Artist: Void Work
Title: Horror/Forsaken
Genre: Ambient
Release Date: 19th May 2010
Label: Black Drone
Album Review
Another slice of dark ambient courtesy of Black Drone. VOID WORK is one of those bands that 10 years ago would have been in pride of place over at Cold Springs. But in the here and now, their release of two albums in one (‘Horror’ & ‘Forsaken’) marks a return to avant-garde experimentalism, fusion of world music and a lofty sense of literary horror.
Anguished screams cut through soothing tribal rhythms and ethnic instruments while distant chants echo through the atmosphere. The half-spoken, half-sung vocals that crop up throughout the album(s) give the songs grounding in the ancient poetry of Europe while the modern synths remind us of its modern construction. The end result is a dark but timeless atmosphere. Tracks such as ‘Haunted’, ‘People of the Monolith’, ‘The Serpent’s Lullaby II’, ‘The Serpents Lullaby III’, and ‘The Black Coat’ on the ‘Horror’ album all display an exquisite sense of musicianship in their experimental construction. The band have managed to master the art of combining the harsh with the melodic, the dark with the beautiful the result of which is an utterly compelling listen.
On ‘Forsaken’, the same formula applies, if in a somewhat minimalist form. The paired back feeling of the songs can create wonderfully listenable tracks such as ‘Akenathon’ and ‘Pillars’, but also utterly disturbing ones like ‘Ghostlight’ and ‘Grave’. These two albums are a very compelling listen. The skill at work on each track is beyond question, and influences such as ATTRITION, RAISON D'ÊTRE, and ARCANA are all easy to hear amidst the cacophony of sounds. In places some of the synths sound a little bit dated but that is no fault of the performers, just the constraints of their budget.
Tracklist
Horror
01. Haunted
02. The Soulless City
03. People of the Monolith
04. Marble Steps
05. Interlude
06. The Serpent’s Lullaby II
07. Insomnia
08. The Serpent’s Lullaby III
09. Forever in Fire
10. Post-Apocalypse
11. The Descent
12. Antarctica
13. The Black Coat
Forsaken
01. Akhenathon
02. Ghostlight
03. Forsaken
04. Pillars
05. Circle
06. Nightmare
07. Grave
Line-up
Xavier
Melissa Ferlaak
Zuberoa Aznarez
Ann-Mari Thim
Websites
http://www.voidwork.com/ / http://www.myspace.com/voidwork
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 8
Sound: 7
Extras: -
Total: 7.5 / 10
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