Ankor "Embers" (2024)

 

I take no pleasure in negativity. After a good go at this one, due to personal recommendation, I've found little positive to say. Hailing from Spain, Ankor have been at it for over twenty years! This latest iteration finds them splicing bouncy Djent leaning Metal with garish Trance synths with an unsurprising Pop tilt. Singer Jessie Williams occasionally offers up an indulgent softness but mostly soars with power that lacks soul, clean but all too reminiscent of others in the female fronted European Metal scene. Things get uncomfortable when dropping into cheesy spoken half raps. The lyrics are weak and mostly juvenile takes on mental struggle. The harsh screams from Julio Lopez mostly rub me the wrong way too. Not my cup of tea.

Behind the pairs front presence,instrumentals come varied. Not locking in on a distinct style, they flummox between brutal guitar chugs and symphonic surges. Shifts in tone rarely gratify and momentum is often dispelled by the vocal cadences put in front. It makes much of the music forgettable and generic in its stride. Trance Synths bluster loud and bold, crashing in around guitars with a lack of spiritual cohesion. The vibes clash, I imagine enjoyment of such chemistry would be rather niche.

If I can bestow any positivity, a few arrangements catch the ear. The soft vocals on Embers and fair portion of Stereo has engaging passages but they are always squashed between the unremarkable. The arrival of a dance-floor stomp upon its conclusion is a gratifying climax, this record however, was clearly not for me.

Rating: 2/10

Suspended Memories "Earth Island" (1994)

 

Reuniting to follow up on the entrancing dusky spells of Forgotten Gods, the trio tread lukewarm waters, unable to spark the temporal magic that sung before. Failing to find fresh distinctions, their worldly disjointed percussive lines and ancient cultural chants rub up against airy atmospheric synths in a mediocre affair. With soft keyboard driven ambiences, its smooth, cloudy synthetic chemistry resides in a lofty yet unassuming place. Danger and mystique or awe and wonder rarely engulf quite like before.

Hinted strongly in naming and presentation, the album cover, Earth Island yearns for a cosmic perspective, yet even the brief chatters of astronaut communications nestled in doesn't sharpen this vision. Melting World offered immersion, a grade above the rest, but it also marked a shift. The initial human link between stars and stones shatters as a darkly brooding unease encroaches before the final two songs break pace again.

These ambient works often feel subjected to mood and fatigue more so than other genres. So i'd take my words lightly. One can hear the trio trying to move the Aztec inspired soundscape out of its shadowy realm, turning to an uplift, brighter in spirit, yet earthly and deep. The two ideal either don't gel, or lacks execution. Subsequently, the gravity that came before is illusive despite the mild meditative calm it conjures.

Rating: 5/10

Suspended Memories "Forgotten Gods" (1993)

Fancying another foray into the works of Steve Roach, a musician with too many records to count, I couldn't help but notice its popularity on Spotify alongside the pivotal works of Structures From Silence and Dreamtime Return. The latter leaves its legacy on Forgotten Gods with the consistent jabber of worldly, cultural and ancient percussive sounds. The construct, like before, is beautifully disjointed, deconstructed and abstract from the norms of groove and rhythm found in western music. Although in any moment its strikes and hits seem free and sporadic, its arch find a meditative pace, holding the atmosphere together with a steady, easy temperament.

Suspended Memories is the name for Roach's collaboration with fellow ambient artists Jorge Reyes of Mexico and Suso Saiz of Spain. A cultural tie to the Aztecs feels beyond relevant. With distant native chants and baking dusty echos, the musical pieces delve into the shamanic mystique the mysteries of lost civilizations can conjure. Both warm yet nightly, one can envision the blistering heat of desert sands, secrets laying in wait under weathered tombs. Equally, its drafty tone and dreamy presence has the cautious calm of night. Dangers lurk in the shadows yet the listener is always safe within the ambience. These contrasts co-exist, allowing one to hear their own adventure within the music. It may not be intentional but has been remarkable.

As the title Forgotten Gods hints, its theme evoke celestial wonders lost to the decay of time. As expected the record explores a variety of temperaments. Snake Song and Mutual Tribes appealed strongly to desert vibes I initially thought of as Egyptian but on further study, the inspiration was likely a historical middle American. Ritual Noise was the darkest track on offer, a lone song where a nefarious presence gets a little to close for comfort. Despite its devilishness, all the music is beautifully soothing and meditative. I've heard these sounds encroached on prior, yet the trio handle it so masterfully. This is absolutely another favorite for the ambient collection.

Rating: 8/10