Dark Music Review – The Faceless One
Review by Casey Douglass
The Faceless One
is the second part of Ruairi O'Baoighill’s Rueayn Trilogy. I
reviewed the first album, Walpurgis, a few weeks ago, and
found it to be an occult-infused dose of dark goodness. The
Faceless One, takes that mantle and runs with it further down the
lane, dishing up another six tracks in a similar vein, along with a
couple of bonus tracks thrown in for good measure.
Each track contained on
The Faceless One sets the scene for some kind of ritual,
whether of conjuration or devotion, and sets the focal sounds in soundscapes that seem to be scraping the edge of hell or purgatory.
The first track, Invocation, begins with a maelstrom of buffeting
wind-like sound, and it doesn’t take long for the air currents to
bring blood curdling screams to the listener's ear, bringing to mind
an etheric tornado holding the souls unlucky enough to be inside it
captive. The words of the titular invocation begin around the
midpoint, but whether the rite is aimed at one soul in particular or
the thing that controls the tornado, I don’t know.
Track two, Veil, begins
with a single drum beat that rhythmically echoes as it fades. It
sounds again, and fades again. An up swell of sound follows, a
reaction maybe from whatever is circling nearby, like baiting the sea
with chum and seeing a distant fin move closer. That’s quite a
good analogy I think, as the sound, besides the hint of whispered
voice, sounds a little murky and muffled, a little like being
underwater. There are other tones, and the odd chime sounding, that
balance the darkness a little, but this felt like a probing,
stretching track, the audio equivalent of a face pushing out through
a rubbery wall.
Incantation is next, a
track that starts with the vigorous sound of some kind of horn. It
sounds a number of times before a host of echoing, sacral chanting
begins. The tone of the voice rises and falls, seeming to reflect
back from unseen corners and strangle angles. There is a hissing
sound, snake-like, and a rumbling that creaks around the soundscape.
The other stand out sound to me is what sounds like someone
breathing, particularly in those moments when the rest of the
soundscape falls quieter, a watcher waiting to see the outcome of
their actions maybe.
Procession is track
four, a funereal soundscape with the sonorous sound of a church bell
tolling for who knows who. There is a scratchy string-agitating sound
and the occasional gong/cymbal being crashed. The track certainly
brings to mind what it might be like to see a host of dark-robed
figures wandering deserted streets, the smoke from their censer’s
vanishing into the darker shadows around them. It’s the longest
track on the album, which further adds to the feeling of going from
here to there.
Trancendence is the
penultimate track, another gong/cymbal featuring composition, that, along
with chanting, seems to feature the mewling of something trying to
sing along with the singers. This track brought to mind an old
cathedral, the rite happening down below, a strange and twisted thing
up in the bell-tower mocking and mimicking the sounds it is hearing.
This is one of my favourite tracks, purely for this pleasing idea.
Ritual is the final
track, a soundscape that begins with a deep voice chanting, and
slowly builds to what sounds like more joining. It sounds a little
devotional, and later, the atmosphere of the track seems to react to
them, a swarm-like malevolence builds, with thumps and angry energy.
The first of the two
bonus tracks is Ceremony, another ‘windy’ drone-led type of track,
again featuring a chant, but this one is reedy and hollow, the
soundscape itself higher-toned and shimmering. It also features the
same sensation created by Trancendence, the notion of something
trying to sing along in the distance.
The second of the bonus
tracks is Faceless One, a track with a swelling, booming soundscape,
the tones and sounds creating a mirage-like shifting effect. It also
features a deep guttural voice that sounds clipped and dialled down,
suggesting that something is communicating from another realm.
Scream-like sounds hang in the air, and the whole thing sounds like
the Faceless One is coming to see you. Great stuff.
The Faceless One
is another darker than pitch, dark ambient album, one steeped in the
miasmic realm that seems to lean so close and yet so far from our
every day one. Twisted cries and ritual elements all blend to bring
into being something dark and wholly satisfying to enjoy,
contemplative and aggressive in equal measure. If you’ve yet to
listen to any of Ruairi O'Baoighill’s creations, I urge you to
check them out, particularly if you like your dark ambient with
occult themes.
Click here to go to The Faceless One on Bandcamp to have a listen and for more info. You might also like to read my review of Walpurgis here.
I was given a copy
of this album for review purposes.
Album Title: The
Faceless One
Album Artist:
Ruairi O'Baoighill
Label: Cursed
Monk Records
Released: July
11, 2017
