Dark ambient pioneer Atrium Carceri (Simon Heath, who also is the head of Cryo Chamber) returns with an atmospheric slab that combines drones, chanted vocalizations, and ominous percussion. The themes underlying Forgotten Gods revolve around dystopian or apocalyptic narratives, mainly sci-fi / horror with a dose of history and mythology. These conceptual underpinnings are implied through the music, liner notes, and album art rather than lyrics.
Notably, Revelation from the Book of the Flesh employs monk-like intonations, echoing object percussion, and looped distortion. Ritual for the Abyss also includes chant and looped effects, as well as processed guitar feedback, invoking a biomechanical or post-industrial nightmare. Within such rhythms, fragments of melodies (when present) repeat hypnotically, giving the album a trance-like feel. Heath also engages in sound art, using samples to add color to long-held tones.
Unlike many releases of this rough genre, each piece on Forgotten Gods is relatively short, making a statement and then moving on. This discretization of the music makes the album as a whole easier to swallow in small chunks and allows for differentiation between the tracks to be more easily pointed out. And any review of this work would be incomplete without a mention of how its cinematic qualities make it so that the album could be easily adapted for a movie, television, or video game soundtrack.
Another excellent effort. Forgotten Gods will be released on November 7, 2023.
Avant Music News 