Entry 191 - Institution D.O.L - The Thelema Tales

 

I had no idea what I was getting into with this album. What on earth is going on in that cover? When the needle dropped this could have been anything from dark ambient to death metal to noise to god knows what. What I got was none of those.

This album is pure atmosphere. This album is pure emotion. The Thelema Tales resonates of desperation, horror, and helplessness. The music taps into that primitive side of the brain that so few can.

The melodies here are sparse and minimal at best. They are featured prominently, yet at the same time are not the primary focus. They help portray the purity of distress and anguish we as the listener are exposed to during the duration of the album.

The main instrument utilized is a piano. Simple chord progressions that are allowed to fully expand and fade out before the next note begins helps elevate the charged atmosphere. Long moments of silence or a simple wind blowing in between notes are not uncommon.

Spoken word is also injected into a few tracks. These tracks speak of Jesus, Satan, life, and death. They speak on the frailty of life, the wholeness of it and yet the nothingness that it holds. It's a continual paradox, a riddle the listener is welcomed to solve.

Like so many of my favorite albums, this album fully embraces what it is: a testament to what music can convey when it is stripped down to its roots and all is laid bare.