At Dusk

Artist: 
Album Title: 
MMXI - MMXII
Release Date: 
Monday, June 30, 2014
Label: 
Distribution: 
Review Type: 

This release is a compilation of material written and composed by Ross ‘Korihor’ Major, who’s active in Murk Rider as well, and formerly in Folivore and the defunct Black-duo Lurid. MMXI - MMXII consists of five hymns, lasting in between seven and thirteen minutes. Most tracks are taken from hard-to-get splits (with the likes of Nattferd or Korium, a.o. - FYI: this project did not release a ‘real’ full length yet, only stuff distributed via splits), and the last track is a previously unreleased epic.

And what can I write? Well, this kind of stuff is the one that combines floating Ambient, grim and melodic Black Metal and desolate Funeral Doom with an atmosphere that is both oppressive and asphyxiating, cold and hypnotic, minimal and obscure. The atmosphere denies any chance for evidence or average existence; on the contrary, the droning, dense grimness exhales a breath of magnificence avant-la-lettre. Every single piece that appears on this compilation is absolutely lo-fi (or what did you expect?), but especially the sound quality of the project’s contribution with Korium (i.e. the first two songs) is very sad. Where We Have Always Dreamed, taken from At Dusk’s split with Nattferd, has a very lo-fi sound too, but since this track is the most xasthurian, I think it fits the most perfect way. the last track, by the way, called Betrayed By The Light, is the most early-burzumesque song to date (in At Dusk’s history), but

Recommended if you can appreciate very early Burzum, earlier Shining, Burial Mist, or the likes of Xasthur, Leviathan, Velvet Cacoon etc…

86/100