CD

For many years, the scene from Quebec, Canada, is blooming and shining (un)bright.

There are several reasons why one must appreciate this given: the dedicated human being behind the label / these anthologies, the stunning releases offered by the whole USG-family, the possibility to ‘explore’ known and unknown musical territories, you know… This newest compilation / anthology just follows that adorable trend as part of the Sound Mapping Project…

The Providence, Rhode Island based (Dark Ambient) label Slithering Black Records collects numerous known and lesser known acts that do fit into a certain hiatus; a hiatus once risen after the sad passing of the mighty CMI organization.

Thank you, dearest muse, for this after-birthday present! I adore you... -) BURZUM: 'Thulêan Mysteries' limited special edition vinyl 2-LP-) LUSTRE: 'A Glimpse Of Glory' LP-) ABHOR: 'Vehementia' digipack-CD-) WARDRUNA: 'Skald' CD-) HEILUNG: 'Drif' limited special edition vinyl-) ENDE: 'Whispers Of A Dying Earth' CD

I knew the name Archaic from the strange yet intriguing recording 116 Mycelio Tronics EP, available via Electric Music Foundation, yet apparently this duo did release another recording shortly after that EP, i.e. Into The Void. Seen the specific sonic output, it is not that strange at all that this full album got released via ZeroK, an experimental label within the permanently growing USG family.

Welcome to nekrotronic nightmare and terror of your pathetic artificial illusion of life!

One of Australia’s most characteristic acts must be Blacnk (no, this ‘name’ has not been misspelled), a one-man outfit by an unidentified human (?) creature from Perth, named Grey Blacnk. In quite a short time, he recorded some unique albums, combining grim Black Metal aesthetics with psychedelic elements. The most recently recorded Blacnk album, Sleeping Under Clouds Of Gripping Anguish, is the first that gets released in partnership with Centipede Abyss.

It can be said that we dwell apart from the invisible world, and there we do not dwell alone. In places unlit, companionships are formed with words that are confined to dark recesses… akin to a Cave that holds within, all the imagined twilight wonders and befouled terrors…

[released on May 25th 2020, yet the scroll-down menu does not go back that far anymore...]

Recently I was listening to A Dark Shining Light again. It is almost exactly four years ago that this album got released. Since I did not write a review on this recording yet, but seen the fact that it is nothing but a masterwork, I will write down some of my ideas and thoughts about it.

I have to admit that I did not know the band Wardra. However, this act from Moscow did release a full-length in 2017, an EP in 2018 and a split with Logos (defunct in the meantime) in 2020. But it never came my way. Wardra was formed as a duo in 2016 and evolved throughout the years into a ‘real’ band (nowadays a quartet). Original member W (Vladimir Snegotsky) was part of the Aethyr line-up too, and collaborates with Majestat.