Antikatechon resonates as one of the most fascinating and haunting
musical entity in the world of post-industrial and dark ambient
music. After two first soloing adventurous efforts (respectively
published on Silentes and Rage in Eden) and a fantastic collaborative
opus with Nimh, Davide del Cole is back with an incredibly ferocious,
bleak and liturgically negative atmospheric album under the cryptical
and enigmatic name of Woe is the Reward. The general sound
environment reaches absolutely mesmerizing psychoacoustic qualities
thank to a maelstrom of electronic treatments and prettily
interesting use of spacious acoustic timbres. The whole thing seems
to be surrounded by a vast nightmarish-coldly lovecraftian argument
sometimes interrupted by more serene-ethereally peaceful interludes.
Mystically brutal sound hermeticism meets heavenly restful melodious
sequences, finally providing some intriguing emotional contrasts
without neglecting the coherence of the complete musical set.
The opening theme leads the listener into a massively powerful
sonic sound tapestry full of black drones and distorted electronic
malevolence. A discreet consonant melodious vibe progressively rises
from the background and sublimates the whole musical procession.
“Mirthless perseverance” is a nicely made experimental track with
long droning metallic chords and thundering noisy accents which sound
almost like a power electronic manifest. This groundbreaking musical
inferno is attenuated with the next track and its ravishing
otherworldly soundscaping minimalism made of acoustic detached piano
notes and dream-like mnemonic sounding field recordings. From the
musical signature and compared to the two previous efforts we can
detect the presence of relatively new compositional schemas as the
presence of distorted voices (as in the self titled track) and an
enriched illustration of widely electrified droning motifs (like in
the almost nihilistic-funereal post medieval theme of “Unbroken
Siege”). If we except the closing track of the album “Hostia”
and its acoustic ethereal spell, the sacral-ontologically evocative
elements and their mysterious eloquence are more discreet than in the
previous releases to let the place to more gloriously bleak cinematic
ambiences. We can also notice the presence and essential contribution
of Nimh (Giuseppe Verticchio) in the fuzzed-out darkened
metaphysic-instrumental ode of “Unbroken Siege”. Giuseppe
Verticchio is also responsible of the mastering of the album and gave
to the ensemble a very efficient spellbinding sonic density.
To make it short Woe is the Reward is a solid work and
of a great consideration for the whole ambient genre, from ritual to
drone and post-industrial compartments. A highly recommended and
tremendously absorbing musical experience which reveals a true
loyalty to the genre (Lustmord, New risen throne, Raison d’être,
Atrium Carceri, Desiderii Marginis et al) but which also explores
adventurous texturally sounding capacities inside a densely
orchestrated musical field.
(
Philippe Blache)
http://igloomag.com/reviews/antikatechon-woe-is-the-reward-rage-in-eden