Immundus
Haunted Memories
Hypnotic Dirge Records 2009
Norwegian
ambient artist Immundus brings on a chilling atmosphere like a gray
winter morning. A strong wind and creaking timbers usher in the
haunting synths of album opener, Entering the Domain. The song's
atmosphere and approach conjure images of a foreboding house in a
horror movie. Slightly more lighthearted synths lend an
atmosphere of wonderment and discovery on The Hall. An additional
layer of trepidation and mystery is added by a flickering violin.
However, the horror movie style falls to the wayside starting
with the stripped-down and icy darkness of Whispering Walls.
Subtlety reigns supreme as feedback and a low-droning pulse pave
the way for a lonely violin, which mourns the loss of its master,
Erich Zann. Even more stripped-down and emotionless in their
slowly shifting, foggy movements are the next two compositions, From
the Depths and Lured Into an Abyssic Maze. What
mysteries must lay deep within the dank earth. This creates a
cold, dark minimalism that is reminiscent of some Cold Meat Industries
project. Shimmering
Xylophone synths and murky dungeon sounds seep like a magickal
lights of cavern walls on The Descent. For me there is a
certain nagging problem I have. The way Immundus uses synths and
the visual imagery created by their soundscapes plants dreams of the
stillness of deepspace and slowly drifting astral bodies but Immundus
grounds them with earthbound sounds like rattling chains, blowing wind,
creaking boards, dripping water, etc. So these two mental visions
conflict in my mind. The only song to truly embody this with out
textural strife is the final track, The Escape however this fails in
the end as samples of a child's laughter is closes out the track.
Immundus is haunting and interesting in some respects and cold
and distant in others. At its best it is chilling and eerie.
However, more often it fails to truly connect with me.