Dark Music Review – Azathoth
Review Written by Casey Douglass
In 2014 Cryo Chamber got some of the most prominent dark ambient artists together to synchronize their studios during a year of collaboration creating the album Cthulhu in tribute to H.P. Lovecraft. With Azathoth Cryo Chamber double the effort with a 2 CD release follow up. No less than 20 artists has been working for the last year to synchronize and co-create Azathoth. Azathoth is a collaboration NOT a compilation. Azathoth is an Outer God in the Cthulhu Mythos and Dream Cycle stories of H. P. Lovecraft and other authors. Azathoth's precise appearance is only hinted at throughout the Mythos, and indeed may be unknowable by mortal beings. It is described as occupying a position outside of the universe, where it is attended by a cohort of alien servants.
Cthulhu, the
collaboration mentioned in the album description above, is probably
one of my favourite dark ambient albums of all time. Its one massive
track took the listener from the stormy waves, deep under the sea and
back again, dragging something eldritch along for the ride. You can
read my review of Cthulhu at this link. With this in mind,
Azathoth had me wondering if I would find another mind-blowing
favourite to add to my collection, another Lovecraft infused dance
with the abyss. Featuring the work of a whole host of dark ambient
artists including Atrium Carceri, Aphaxone, Randal Collier-Ford and
Ugasanie amongst many others, Azathoth had every chance of
being something very special. Did I find my shadowy bride or was I
left jilted at the alter? Read on to find out.
Tracks / Thoughts
Rather than the usual
collection of anywhere from 6 to 10+ tracks, Azathoth comes in
with two mammoth tracks: the first of around 55 minutes, the second
just breaking through the one hour mark. I did begin to write quite
in-depth descriptions of each track but abandoned that when I
realised it would make for a wall of text and would probably not be
the best way to approach things. I've decided to give a general
overview instead, having spent a good amount of time with Azathoth
and relaxed to it on a number of listenings.
The first thing that I
would say is that both tracks are fairly smooth dark ambient
compositions, containing flowing drones and ambient sound recordings
that I didn't find too jarring. Of the two tracks however, “Azathoth
2” has a few sections in which there are some quite harsh sounds:
an example being what sounds like someone throwing a pebble at a rocky
floor and it shattering. It almost felt like being poked in the
chest. I can imagine this will only be an issue if you fancy using
Azathoth to doze off to however, but not everyone is as
strange as me in that respect I am sure.
The sounds contained in
the tracks all serve to take the listener on a dark journey towards
things that are hard to give words to. I felt like I spent most of my
time roaming roughly-hewn rock tunnels in the earth, some segments
dimly lit and dripping with water, others black as pitch with air so
thick that it is hard to walk through, let alone breathe. There are
audio effects that sound like something breathing and flying past in
the gloom, there are others that give the impression of industry at a
great distance, like creeping past some vast cavern containing
strange creatures delving in further into the ground. Voices mutter
and mumble, sounding like they are on old radio-sets far away and
bassy rumbles hint at the shifting of colossal forces.
For me, Azathoth
is a meditation on the rock-paved abyss, gradually falling through
the world until finding myself in some other place, an other place
with strange denizens and a strange atmosphere that scythes away the
concerns of everyday life, replacing them with more primal themes and
motives. If you couldn't guess, I very much enjoyed my time listening
to Azathoth and happily give it a rating of 4.5/5.
Visit the Azathoth
page on bandcamp here for more information and prices.
I was given a free
copy of the album to review.
Album Title: Azathoth
Album Artist: Cryo
Chamber Collaboration
Label: Cryo Chamber
Mastering and artwork:
Simon Heath