Who doesn't remember the good old days of Cold Meat Industry, where ambient, industrial and mystical music came together in an orgy of immersive sounds and trance-inducing drones? Sometimes I miss that era, but then I remember that this scene is far from dead. Since the demise of Cold Meat Industry, fans had to go elsewhere for the finest in dark experimental music. If you are one of them, might I suggest checking out A Most Accursed (and by expansion the entire Sombre Soniks stable).
A Most Accursed is actually a Druhá Smrt side-project, an act I've become quite familiar with in the past few months. Hailing from the Czech Republic, Jindřich Spilka & Lucie Spilková have been creating mystical music for years now, pretty much always resulting in interesting pieces of music. This new project is no different. In fact, this is highly addictive material and, to me, one of the best albums I've heard from these people. In three tracks, each lasting ten minutes and twenty seconds exactly, they come up with pure sonic magic.
With the usual recipe, being soundscapes, deep percussion and eerie vocal samples, A Most Accursed reminds me of a blend of Puissance, Atrium Carceri and Deutsch Nepal. The music is dark, gritty and rough, but always remains a safe distance from becoming too harsh. It also has a bit of a funeral doom atmosphere, mainly because the tracks drive on a torpid tempo, created by deep drums. These form a solid foundation for the hypnotic drones and soundscapes.
This is one of those albums who deserve a lot of attention. Even after several consecutive listens, new sounds pop up and the whole remains interesting, seemingly constantly renewing itself. Much more than a great piece of music, this is a sonic journey into a mystifying world, filled with strange creatures and beings. Check it out if you're into gloomy music, close your eyes and let A Most Accursed take you on this immersive trip. You know you want to...
Serge