Here are the dark ambient albums that we at This is Darkness have been listening to this month – some are new releases, but a few are older gems we’ve just (re)discovered.
Please check these out by clicking on the Bandcamp link next to each review, and please consider supporting the featured artists.
Enjoy!
If you have a Bandcamp release you’d like to be considered for inclusion as one of our picks of the month , please email [email protected]. Bandcamp download codes for albums to be reviewed are always very welcome, but are not essential.
Sublimatio Mortis – Transubstantiatio
The latest release by Sublimatio Mortis (Canadian duo Chris of Undirheimar & Mo Masaya de Kemetis) is this fantastically dark and disturbing album of ritual ambient / drone. The music here is bleak and brooding, conjuring up images of gloomy stone monasteries and dark forbidding sepulchres . It’s incredibly well done, and I’ve felt myself drawn back to this album again and again to experience the sonic textures contained within it. Very highly recommended for fans of ritual dark ambient. Gorgeous!
Nerthus – The Path of the Elder Ones
I’m a huge fan of all things Lovecraftian, so I was thrilled when I discovered that the ever awesome Eighth Tower Records were releasing this dark ambient / post-industrial album from Nerthus. With eerie, otherworldly tracks full of dark menacing soundscapes and creepy field recordings, this is a wonderfully dark album that does an amazing job of capturing the essential essence of the Lovecraft mythos. Fantastic!
E.U.E.R.P.I. – 1971
Now this is very cool indeed – an album created using field recordings of the sounds of an old (manufactured in 1971) Soviet train that is still running on the Bulgarian railways! The resulting album is glorious – full of the industrial sounds of the railway, with glitches and echoes and all manner of strange noises. It’s incredibly atmospheric and each and every play of the album provides the listener with a multitude of new things to discover. Highly recommended for those looking for something a little different. Wonderful!
Druhá Smrt – dialectic of Thorn
The latest release from the fantastic Sombre Soniks label is this deliciously dark album from Druhá Smrt. The music here is a wonderful blend of doom, drone and dark ambient – a combination that gives this album a unique sound that is both familiar yet unfamiliar in equal measure. The lack of willingness to be pigeon-holed into one genre means this won’t appeal to those looking for standard dark ambient fare – but those willing to try something new and to experience something different, this album is a must buy. Superb!
Various Artists – Music For Alien Temples
Described as “… an ambitious and visionary project that ventures into the realm of speculative soundscapes, imagining the religious practices, spiritual rituals, and cosmic ceremonies of advanced alien civilizations…” Music for Alien Temples is an album that totally delivers on its premise. With 14 tracks of strange, multi-layered otherworldliness, presented by a range of talented musicians, this is one of those remarkable albums that is an absolute joy to listen to from start to finish – each track offers something unique, and yet they all fit together perfectly to create a unified audio experience that is quite honestly stunning. Impressive!
VIRUS2020 ( فيروس ٢٠٢٠ ) – A FROG A GUN AND A SAD MAN فيروس٢٠٢٠ ـ الضفدع ، المسدس و الرجل الحزين
Now this is refreshingly different. An album of dark ambient / experimental music that combines Arab and north-African elements, field recordings, and a range of instruments to create a multi-textured album of shifting moods. I’ve had this on repeat play since I first got my hands on this, and each and every time I play it I discover something new and wonderful. Once again, the Unexplained Sounds Group label has released an incredible album that is simply breath-taking. Essential!
Substak – Echoes of Chaos
Inner Demons Records continues to be one of my favourite labels, and their latest release is the perfect example of why. Described as “…a haunting blend of drones and distortion, echoing the chaos within the experimental soundscape…” the music here is dark, unnerving, and impossible to categorise – featuring distorted soundscapes, eerie field recordings, and machine like post-industrial sounds. This is one of those albums best experienced in a dark room with earphones on, so that you can lose yourself in the deep dark depths as the album unfolds. Marvellous!
Pestzone – Colour
Also from Inner Demons Records is the latest release form Pestzone, featuring industrial tinged dark ambient and drone work, with added glitch-like elements. This is an amazing album – full of dark disturbing soundscapes that are as rewarding to listen to as they as they are challenging. This is the soundtrack to an underground industrial nightmare and very highly recommended for those looking for something dark and relentless. Outstanding!
Sad Man – Dark Ambient Collection
The latest album from UK based Sad Man is this wonderful 15 track collection of tracks brought together from previous albums under the heading of Dark Ambient. Featuring an array of styles and sounds, this album provides the listener with a rewarding journey of discovery, with each and every track offering something new and exciting to grab your attention and draw you in. Highly recommended for fans of dark ambient, experimental electronica, and everything in between. Stunning!
Abul Mogard & Rafael Anton Irisarri – Live at Le Guess Who?
This gorgeous album by Abul Mogard & Rafael Anton Irisarri was recorded live at Jacobikerk, Utrecht (NL) on November 9, 2024 and features the full, unedited recording of the set. Wow. I would have loved to have been at the concert – because this is one of those wonderful albums of evolving ambient soundscapes that you just let wash over you and lose yourself into. I cannot recommend this album highly enough. Wonderful!
