening to it I can objectively say that this is good music... but it's not resonating with me.

Hell even when the music really speeds up and gets into true drum n' bass territory I can't really get into it. This should be like bread and butter for me in terms of things that I like in the electronic genre... but it's just not. I guess it goes to show that even though something ticks all the right boxes, sometimes it's just not the album for me.  

Entry 1642 - Elyvilon - Drums in the Deepwood

Style: dungeon synth

Thoughts: There is an old wives tale that says trolls cannot view the day. If the sun light was to shine upon them they would turn to stone. Trolls for this very reason live under bridges and other shaded areas so that they only need venture out at night. It's these very trolls that Drums in the Deepwood chronicles.

I honestly don't know if Drums in the Deepwood has anything to do with Tolkien's or really anyone's intepretation of trolls. The cover does seem to imply this however, as do the song titles. So regardless of what Elyvilon intended, this is how I am interpreting it and will henceforth view this album.

Drums in the Deepwood is unquestioningly dungeon synth. The synths are steeped in the moss covered notes of the deep forest. The structures have not seen the light of day in decades as they reverberate throughout the caves. The melodies call to mind the creatures of the night, those who would have a hobbit stew for breakfast - the kind that would turn to stone because they spent too long debating how to process the hobbit meat.

Drums in the Deepwood is considerably more active than most dungeon synth. Opposed to drawn out ambient oriented melodies and structures, Elyvion gets straight to the point. The arrangements are also a bit more involved than those typically found in the genre. There's a lot of notes and multiple instruments going at any single point - a considerable difference from most of the genre.

The synth selection here is also on point. There is a mystery yet darkness to them that emulates the darkness of the deep forest. The parts where no human dare tread, where they are the hunted rather than the hunter. The melodies reflect this same emotion, and carry the songs deeper and deeper towards our doom.

Drums in the Deepwood is a great addition to my collection. It's another one of those albums I found randomly browsing genre tags and it happened to have a vinyl release. I was pleasantly surprised that it came out as good as it did. Yet another reason why dungeon synth continues to gain momentum towards becoming one of my favorite genres ever. 

Entry 1641 - ll nothing ll - Sacrifice

Style: experimental fuckery

Thoughts: Sacrifice is not an album I would recommend. Sacrifice is an album that takes the conventions of music and destroys the outright. There is no logic to these sounds, there is no cadence to the beats, there is nothing but chaos, destruction, and a complete disregard for the listeners enjoyment of the album... and that is exactly what makes Sacrifice one of the best albums of the last ten to fifteen years.

My journey with this album has been... testy at best. When I first heard it I quickly dismissed it as a dumb stupid moronic mess. There was nothing for my brain to grab on to. There was no structure, there was absolutely nothing conventional about the album at all. I listened for about five minutes and my brain gave up and I moved on to other music to cleanse.

Well... I tried to move on. I found myself thinking about what I had heard. Kept going back to why I reacted the way I did. Why was my reaction so visceral, so instinctual? The more I thought about it the more I wanted to go back and try to power through the album, just to say I did. 

So I did.

My second reaction to the album was very much like the first: I hated it. I hated what my ears were listening to, and I could not comprehend what was happening. This time though I stayed with it. I made it through the entire album without turning it off. I was done, and with it I was done with the album.

Or was I?

Here's the thing. When I find an album that I don't know if I like or not, I am fascinated by it. I want to dissect every part of it and make sure that I can form a true opinion rather than staying in the nebulous "I don't know" region. This is very much in the state I found myself with for Sacrifice... I had to listen again.

So. I. Did.

Now I kind of knew what was coming so I didn't have the visceral negative reaction anymore. I had started to acclimate. What I found was an album that didn't want any part of me listening to it. It was chopped up and screwed together in ways that I had never heard before. Why would someone do this? Why would someone create music so hard to listen to? These questions fascinated me and made me want to listen more.

SoIDid

Now the music was no longer creating a negative reaction... now it was curiosity. What was going on here? Why are these notes put together like this? Why? Why? WHY? I didn't know, and I don't think part of me wanted to know but I was compelled to listen more.

SOIDID

Now I craved the music. It's deep disregard for every convention that I had ever known. It's hatred of the listener and how it tried to force me away. How every single fiber in my being was appalled by what was going on in my speakers... yet I was still here. What on earth was happening to me?  It was no longer a need of wanting to listen anymore, I needed to listen. I needed to dissect the album more. It became an obsession. 

The off meter timing of the beats. The harsh production. The noise. The brief moments of melody replaced by appalling sounds. It was all there, but none of it was giving me a negative reaction anymore. It was calling me deeper into the fold. I was beyond obsession. I needed this album and it needed nothing in return. Nothing... nothing... 

Nothing is real. Sacrifice thyself. 

Entry 1640 - Nahtrunar- Hrima

Style: black metal with folk influences

Thoughts: There are points when I'm writing about my collection where I feel like I made a mistake buying an album. As I'm listening I realize that whatever I heard in the album initially are simply not there anymore on repeated listens and I start to consider moving on from the record.  There are other times though when I am listening to an album and I feel like I hit the jackpot, where the album is way better than  I initially thought. Hrima is one such album.

Nahtrunar is a band that I have only found out about within the past two to three years. The cover of Wolfsstunde drew me in and the music solidified my love for the bands sound. I had high hopes for Hrima, and after listening a few times I can confidently say that the quality found on Wolfsstunde continues on in the follow up. 

Nahtrunar's sound is simple, yet incredibly effective. The basis is blisteringly fast black metal mixed with folk instrumentation. Every so often the black metal will fade into ambience, again intermixed with folk instrumentation. The production on Hrima is clear, yet not so polished that the soul of the music is taken out - just clear enough to make out all the instruments and nothing more. 

I'm not normally a fan of cleaner production in black metal - I prefer to struggle to listen to everything and pull out the best parts after doing a deep dive through the noise and ambience. Hrima does not take away from my enjoyment though with it's production. The music is easy to listen to, but there are often more than enough things going on to keep me coming back. This is especially true of the ambient sections. There are melodies, noises, and hidden secrets buried deep within their depths. 

All of this so far sounds nearly exactly like Wolfsstunde, but this is hardly part 2 of that album. Where Hrima differentiates itself is it's lengthy ambient and instrumental sections. In fact, there is not a single word spoken for nearly sixty to seventy percent of the album. 

These lengthy sections with no vocals are not only relaxing and introspective, they are potentially the best part of the album. The lengthy title track in particular calls to mind a cold winters night and looking up into the clear starry sky. It's a wonderful meditative experience that I found it easy to lose myself in. 

Hrima is not only a worthy follow up to Wolfsstunde, it's a completely different side of the band. The trademark integration of black metal with the folk elements is there, but the focus on the ambient moments is really what makes this album stand on its own. Both albums are excellent in their own rights but I feel that Hrima may be the slightly better one of the two. Not only do we get the black metal in the first half, we get a full ambient experience in the second. It's almost two albums in one.

Entry 1639 - Void of Silence - Human Antithesis

Style: blackened doom metal

Thoughts: Void of Silence. A band that I got into right when this album released years ago. I was recently turned into a fan of Primordial and found these guys as a "side project" of AA Nemtheanga. I enjoyed his rough and emotive voice in Primordial so I wanted some more; hence Void of Silence.

Initial curiosity aside, I would not have looked further into this band if the music was sub-par. While the first two albums from the band are not exactly to my tastes, the third - Human Antithesis is quite good. It features six songs ranging from a minute long to well over twenty minutes. 

The shorter tracks are small interludes between the real meat of the album. There are four main songs on here and they are the type of music that feels more like a musical novel than they do an outright song. They have an introduction, rising action, a huge climax, and then falling action - the typical tropes of a novel. 

Lets look at the title track as a prime example of this. The song (and album) start out with a near dark ambient section with someone speaking in Italian with some industrial backing noises. Slowly keyboards come in before the rest of the band. A slow dirge-like speed is adopted by the album as more and more layers are piled on top. Keyboards, guitars, vocals - they all come in layers. 

Eventually the song takes on its final structure and the main riff is formed from the ether. From here the song twists and turns through spoken word, dark ambient, black metal, funeral doom, and everything in between before finally coming to its dramatic conclusion around the 18 minute mark. The story told is that of humanity relying on the divine for guidance when in reality we need no such guidance ourselves. It's a musical novel. It's a thesis. It's fantastic.

This is how the album is formed. Four musical journeys and two small interludes. It's a series of small musical novels that beg me to finish the album every time I put it on.  Alas t his is the only album with Nemtheanga on it, and for a long time I thought this would be the final album from the band. Fortunately it was not, and even though Mr. Alan is no longer in the band, I still enjoy the music they put out past his involvement. 

I find albums like this to be hit or miss. The danger with writing long songs is that they have to justify that time - the must respect the listener in order to be engaging. With each of the songs on Human Antithesis the band has realized this and written songs that not only are good to listen to in isolation, but also as a whole album.  

Entry 1638 - Super Mario World + Extras

Style: video game music

Thoughts: Well here is something I never thought would happen: an official Mario World release with a bunch of extra stuff. I didn't ever think that an official release of this would come out in any capacity. It's crazy that Nintendo would decide to press this at all... in fact the roots of the bootleg scene come from a want and desire to listen to Nintendo music on vinyl. Now Nintendo is starting the process of making that scene irrelevant with this and other releases. 

So this release is much more than just the Mario World soundtrack. There is a full jazz arrangement album on the first disc and selections from Mario 2 and 3 on the second before we get into the full soundtrack in the final disc. 

There's not much more to say about this. It's a fantastic soundtrack. One of the best on the SNES. One of the best in all of chip tune history, and now it's in my collection. The extra stuff is nice but not required. I don't know how much I'm going to be listening to the jazz album, but I am very glad to have it regardless.

I want Nintendo to lean into this type of physical media more. There is absolutely a market for it, and I will purchase every album that I have a strong connection with... hint - that's a lot. Super Nintendo was a formative thing in my youth and these tunes bring strong positive memories with them. I need more of that in my life and if Nintendo is willing to oblige I will certainly throw my money at them. 

Entry 1637 - Cradle of Filth - Dusk and Her Embrace: The Original Sin

Style: black metal with gothic influences 

Thoughts: What a wild ride. An album that I've been listening to nearly my entire life is not the initial version of that album, but a re-recording. 

Apparently Cradle wanted to get off their current label and so they abandoned the recording of their second album before it was released. This same album was then re-recorded for Music For Nations and was released shortly thereafter. This became the classic (and my personal favorite) Cradle album: Dusk and Her Embrace.  

It's so ironic then that I have the original version of this album in my collection and I don't have the Music for Nations one (re-release that one, seriously MfN). Needless to say, this is still Dusk, but in a different form. The same songs are present here for the most part (Malice Through the Looking Glass is missing), and there are multiple songs and interludes that were not present on the MfN version. 

So the same songs are present, but how similar are they? Well... pretty close for the most part. They are a bit rougher production wise and the synths aren't as clear as they are on the re-recording, but overall it's pretty similar. Is it better or worse tho? I think that's a matter of personal taste. For me it's a different take on the best album the band released.

So the biggest difference here is Dani's voice. He has a much scratchier vocal delivery here and only uses his trademark howls from time to time. They fit the music very well, but sound much more standard black metalish than what you would normally hear from the band. 

The production I actually find to be more enjoyable on this release than I do on the re-recording.  The muddier production fits the music a bit better than the squeaky clean production on the re-recording. It gives the music a bit of a grittier edge and as a result amps the intensity of these excellent riffs up just a tad bit more.

I also like the synths being a little less defined. You can still hear them clearly but they are not as well produced or as clear in what instrument they are mimicking on this release. That ambiguity is awesome and adds to the more obscure atmosphere that this album provides over the alternative.Listen to the end of the title track. It's way more intense than the re-recording and the production amplifies this up to another level that the re-recording simply does not have.  

There are parts to the counter point though as well. A Gothic Romance lacks the powerful lead guitars that the re-recording has. I can't tell if they are there or obscured, or if they just weren't in this version of the song. 

So there are some parts that are powerful, and other parts that are lacking. Regardless this is still an amazing black metal album. Possibly the last time you could truly call them black metal without going more into the gothic metal realm. 

These riffs are as intense now as they ever were and this is the first full album where Cradle showed what they could truly do. It doesn't matter what version, this or the re-recording - these songs kick all sorts of ass. Essential listening. 

Entry 1636 - Utred - Citadel ◊ Forest ◊ Sovereign

Style: dungeon synth

Thoughts: Dungeon synth continues to impress me with how varied the genre is. Utred is another artist that expands my horizons even more with their medieval oriented sound. 

This record contains three short albums: Citadel, Forest, And Sovereign. Each one of these is firmly entrenched in medieval song writing and execution, however they each have their own take on the genre. 

Citadel for instance plays in the style of a court. I can picture jesters dancing, people feasting, lords declaring etc. It also has this glorious sound to it, almost as if it is triumphant. This is the kind of music that would call a lord home after a successful hunt or war campaign. 

Forest on the other hand has a more tranquil sound to it. This feels more like wandering through a forest at night or a gatherer searching for berries to feed their family. It's a calmer sound that shares the same DNA as Citadel, however none of the triumphant trumpet calls are present. In their place we have nebulous instrumentation that calls us to a grove filled with flowers and berries, ripe for the picking and frolicking.

Sovereign offers yet another take into the medieval life, this time that of a royal court. There is a majesty about this music that was absent from the other two albums. A sense that it is more (self) important, and it is ready to impose that upon the rest of the kingdom. 

Each album brings it's own flavor, yet all still feel like they belong in the same catalog. Utred has a distinct style that few have replicated. The medieval bent to dungeon synth has been done before, but it's often focused on the "renfair" aspect of the music. Utred offers a bit more of a complete look at the concept with different aspects of life back then being taken as influences for each album. 

There are moments on this release that are silly, they make me smile with how immature the song writing/instrument selection is. However, this is part of the appeal of the genre for me. I love all of it, the immaturity, the well written sections, the lack of care for what anyone else thinks. It's all wonderful, whimsical, and an utter joy to listen to. 

Entry 1635 - Deaf Center - Pale Ravine

Style: ambient, modern classical 

Thoughts: I really need to find out the name of this genre. The genre that Deaf Center play. It's a mix of ambient with classical music, and it's become an obsession of mine. 

Pale Ravine is essentially a series of soundscapes that osculate through different melodies over the course of an hour and change. These soundscapes are created by classical instrumentation - such as violins and pianos - and then manipulated through the wonders of modern technology. This creates an inherit dissonance to the music, not as in the music is hard to listen to but rather it's very existence is a paradox. 

Classical music is often seen as the hallowed entity, the highest form of western music. It involves intricacies that other genres simply cannot attain. It has an elegance to it that other genres can get a glimpse of, but only ever a glimpse. To pervert that with electronica is anathema... or is it?

Deaf Center certainly does not seem to think that these two genres are mutually exclusive. In fact they take the idea of classical music and weave it into the very DNA of their electronica. The songs are obviously created with analog instrumentation and then they are transformed using synths, midi controllers, and sometimes even a drum machine. Purists be damned. 

So Pale Ravine is anathema. It is the combination of two things that should not be put together, a homunculus if you will.  One would be wise to be cautious about a musical amalgamation such as this, but that caution soon fades away as the music begins to reveal itself. 

Take for instance the third track, White Lake. The song starts out with a simple piano tone, short and effective. It lingers, it is allowed to decay completely, silence lingers. Soon thereafter ambient soundscapes begin to creep in and blanket the piano with an additional layer of depth, silencing the silence so to speak. This interplay continues until finally some strings come in and begin a percussive pizzicato beat to round out the song. 

Slowly but surely the full extent of the beauty contained within is revealed, but it is only for those who would stay and partake. Those who lack patience need not linger. 

White Lake is but one example of many to be found on Pale Ravine. This duo of Norwegians have created something quite impressive with their art. A mysterious yet entirely rewarding modern take on a genre that has been stuck in the past for a very long time. The fact that this album even exists is enough to turn some people away, but for those who are curious, Pale Ravine delivers a delightful escape from reality.