Dark Ambient Review – The Messenger
Review Written By Casey Douglass
Scott
Lawlor’s The Messenger is a dark ambient album that for me,
brings to mind the notion of some Luciferian being wending his way
into the world to whisper his dark message into the ears of the
receptive. Its soundscapes are clean and uncluttered, which is what
you’d probably imagine when you hear that it was created with one
take improvisations.
Album Description: This album was recorded over a weekend in October of 2015. All tracks, except 4 and 10 were one-take improvisations using only one sound for each track on the Roland fa08 with no overdubs. Track 4 was originally in two parts but I felt that it flowed better as one and track 10 had some additional piano. Track titles from the Messenger at dewinnefol.wordpress.com/2015/09/29/the-messenger/.
I’m not sure how
unduly the album art might have influenced me, but the streak of
light was a theme that seemed to follow me with each track. As an
example, The Heart Transcends Desire has specific tones that aided
this. This track features a hanging undulating tone that conjured to
mind a spinning disc of some kind, catching the light. It also had a
tone that put me very much in mind of an old-fashioned alarm clock
ringing, which further added to the effect.
Other tracks seemed to
give me an 80s B-movie horror vibe. When Flesh and Bone Expire is one
example of this, the bone-clinking sounds at one point being joined
by the noise an energy weapon might make as it dissolves a human to
powder. This track sounds a bit insectoid in places, and I’m sure I
heard the thrum of a flying-saucer’s propulsion system at some point.
Playing into the whole
“Lucifer” notion I first mentioned at the start, a few of the
tracks sound a little “churchy” to me. Stepping Past a Graveyard's
Stare is one, the sounds and notes sound sonorous and religious
somehow, before things quieten at times into a more whimsical
soundscape. It’s a bit like hearing strains of circus music as it
reaches you in your coffin, six feet below the earth.
The Messenger is
a very dark album that creates some interesting soundscapes with the
minimum of fuss. Something all of the tracks seem to have in common
is the love of waxing and waning sound, the way things build and then
quieten, and then evolve into something similar but different. Some
do feature the odd “overload” effect of the sound getting very
harsh in key places, but for the most part, it’s a smooth ride.
If you are a fan of
dark ambient that manages to be dark and uncluttered, you’d do well
to check out The Messenger.
I was given a free
copy of this album to review.
Album Title: The
Messenger
Artist: Scott
Lawlor
Released:
Feb 27, 2018
