Darkspace "-II" (2024)

 

Surprise evaporates into disappointment. After a decade long hiatus, Darkspace mysteriously re-emerge from the void armed with negative two, a singular forty seven minute epic that adds little to their repitour. With a particular breed of cosmic Black Metal, this trio forge dense, unforgiving walls of bleak sound. A droning masquerade of astral oddities channeled through unsettling grimace. Condensed guitars thrum and whir in discontent, bleed with subtle stellar synths to brood an aesthetic mesmerizing an eerie embrace of the vast measureless void. From endless shadows, beastly groans and guttural howls malign themselves with steely tremolo plucked melodies, descending with a sinister stance. Powered on by shuddering, thudding sub kicks, the music groans, burdened by its union with the abandon of an infinite nothing.

The track is suited to ambient appreciations of its darkly flavor, maneuvering between mellowed lurches and impending brevity in bleak lengthy passages. The album feels like three distinct sections with intentional retreats from its darkest plunges. Despite this, the crawling pace didn't birth a sense of reaching anything climatic or conclusive. It simply arises, then sinks back into the black. Not to suggest the ride was sluggish, more of a suspended astonishment that never arrives. I recall being enthralled by their prior effort III I. After ten years hoping a return might one day occur, this record felt as if no time had passed at all, a very familiar sound reignited without a sniff of evolution.

Rating: 6/10

Darkspace "III I" (2014)

Three piece group Darkspace from Switzerland have produced a sound so terrifyingly dark and claustrophobic they would be an earful for many a Black Metal fan. Having found them through 2008's "III" i have been fascinated by their conceptual sound and output. Each album is titled in roman numerals and each song is simply "Dark x.y" x being album, y being song number. This unusual and minimalist approach ties well to there cosmic vibe, giving the songs little identity to attach to the bleak soundscapes. I initially thought this was an EP, having 3 tracks, being "III I" instead of "IV", but these tracks are long and this is a full length. One i have certainly been enjoying.

Six years since the last release the band have been frozen on ice, there is not much change to their cold, void-like, nihilistic sound. The mix is relatively similar to "III" where Darkspace found the sound that worked best for their atmospheric music. Condensing all instruments into a dense wall of colorless sound, it can be a little hard to get your ears around at first, but there is a genius where as your ears adjust you are surrounded and immersed in a rich sound that sucks you in. For a 27 minute song, and two 18s, these songs hold up well in a challenge to keep the listener engaged. The progression is key as these songs drift through long passages that build and build as the themes and depths explored intensify. 

The bands approach to song writing understands and appreciates their own immersible qualities, with many riffs and lead sections being drawn out across many minutes, sucking the listener in. There's a great range of cosmic synths, electro melodies and mystic, awe-inspiring sounds that provide these songs with much depth. The heavy rhythm guitar that bursts through the track returns on this record, and the drumming is precise and mechanical as ever, always providing fast paced blasting that sits subtly in the background. Everything is good with this record, but I would of hoped for more evolution with their sound, however the "III" formula is impeccable and perhaps why this one was named "III I".

Favorite Song: 4.19

Rating 7/10