Dark Ambient Review: Quintessence
Review by Casey Douglass
I find it fascinating
to see something broken down into its smaller parts, especially if it
is then put back together again. Anything themed around the elemental
view of the Universe is therefore quite interesting to me, especially
as it brings to mind more occult and metaphysical ideas. And wizards.
Wizards with elemental magic blasting chunks out of each other as
they bicker. Shrine’s dark ambient album, and debut on Cryo
Chamber, Quintessence, is an album themed on just such an
elemental theme. You have to bring the wizards though.
Quintessence
consists of five tracks, each labelled after the element that they
focus on. As you listen to each track, the featured element will
shine through nicely, although some are more subtle, as naturally,
using field-recordings of Water is a little easier than giving Earth
a sound. I liked how each element gives each track its own unique
feeling, yet the tracks themselves do share similarities, such as how
they gently build up into an almost rapturous wall of sound, and then
slowly diminish again into a more gentle soundscape.
Alongside the elemental
sounds, there are female vocals that swell and support the “action”
in the soundscape. I really liked these as they lend each track an
almost mythic aesthetic, making something that would already be full
of awe, actively majestic. There are other instruments and effects
too that jumped out at me, and help build each track. In Gaia, this
is a repeating electric-guitar-like tone and steady beat. In Hydor
(water), this is the sound of sea birds and a rumbling distortion. In
Aer (air) it’s a fuzzy beat and the static of a storm front. In Pyr
(fire) it’s long string notes and shimmering tones, and in
Quintessence (life itself) it’s the use of a fast-paced beat and
electro-notes.
Unusually for me, I’m
not sure I have a favourite track, as they are all enjoyable in their
own way. I do think Quintessence had the best beat/rhythm of the
bunch, but I guess that is only right if it is showing the evolution
of life itself, rather than a single element. Life does like to move
after all. When I was listening to Gaia, the electronic tones made me
feel like I was envisioning a digital version of the Earth, for some
reason. I think I had this in my brain as I listened to the next
track, Hydor, as I found myself thinking about the scene in the
Battleship (2012) film where the aliens spew up out of the
water and things kick-off. Just goes to show how one thought can lead
to another. I’d also add that I saw Battleship years after
its release, and I found quite a lot to enjoy in a film that was
largely derided.
Quintessence
then, is an album full of energetic and rapturous tracks, each
reveling in the element it is themed around and each “different
from the next but similar” in just the right ways. Each track mixes
chaos with order, manifestation with destruction, and does it with a
deft touch and a pleasing balance to the ears. The beats carry things
along nicely while the swirling maelstrom of tones and
field-recordings create something majestic to listen to. I think
that’s the first time I’ve said majestic twice in a review too.
If you are a fan of nature and the elements, you should take a closer
listen to Quintessence.
Visit the Quintessence
page on Bandcamp, and check out the track Hydor below:
I was given a review
copy of this album.
Album Title:
Quintessence
Album Artist:
Shrine
Label: Cryo
Chamber
Released:
October 01, 2019
