We Promise To Betray: "Nothing is as It Seems" CD reviewed on "Mithra! Templezine"

During the last years Italian based sound artists Giuseppe Verticchio (Nimh) and Davide del Col (Antikatechon) worked actively in collaboration and offered to the audience several releases whose musical spectrum covers sonic soundscapes and droning post-industrialism. Most of their mutual efforts to date can be found in Rage in Eden online catalogue. With this new chapter the two protagonists decide to slightly turn the back to their usual dark ambient / dark music banner to embrace new compositional / stylistic paths. To give a concrete identity to their new explorations and to handle this challenge they decided first to progress under the moniker of « We promise to betray » This first opus is welcomed by the sublabel oltrelanebbiailmare driven by the key Italian editor Silentes (notably responsible of releases from Nimh, Maurizio Bianchi, Rod Modell…), headed by Stefano gentile since 2004. For information, oltrelanebbiailmare is also behind the publication of Twist of Fate (side project of Giuseppe Verticchio) second full length release. Consequently this new edition sounds more like a family album and won’t disappoint listeners already in touch with Silentes massive production in the field of post-industrial music and other demanding alternative music genres. I was very curious to discover this new musical adventure and see if the result sounds quite close to the Antikatechon & Nimh partnership I have kept in mind.
‘Nothing is at it seems’ appears to operate an almost radical changing dynamic, defining a new aesthetic, resolutely surfing on the wave of noise pop articulated with consentual shoegazing atmospheric interludes. The two musicians draw melodious textures, adopting a sounding schema in touch with dreamy, peaceful and beatific qualities. We can notice the use of important fuzzed-guitar tricks, delays and echoing sequences sometimes punctuated by more spontaneous and even bucolic acoustic lines. The result is beautifully vaporous, intimate, playing the card of evocativeness around existential concerns and sentimental escapism. This first album is at the frontier of the ethereal / trip rock subgenre and noisy minimalist ambient (Somewhere between My Bloody Valentine, Tim Hecker, Fripp & Eno, Godspeed you black emperor). A musical excursion which does not lack of charm. If you like introspective music with abrasive emotional guitars and discreet aerial touches no doubt this album will seduce you.

(P.B.)

http://mithratemplezine.com/chronique-we-promise-to-betray-nothing-is-as-it-seems-album-2017/