and pray for them which despitefully use you
Mamiffer teamed up with ambient/noise artist Locrian
They combine a lot of minimalist elements into a fuller sound. They use sampled percussive noises, electronics, drums, and guitars that aren’t so much “played” in any traditional sense of the word as they are “played around with.” That’s combined with the wonderfully eerie piano elements and some occasional singing and growling, resulting in something that sounds something like the soundtrack to the kind of movie that does not have a happy ending.
What makes this work better than stereotypical ambient music is the fact that these songs actually resemble songs, progressing and climaxing well. The album as a whole also has a progression, culminating in the angry part at the end. Will that be enough to hook you in? I don’t know. It was for me.
The Verdict: Approach with caution, but if you’ve thought about branching out into ambient or minimalist kinds of music, Bless Them That Curse You would be an excellent starting point for any metal fan. I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Buy Bless Them That Curse You
"With caution" might be the worst way to approach ambient music in my opinion, particularly those who are unfamiliar with the genre.
ReplyDeleteGet some eno, some william basinski, and OK some mammifer, and approach warmly and confidently, without caution, prejudice, or expectation, or you'll hate it.
(BONUS: smoke a bowl and play your favorite NES games while you listen. Or get a BJ.)
Thanks for keeping it real, being honest, and challenging yourself and your readers. I read this blog everyday!
-WKVRTIS
Thanks a lot for the comment. You make a good point, so I should revise that to say, "Approach if you think you're ready, but if you do, dive in without preconception."
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