Navicon Torture Technologies (hereafter referred to as NTT) should be dead. Theologian is up and running thanks to the committed machinations of Lee Bartow, and NTT should be laid to rest and silently sitting amidst the gravestones of other projects...but it's not. Like a restless Tarantino ghost called by the hoarsely shouted verses of the Necronomicon in a long hidden copy of Evil Dead 3, NTT crawls up once more from the blighted murk to bring a second return of the bonus CD's included in 2009's Gospels of the Gash. A compilation album like no other, Malignant Record's "Your Suffering Will Be Legendary" features a long list of known and unknown names collaborating to bring you a sonic deathwail of dark ambient and power electronic aural madness...in 2 CD's. This is a release you simply can not pass up- it's got everything from Power Electronic to Dark Ambient, Ritual Ambient, and material I can't even label properly.
Disc 1
Track I: Everything I Have Is Yours - NTT + AUN
The first track of the album starts us off with a rapidly growing synth coupled with a grainy static overlay. The synth progresses with a marching pace on and on as barely heard effects shift and move in the background. Suddenly, a passing wave of wails does a drive-by on our ears, and as the radar is flooded with digital noise and the electronics overload with frequencies that shouldn't be possible, we are swarmed by the mounting majesty of a massive tidal wave of sound. A discordant line of flute music shrieks out from the oncoming disaster as the effects flow on. Up and up and up go the sounds until they surround and saturate. And with a momentary hesitation upon the threshold of plodding monotony, they fade away with the wind, perhaps too quickly.
Track II: Soul Eater - NTT + BLACK SUN
The second track brings to mind that moment in a movie when the heroes suddenly realize their catastrophic situation. The track begins with rapidly increasing tone that explodes into a virtual bulwark of chittering sound. Filthy drum hits and overloaded vocals sound out from the distorted wails and faint guitar chords. Suddenly this feels more like experimental black metal, as the vaguely Aphex Twin lyrics claiming a desire to "eat your soul" repeat over and over. Amidst the cacophonic and almost too loud cycles of a monstrous serpent shivering in dread anticipation. The vocals drown in the slithering serpent calles and a wailing wall of guitars as the track slowly, ever so slowly, fades out. Much better exit here than on Track I, though this may be because I am more used to long Dark Ambient tracks.
Track III: The Last European (Damnation Edit) - NTT + CENOTYPE
The third track begins with an unlikely synth of much deeper bass. Unexpected sounds and electronic effects layered on create a very surprising progression of mournful electro-ambient (is that even a genre yet?). This sounds like something heard on KALPAMANTRA's compilation albums- that's how well done it is. Excellent dark ambient, through and through.
Track IV: Cult of Doom - NTT + THE [LAW-RAH] COLLECTIVE
The fourth track begins with effects in a similar vein as the previous track, giving us example chitters and movements in the background of an ever present cricket concert. Scant vocal samples stir and modulate, giving a very Ritual Ambient feel. The effects give way to a repeated but not at all monotonous synth interspersed with taps and clicks...building, building, building, the cycles speed up, the movements grow desperate now- like the drops of a storm that needs to be heard. The synth morphs, more effects intrude- it is as if we have front row seats to the ascension of some dreaded black god of wrath and infernal might. Swarming around us, a shrill note of wind sounds above and about, quickly taking over for the abated swarm. The sounds fade quickly as the Lord's prayer sends us out.
Track V: Headwound - NTT + INSWARM
Monstrous and distorted implosions of noise greet us instantly upon setting upon the fifth track, with faint footsteps of thunder in the barely discernable murk of the far distance. Gigantic synths cycle in and out of hearing. A whirlwind of sound surrounds and engulfs before quickly moving on as the darker ambience sets in. Faint synths sound out sonorous hums and brief tones as a cycled effect chirrups and thrashes in the background, quickly fading to silence.
Track VI: I Won't Survive In A World Without You - NTT + COVET
Ambient with a twist, the sixth track brings a somewhat calming piano progression overlaid with barely heard cries for help from a tearful female voice. A faint static cloud hangs overhead, and the wracking sobs entrench the woman in the mournful atmosphere created by the coalescing soundbed. A vast pad of lugubrious strings strikes up a rhythm as various tones intrude. The track is very progressive, as the cries reach a very powerful crescendo of crashes and emotion filled noise. This is the kind of cinematic sound that great films look for- a true marriage of emotion and sound akin to what one would hear in Les Miserables or some other opressive drama. A very powerful track, probably one of the most depressive tracks I've ever heard, and that's saying something.
Track VII: An Exercise in Pain (Extended Version) - NTT + AUTOCLAV 1.1
A more ethereal offering of atmospheric ambience, the seventh track has hummed choruses aplenty that are matched equally with very focused and clear pads and rhythmic electronic hits. You've heard the thrashes and explosions of distortion on track five- now hear the same steps of sound in smaller and more lucid doses. The effect is very palpable- the background chorus and foreground hits create a very well done soundscape that slowly fades out to a more choppy chorus solo. The track serves as a great outro to track six, with an air of sad-but-not-quite-dark ambient.
Track VIII: Eclipsed by a Blue Star - NTT + HERBST9
Track eight begins a whole new string of sounds, with a quickly progressing opening synth flowing into a rythmic beat we will hear for quite some time. Herbst9's well known vaguely eastern sounds work well here, and the newly conjured soundscape creates an illustrative image of brooding yet quickening darkness. Like an ancient city awakening from the throes of a long night, the chimes and bells of the elder god's temples ring in the distance as the beat quickens for a time. This is a very long track, the longest on the disc, yet Herbst9 progresses carefully and slowly with the sounds and effects. The track introduces new portions slowly and at a good pace, unlike quicker tracks like track one. The effects are also the cleanest on the album, rivaling track three on its pure dark ambient quotient, and reminding one of Maculatum's "The Nameless City", another Malignant release that features similar progressions of ambient sounds. The beat that has continued for quite some time speeds up suddenly before ceasing amidst a widening cloud of reverberating synths. Is the track over? No- it is simply a brief interlude of metallic distortion. That ancient feel that Herbst9 is known so well for shows itself once more, progressing forward into silence among vast and majestic natural sounds and more beastly explosions. The 20+ minute track ends with the smooth progression of more electronic and egyptian effects. A masterpiece.
Track IX: Knowing No Mercy, They Rage Against Mankind - NTT + Hecate
The final track on disc one begins with a lightly distorted cloud of sound interspersed with subtle growls and gasps. Low blasts of sound can be heard in the background as a clear vocal sample leads us in: "The old ones are coming...". A rhythmic synth comes up as various creaks and movements of wood and metal rock and move. The vocal samples serve as breaks in the sound progression, heralding a new sector of the track. Here, they lead into the primary beat: a marching rhythm of heavy steps that is layered with forgettable synths and vintage sounding effects. The main "march" of the song is probably the only thing that really holds it all together, as compared with the rest of the album this track is a bit lacking. Serving as an outro to all the magnificence we have already heard is where it does well. It ends with a flute I would have liked to hear more of, instead quickly fading to silence.
Disc 2
Track I: You Are Worth Fighting For - NTT + JARBOE
The first track to hear after Disc 1's amazingly sonorous soundscapes brings us right into the thick of it with a funeral dirge that echoes out for quite some time. The gradual buildup here evolves slowly with distorted growls and puffs of static. Ratcheting clicks and pops arise amidst the noise and pressure, and the growls transform into gasps for air. An almost heavenly chorus sounds out while the funeral dirge continues unabated, and the complex interaction of all of these different aural elements creates a very rich pattern of electronic noise. Gradually, the various layers are stripped away from the whirlwind of the chorus, and as even the funeral organ drains away with growls the track fades to silence.
Track II: Victvm Vermis - NTT + DEUTSCH NEPAL
The second track begins with a very False Mirror-esque opening, reminiscent of his "Derelict World" album. The sweeping stringed orchestra adds on a new element of vocal samples, raving about "spirits" that are "invisible in the darkness". The very well done orchestral element gives way to a cycling progression of synths as the voice begins once more. With an excellent transitional hesitation, the track once more delves into the beautiful orchestral era from which it began, adding in decidedly exotic drums and other instruments ringing and pounding in the background. In the foreground we can hear the gurgles and croaks of insect life and various other swampy inhabitants- a dark audience to this grand presentation. The voice changes here, becoming a more ethereal yell of ecstasy, as if Evan Bartholomew decided to make "Caverns of Time" into a dark ambient album. This is probably one of my favorite tracks in the entire album, standing easily up to Herbst9's "Eclipsed by a Blue Star" on Disc 1. The amazingly well done progression of beat and ambient and electronic noise is top notch here, and even when the song eventually fades away (as all songs must do), I am left with an intense longing for more.
Track III: Gumrot (Decaying Face Edit) - NTT + FRAGMENT KING
Track three starts us off with a much more electronic openings, bringing in fast and clear synths and reverbs that echo and encompass the voluminous space easily. Effects I would never expect to hear on an album like this overlay the the reverbs, and a kick drum beating a smooth pattern with hi-hats included strikes up a very drum & bass ideal for the track. Perhaps the distortion in the track lends to this quality, blending across two popularly unrelated genres in such a way as to create something wholly unexpected and new? This track has to be heard to be believed- it's probably the most experimental track across both discs, but its distorted background reverb and lightning fast kicks are definitely a curiosity on an album such as this.
Track IV: In The Folds of the Flesh - NTT + KRISTOFFER NYSTRÖMS ORKESTER
With such a name as KNO staring out at you from the album interior, you know you're in for something good. The fourth track starts off here with a grandly majestic opening vaguely reminiscent of track two, but much more effect laden and orchestrally grand. The track progresses subtly and slowly- the chiming and crashing orchestra creates a very vast and ponderous soundbed for the other effects to gradually come through in. As far as the tracks on this album go, KNO's offering seems to be favoring a blend of electronic and almost ethereal ambient in a very impressive way.
Track V: She Throws Me To The Dogs - NTT + PROMETHEUS BURNING
Track five begins with a more vanilla electronic opening with pads and synths a plenty. The track progresses and transitions very quickly, adding in a fast hitting distorted kick. Static laden vocals and that classic "charging up" sound give it a very complex overlay...yet in a way it's too much. The effects and synths come out very quickly here, and it may be one of the rare cases of a track where confusion reigns over order (not the good confusion). Gradually the tracks lets up a bit and the distorted vocals become the centerpiece. The tracks fades out in an interesting way that partially makes up for the confusing interplay of effects earlier on.
Track VI: Love Theme - NTT + STEVE MOORE
Getting closer to the end of this monumental collection, track six opens with a stretched and deep synth overlaid with subtle inflections of depth and pressure in the forms of static and distorted effect. Liquid pops and droning sounds start up along with a more vocalized transition of sonic interplay. The track evolves very slowly, utilizing a menagerie of sirens, pops, bells, and whistles. Not to say it isn't well done- it's just not very interesting.
Track VII: Pillars of Flesh - NTT + EIDULON
I had to check for a moment to make sure the track started. Track seven opens with complete silence. An immeasurably faint tone sounds out in the deep, and blasts and faint explosions of sound like artillery dropping on a far away battlefield rise up like ghosts and specters from beyond. As ambient goes, this track has already caught my attention and enticed- now it just has to deliver. Pops and cracks of gunfire and a sonorous drone rise and fall as the explosions and mechanic clanks sound closer and closer. The soundbed creates a vast and limitless space within which we can hear these death echoes of misery and depressed hate. Does it deliver? Yes, and more so than any other track on this album can say in the realm of pure ambient. Though synths gradually do appear, they are intermittent and short lived, progressing quickly. Even when the somewhat quiet distorted vocals appear amidst the sharp cracks of snares, it has progressed naturally and organically to this point, and does not spoil the previous ambiance. As far as buildup/breakdown and progression goes among song structures, this track reigns.
Track VIII: Sonnenaufgang - NTT + TROUM
Track eight (Sunrise) begins with a cloud of static laden synths that moves closer and closer to the edge of "too loud for comfortable hearing". Various effects are processed through this cloud that make it so much more than what we've heard before, ending its existence with a tonal progression of colossal might. The transition is mono for a second before switching to stereo, something that I'm not sure was intended but nonetheless goes along with the insane distortion and corruption of sounds we hear within the track. A heavier drone starts up with somewhat cleaner static ever increasing overhead. The track shifts once more, adding in more metallic and reverberating synths and pads until the static fades out to create a deeper and larger space. As the track fades out, I'm left with a feeling of interested disappointment. As a longer track, it could have been so much more. Much like many of the other tracks on here, this one ends too quickly.
Track IX: The Moral of the Story is, Dreams Inevitably Lead to Hideous Implosions - NTT + THE BIRD CAGE THEATER
The final track on the album begins with a well done beat and chord progression covered by an indistinct vocal track. Various instruments of asiatic and aegyptian make and majesty intrude among the electronic granulations and progressions. The track serves as a very well done swan song for the album- it is a seamless marriage of the dark and almost ethereal ambient with the powering electronic synths and sounds we've been hearing throughout. On its own, the track is wonderfully done- not too experimental, not too predictable. Even when transitioning into a much more distorted "drop" of gargantuan proportions, the instruments create shrill aural textures that enhance it further. After the swarming wars of the other tracks on here, the final tracks ties it all up with ambitious and grandly expressed noise.
Disc 1
Track I: Everything I Have Is Yours - NTT + AUN
The first track of the album starts us off with a rapidly growing synth coupled with a grainy static overlay. The synth progresses with a marching pace on and on as barely heard effects shift and move in the background. Suddenly, a passing wave of wails does a drive-by on our ears, and as the radar is flooded with digital noise and the electronics overload with frequencies that shouldn't be possible, we are swarmed by the mounting majesty of a massive tidal wave of sound. A discordant line of flute music shrieks out from the oncoming disaster as the effects flow on. Up and up and up go the sounds until they surround and saturate. And with a momentary hesitation upon the threshold of plodding monotony, they fade away with the wind, perhaps too quickly.
Track II: Soul Eater - NTT + BLACK SUN
The second track brings to mind that moment in a movie when the heroes suddenly realize their catastrophic situation. The track begins with rapidly increasing tone that explodes into a virtual bulwark of chittering sound. Filthy drum hits and overloaded vocals sound out from the distorted wails and faint guitar chords. Suddenly this feels more like experimental black metal, as the vaguely Aphex Twin lyrics claiming a desire to "eat your soul" repeat over and over. Amidst the cacophonic and almost too loud cycles of a monstrous serpent shivering in dread anticipation. The vocals drown in the slithering serpent calles and a wailing wall of guitars as the track slowly, ever so slowly, fades out. Much better exit here than on Track I, though this may be because I am more used to long Dark Ambient tracks.
Track III: The Last European (Damnation Edit) - NTT + CENOTYPE
The third track begins with an unlikely synth of much deeper bass. Unexpected sounds and electronic effects layered on create a very surprising progression of mournful electro-ambient (is that even a genre yet?). This sounds like something heard on KALPAMANTRA's compilation albums- that's how well done it is. Excellent dark ambient, through and through.
Track IV: Cult of Doom - NTT + THE [LAW-RAH] COLLECTIVE
The fourth track begins with effects in a similar vein as the previous track, giving us example chitters and movements in the background of an ever present cricket concert. Scant vocal samples stir and modulate, giving a very Ritual Ambient feel. The effects give way to a repeated but not at all monotonous synth interspersed with taps and clicks...building, building, building, the cycles speed up, the movements grow desperate now- like the drops of a storm that needs to be heard. The synth morphs, more effects intrude- it is as if we have front row seats to the ascension of some dreaded black god of wrath and infernal might. Swarming around us, a shrill note of wind sounds above and about, quickly taking over for the abated swarm. The sounds fade quickly as the Lord's prayer sends us out.
Track V: Headwound - NTT + INSWARM
Monstrous and distorted implosions of noise greet us instantly upon setting upon the fifth track, with faint footsteps of thunder in the barely discernable murk of the far distance. Gigantic synths cycle in and out of hearing. A whirlwind of sound surrounds and engulfs before quickly moving on as the darker ambience sets in. Faint synths sound out sonorous hums and brief tones as a cycled effect chirrups and thrashes in the background, quickly fading to silence.
Track VI: I Won't Survive In A World Without You - NTT + COVET
Ambient with a twist, the sixth track brings a somewhat calming piano progression overlaid with barely heard cries for help from a tearful female voice. A faint static cloud hangs overhead, and the wracking sobs entrench the woman in the mournful atmosphere created by the coalescing soundbed. A vast pad of lugubrious strings strikes up a rhythm as various tones intrude. The track is very progressive, as the cries reach a very powerful crescendo of crashes and emotion filled noise. This is the kind of cinematic sound that great films look for- a true marriage of emotion and sound akin to what one would hear in Les Miserables or some other opressive drama. A very powerful track, probably one of the most depressive tracks I've ever heard, and that's saying something.
Track VII: An Exercise in Pain (Extended Version) - NTT + AUTOCLAV 1.1
A more ethereal offering of atmospheric ambience, the seventh track has hummed choruses aplenty that are matched equally with very focused and clear pads and rhythmic electronic hits. You've heard the thrashes and explosions of distortion on track five- now hear the same steps of sound in smaller and more lucid doses. The effect is very palpable- the background chorus and foreground hits create a very well done soundscape that slowly fades out to a more choppy chorus solo. The track serves as a great outro to track six, with an air of sad-but-not-quite-dark ambient.
Track VIII: Eclipsed by a Blue Star - NTT + HERBST9
Track eight begins a whole new string of sounds, with a quickly progressing opening synth flowing into a rythmic beat we will hear for quite some time. Herbst9's well known vaguely eastern sounds work well here, and the newly conjured soundscape creates an illustrative image of brooding yet quickening darkness. Like an ancient city awakening from the throes of a long night, the chimes and bells of the elder god's temples ring in the distance as the beat quickens for a time. This is a very long track, the longest on the disc, yet Herbst9 progresses carefully and slowly with the sounds and effects. The track introduces new portions slowly and at a good pace, unlike quicker tracks like track one. The effects are also the cleanest on the album, rivaling track three on its pure dark ambient quotient, and reminding one of Maculatum's "The Nameless City", another Malignant release that features similar progressions of ambient sounds. The beat that has continued for quite some time speeds up suddenly before ceasing amidst a widening cloud of reverberating synths. Is the track over? No- it is simply a brief interlude of metallic distortion. That ancient feel that Herbst9 is known so well for shows itself once more, progressing forward into silence among vast and majestic natural sounds and more beastly explosions. The 20+ minute track ends with the smooth progression of more electronic and egyptian effects. A masterpiece.
Track IX: Knowing No Mercy, They Rage Against Mankind - NTT + Hecate
The final track on disc one begins with a lightly distorted cloud of sound interspersed with subtle growls and gasps. Low blasts of sound can be heard in the background as a clear vocal sample leads us in: "The old ones are coming...". A rhythmic synth comes up as various creaks and movements of wood and metal rock and move. The vocal samples serve as breaks in the sound progression, heralding a new sector of the track. Here, they lead into the primary beat: a marching rhythm of heavy steps that is layered with forgettable synths and vintage sounding effects. The main "march" of the song is probably the only thing that really holds it all together, as compared with the rest of the album this track is a bit lacking. Serving as an outro to all the magnificence we have already heard is where it does well. It ends with a flute I would have liked to hear more of, instead quickly fading to silence.
Disc 2
Track I: You Are Worth Fighting For - NTT + JARBOE
The first track to hear after Disc 1's amazingly sonorous soundscapes brings us right into the thick of it with a funeral dirge that echoes out for quite some time. The gradual buildup here evolves slowly with distorted growls and puffs of static. Ratcheting clicks and pops arise amidst the noise and pressure, and the growls transform into gasps for air. An almost heavenly chorus sounds out while the funeral dirge continues unabated, and the complex interaction of all of these different aural elements creates a very rich pattern of electronic noise. Gradually, the various layers are stripped away from the whirlwind of the chorus, and as even the funeral organ drains away with growls the track fades to silence.
Track II: Victvm Vermis - NTT + DEUTSCH NEPAL
The second track begins with a very False Mirror-esque opening, reminiscent of his "Derelict World" album. The sweeping stringed orchestra adds on a new element of vocal samples, raving about "spirits" that are "invisible in the darkness". The very well done orchestral element gives way to a cycling progression of synths as the voice begins once more. With an excellent transitional hesitation, the track once more delves into the beautiful orchestral era from which it began, adding in decidedly exotic drums and other instruments ringing and pounding in the background. In the foreground we can hear the gurgles and croaks of insect life and various other swampy inhabitants- a dark audience to this grand presentation. The voice changes here, becoming a more ethereal yell of ecstasy, as if Evan Bartholomew decided to make "Caverns of Time" into a dark ambient album. This is probably one of my favorite tracks in the entire album, standing easily up to Herbst9's "Eclipsed by a Blue Star" on Disc 1. The amazingly well done progression of beat and ambient and electronic noise is top notch here, and even when the song eventually fades away (as all songs must do), I am left with an intense longing for more.
Track III: Gumrot (Decaying Face Edit) - NTT + FRAGMENT KING
Track three starts us off with a much more electronic openings, bringing in fast and clear synths and reverbs that echo and encompass the voluminous space easily. Effects I would never expect to hear on an album like this overlay the the reverbs, and a kick drum beating a smooth pattern with hi-hats included strikes up a very drum & bass ideal for the track. Perhaps the distortion in the track lends to this quality, blending across two popularly unrelated genres in such a way as to create something wholly unexpected and new? This track has to be heard to be believed- it's probably the most experimental track across both discs, but its distorted background reverb and lightning fast kicks are definitely a curiosity on an album such as this.
Track IV: In The Folds of the Flesh - NTT + KRISTOFFER NYSTRÖMS ORKESTER
With such a name as KNO staring out at you from the album interior, you know you're in for something good. The fourth track starts off here with a grandly majestic opening vaguely reminiscent of track two, but much more effect laden and orchestrally grand. The track progresses subtly and slowly- the chiming and crashing orchestra creates a very vast and ponderous soundbed for the other effects to gradually come through in. As far as the tracks on this album go, KNO's offering seems to be favoring a blend of electronic and almost ethereal ambient in a very impressive way.
Track V: She Throws Me To The Dogs - NTT + PROMETHEUS BURNING
Track five begins with a more vanilla electronic opening with pads and synths a plenty. The track progresses and transitions very quickly, adding in a fast hitting distorted kick. Static laden vocals and that classic "charging up" sound give it a very complex overlay...yet in a way it's too much. The effects and synths come out very quickly here, and it may be one of the rare cases of a track where confusion reigns over order (not the good confusion). Gradually the tracks lets up a bit and the distorted vocals become the centerpiece. The tracks fades out in an interesting way that partially makes up for the confusing interplay of effects earlier on.
Track VI: Love Theme - NTT + STEVE MOORE
Getting closer to the end of this monumental collection, track six opens with a stretched and deep synth overlaid with subtle inflections of depth and pressure in the forms of static and distorted effect. Liquid pops and droning sounds start up along with a more vocalized transition of sonic interplay. The track evolves very slowly, utilizing a menagerie of sirens, pops, bells, and whistles. Not to say it isn't well done- it's just not very interesting.
Track VII: Pillars of Flesh - NTT + EIDULON
I had to check for a moment to make sure the track started. Track seven opens with complete silence. An immeasurably faint tone sounds out in the deep, and blasts and faint explosions of sound like artillery dropping on a far away battlefield rise up like ghosts and specters from beyond. As ambient goes, this track has already caught my attention and enticed- now it just has to deliver. Pops and cracks of gunfire and a sonorous drone rise and fall as the explosions and mechanic clanks sound closer and closer. The soundbed creates a vast and limitless space within which we can hear these death echoes of misery and depressed hate. Does it deliver? Yes, and more so than any other track on this album can say in the realm of pure ambient. Though synths gradually do appear, they are intermittent and short lived, progressing quickly. Even when the somewhat quiet distorted vocals appear amidst the sharp cracks of snares, it has progressed naturally and organically to this point, and does not spoil the previous ambiance. As far as buildup/breakdown and progression goes among song structures, this track reigns.
Track VIII: Sonnenaufgang - NTT + TROUM
Track eight (Sunrise) begins with a cloud of static laden synths that moves closer and closer to the edge of "too loud for comfortable hearing". Various effects are processed through this cloud that make it so much more than what we've heard before, ending its existence with a tonal progression of colossal might. The transition is mono for a second before switching to stereo, something that I'm not sure was intended but nonetheless goes along with the insane distortion and corruption of sounds we hear within the track. A heavier drone starts up with somewhat cleaner static ever increasing overhead. The track shifts once more, adding in more metallic and reverberating synths and pads until the static fades out to create a deeper and larger space. As the track fades out, I'm left with a feeling of interested disappointment. As a longer track, it could have been so much more. Much like many of the other tracks on here, this one ends too quickly.
Track IX: The Moral of the Story is, Dreams Inevitably Lead to Hideous Implosions - NTT + THE BIRD CAGE THEATER
The final track on the album begins with a well done beat and chord progression covered by an indistinct vocal track. Various instruments of asiatic and aegyptian make and majesty intrude among the electronic granulations and progressions. The track serves as a very well done swan song for the album- it is a seamless marriage of the dark and almost ethereal ambient with the powering electronic synths and sounds we've been hearing throughout. On its own, the track is wonderfully done- not too experimental, not too predictable. Even when transitioning into a much more distorted "drop" of gargantuan proportions, the instruments create shrill aural textures that enhance it further. After the swarming wars of the other tracks on here, the final tracks ties it all up with ambitious and grandly expressed noise.
In short, there's no reason why you shouldn't buy this album (ignoring financial woes). It offers something for everyone: a sampler for the interested neophyte first venturing into this dark realm, or a grizzled veteran of the ambient and electronic selections that one can see on Malignant's releases. A colossal achievement for so many genres tied together by the mixing majesty and general genius of Navicon Torture Technologies.
