AMN Reviews: Natura Est – The Folly of Mars (2023; Cyclic Law)

The title of this album may be a not-so-subtle middle finger to Elon Musk and those like him who are sinking billions of dollars into making humanity an interplanetary species while their ilk continues to pollute and render the Earth uninhabitable for the rest of us. Tony Young and Andreas Davids, as Natura Est, explore this space-bound setting in the form of a dark ambient offering with deep, rich drones. These layered chords are both majestic and ominous, with airy movements in the foreground accentuating bassy rumblings.

Clocking in at slightly less than 35 minutes, The Folly of Mars says its piece and moves on. Each track is short (4-8 minutes) and employs a focused vocabulary of sounds in an efficient and effective manner. The album manages to capture our sense of wonder about the universe beyond our fragile atmosphere as well as the inherent dangers of its exploration.

No one is saying that humanity should eschew reaching for the stars, just that doing so should be a decision made collectively and balanced with earthbound concerns. Sociopolitical implications aside, anyone who enjoyed Natura Est’s 2021 release Real Seasons will find The Folly of Mars to be an engaging listen.