1. I Mourn for the Loss of the Roman Empire (2:35)
2. A Midsummer Storm (6:13)
3. Beauty Within Dungeons (4:50)
4. Cavernous Glaciers (4:31)
5. The Wall Through Eyes Glazed with Gemstones (7:50)
6. Viscereality (2:02)
Total playing time: 28:01
With his fourth release Evergreen Forest really found his style. The blending of dark, droning soundscapes, strange reverberating waves of sound and experimental acoustic improvisation characterise the sound of this release and the general sound of Evergreen Forest's music ever since then. That said, this EP does not show the level of development and structure that can be found on the Evergreen Forest albums as it really was the beginning of a new era for his music. Songs such as 'I Mourn for the Loss of the Roman Empire' and 'Viscereality' show a new riff-based direction while the psychedelic epic 'The Wall Through Eyes Glazed with Gemstones' is the logical drawing together of every element of Evergreen Forest's sound.
Tuesday, 14 October 2008
Pheme - Lonelight
1. Lonelight 1 (14:04)
2. Lonelight 2 (3:36)
3. Lonelight 3 (8:00)
4. Gate 3 (12:16)
5. Nightly Parade Outro (2:56)
Total playing time: 40:53
The basis of Lonelight is extensively reverbed clean guitar and synthesisers to produce lengthy tracks of bass-dominated ambience. The third part to the "Gate" trilogy (started on Spiral Floor) is also on this release. As the cover implies, Lonelight aims to create the feeling of the lonely lights which litter urban areas after dark, which illuminate nothing but stillness of the environment and the cold air. The final track, "Nightly Parade Outro", brings in an almost gothic tone to the end, with what sounds like a malfunctioning hurdy-gurdy, playing on repeat in the rainy night.
Monday, 13 October 2008
Evergreen Forest - A Monotonous Rumble From the Unknown Deeps
1. Fate Whispers to Us (5:20)
2. Within the Hall of Illusions (10:16)
3. But the Sun Remains Hidden [a Creature Deep Within the Caverns Version] (9:40)
4. The Flames on Their Graves Danced Hypnotic Waltzes [Melisandre Part II] (4:05)
5. The Colossal Waves of Consciousness (7:12)
6. Catharsis (4:48)
Total playing time: 41:21
This release represents the further development of the dark droning style that Evergreen Forest began on 'Aboard the Galley of Approaching Doom'. The songs are far more developed, lengthy and also atmospheric than anything on the previous EP though. Songs such as the looming epic 'Within the Hall of Illusions' perfectly illustrate Evergreen Forest's darker and scarier side while songs such as 'The Colossal Waves of Consciousness' and 'Catharsis', while still as dark as the others, also show a new level of experimentation within Evergreen Forest. On ''Fate Whispers to Us' and 'Within the Hall of Illusions' Evergreen Forest experiments with poetic lyrics and many of the songs feature vocals of sorts. As such this EP was not only the most ambitious and experimental Evergreen Forest EP at the time of its release but also the most appealing and enjoyable. 'But the Sun Remains Hidden [A Creature Deep Within the Caverns Version]' is based on the song 'But the Sun Remains Hidden' from the 'Aboard the Galley...' EP while 'The Flames on Their Graves Danced Hypnotic Waltzes [Melisandre Part II]' is the sequel to the pastoral paean to Melisandre from George RR Martin's 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series that can be found on 'A Mountain of Ivy'. There is a sample from the film 'American Psycho' (2001) in the song 'Catharsis'.
2. Within the Hall of Illusions (10:16)
3. But the Sun Remains Hidden [a Creature Deep Within the Caverns Version] (9:40)
4. The Flames on Their Graves Danced Hypnotic Waltzes [Melisandre Part II] (4:05)
5. The Colossal Waves of Consciousness (7:12)
6. Catharsis (4:48)
Total playing time: 41:21
This release represents the further development of the dark droning style that Evergreen Forest began on 'Aboard the Galley of Approaching Doom'. The songs are far more developed, lengthy and also atmospheric than anything on the previous EP though. Songs such as the looming epic 'Within the Hall of Illusions' perfectly illustrate Evergreen Forest's darker and scarier side while songs such as 'The Colossal Waves of Consciousness' and 'Catharsis', while still as dark as the others, also show a new level of experimentation within Evergreen Forest. On ''Fate Whispers to Us' and 'Within the Hall of Illusions' Evergreen Forest experiments with poetic lyrics and many of the songs feature vocals of sorts. As such this EP was not only the most ambitious and experimental Evergreen Forest EP at the time of its release but also the most appealing and enjoyable. 'But the Sun Remains Hidden [A Creature Deep Within the Caverns Version]' is based on the song 'But the Sun Remains Hidden' from the 'Aboard the Galley...' EP while 'The Flames on Their Graves Danced Hypnotic Waltzes [Melisandre Part II]' is the sequel to the pastoral paean to Melisandre from George RR Martin's 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series that can be found on 'A Mountain of Ivy'. There is a sample from the film 'American Psycho' (2001) in the song 'Catharsis'.
Pheme - Spiral Floor
1. Gate 1 (12:51)
2. Gate 2 (5:54)
3. Cinema (9:24)
4. Theatre (10:10)
5. Ghosts 3 (8:27)
6. Spiral Floor (4:15)
Total playing time: 51:03
Spiral Floor features elements such as the first two installments of the ominous and vast soundscapes of the Gate trilogy, and brings the ghostly voices idea from the previous album to its logical conclusion in "Ghosts 3". This album continues and expands on Pheme's method of the distortion of synthesisers, and ends with a track which shows a new direction, Spiral Floor, a dark and manic piano melody.
Evergreen Forest - Aboard the Galley of Approaching Doom
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=MXEYUXJO
1. Waves of Fuzz (1:49)
2. Alien Fuzz-drone (4:38)
3. But the Sun Remains Hidden (1:31)
4. Enter the Valley of Unforgiven Souls (1:16)
5. Rain the Bringer of Life [Remix] (2:41)
6. The Crashing Waves [Reverb in Space Version] (1:07)
7. Approaching Doom (2:33)
Total playing time: 15:27
The second release of Evergreen Forest shows more of his dark experimental side with 5 distorted drone songs and two psychedelic remixes of earlier songs. Though with this EP Evergreen Forest had still not come into his permanent style it does represent an important part of his musical development. 'Rain the Bringer of Life [Remix]' is a remix of the purely acoustic song from the 'A Mountain of Ivy' EP and 'The Crashing Waves [Reverb in Space Version]' is an alternative version of a demo song that was never released.
2. Alien Fuzz-drone (4:38)
3. But the Sun Remains Hidden (1:31)
4. Enter the Valley of Unforgiven Souls (1:16)
5. Rain the Bringer of Life [Remix] (2:41)
6. The Crashing Waves [Reverb in Space Version] (1:07)
7. Approaching Doom (2:33)
Total playing time: 15:27
The second release of Evergreen Forest shows more of his dark experimental side with 5 distorted drone songs and two psychedelic remixes of earlier songs. Though with this EP Evergreen Forest had still not come into his permanent style it does represent an important part of his musical development. 'Rain the Bringer of Life [Remix]' is a remix of the purely acoustic song from the 'A Mountain of Ivy' EP and 'The Crashing Waves [Reverb in Space Version]' is an alternative version of a demo song that was never released.
Pheme - Hall Ghosts
1. Hall Ghosts (5:47)
2. Casket (3:52)
3. Lullaby (3:08)
4. Ghost Halls (14:04)
5. Dirty Sky (4:00)
6. Waterway (9:53)
7. Closing Night (12:24)
Total playing time: 53:12
In his first release, Pheme begins to explore the genre of dark ambient. The songs are mainly created using processed samples and distorted synthesisers using a computer, with the guitar used minimally. A minimalist, ghostly atmosphere is created; but also some darker, harsher sounds are created as well, inspired by the "extreme computer music" of KTL.
Wednesday, 8 October 2008
Evergreen Forest - A Mountain of Ivy
1. A Return to the Province (1:16)
2. Melisandre in the Garden (2:42)
3. Rain, the Bringer of Life (3:11)
4. Running Freely in the Fields (2:25)
5. The Lifecycle of a Blue Whale (10:59)
Total playing time: 20:33
2. Melisandre in the Garden (2:42)
3. Rain, the Bringer of Life (3:11)
4. Running Freely in the Fields (2:25)
5. The Lifecycle of a Blue Whale (10:59)
Total playing time: 20:33
With this, the very first official release of Evergreen Forest, Evergreen Forest created a lo-fi yet highly pastoral and natural feeling EP. Unlike later releases 'A Mountain of Ivy' is simply clean guitar without any distortion or effects and as such is probably the least experimental of Evergreen Forest's albums. Nevertheless this album is well worth a listen as it shows how Evergreen Forest began and clearly sets out his aims. 'Melisandre in the Garden' is a paean to the character Melisandre from George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire books.
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