I’ve loved Dark Ambient Music or ‘Dungeon synth’ music since the first time I heard Mortiis’ Født til å herske, but even before his music, I loved Midnight Syndicate. They were a Halloween and night drive staple, as well as Thou Shalt Suffer‘s Somnium; yes I’m bouncing around years, no I don’t care. I really got into Mortiis on his Stargate album and then went backward through his discography.

In these hallowed pages I’ve covered two other instrumental albums, those being Satyricon and their Satyricon and Munch album and Zombi‘s Direct Inject.

Shadow Knell lives somewhere in the neighborhood of Wongraven or Isengard, a bit of Mortiis to add the creepy bombastic elements.

“Intone” is where the album begins, its unsettling keys resonating through the length as it builds up the tension of the 10:14 minute track “Procession” a huge track that makes me also think of Danzig and his Black Aria album from ’92 (apparently a follow up was done in 2006, who knew?) Anyway, this album is broken up into individual tracks, but honestly, it’s better experienced as a whole piece of music.

Each track flows into the next like a seamless stream of blackness. “The Briar Harp” is a single and it’s got this eerie, haunted forest thing going on while “Bell Umbra” has an entering a long-dead kingdom after a long, drawn out war, the set pieces are like individual story pieces woven into a larger tapestry of drama.

I love the way tension plays into the mix of the music, giving an otherworldly feeling and “Arcane Discovery” has that tension burning in its core, while the final track and second single “Night River” is a 7:14 minute transcendent track, capturing a desolate emotional response.

Apparently Shadow Knell features members from Poison Ruin, so if you like them already then there you go. This is almost ritualistic and if allowed to, could end up taking you to distant parts of your mind. I recommend this for the fans of the aforementioned bands, oh and Tangerine Dream on acid. Really good stuff.

[Visit the band's website]

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