Bedless Bones – Bending The Iron Bough (Album – Cold Transmission Music)
Genre/Influences: Electro-Wave, Ambient-Wave.
Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.
Background/Info: This second studio-album by the Estonian solo-project Bedless Bones was released at the end of 2021. After a great debut album entitled “Sublime Malaise” and the remix-album “After Malaise” Kadri Sammel got inspired by themes like courage, fear, rebirth, growth and sanctity.
Content: The work takes off with an intro/prelude and rapidly walks on a path of dreamy Electro-Wave. The songs even have a poignant Ambient approach composed by electronics, guitar and a few acoustic instruments. The bewitching vocals of Kadri Semmel totally fit the global, mysterious, atmosphere.
+ + + : Bedless Bones has something unique. It’s not just Electro-Wave and definitely neither Ambient nor Gothic. It’s a melting pot of all aforementioned genres resulting in a fascinating work. The last part of the work reveals some great and poignant tracks. “In Omnia Paratus” even has a transcendental feeling which also comes back in the harder “Septentrional (Aurora)”. Last, but not least I also have to say a word about the artwork and especially the green color which is also fitting with the sphere hanging over the work.
– – – : The debut part sounds a bit hesitating but still an appetizer for the main and final part featuring great songs. It’s a pity we didn’t get a few more songs.
Conclusion: Bedless Bones confirms itself to be a project with a true potential and a fascinating approach in sound.
Best songs: “Septentrional (Aurora)”, “In Omnia Paratus”, “Ashes Indigo”, “The Iron Bough”.
Rate: 8.
Artist: www.bedlessbones.com / www.facebook.com/bedlessbones
Label: www.coldtransmission.com / www.facebook.com/coldtransmissionmusic
About Bedless Bones
Bedless Bones is the solo project of Kadri Sammel, a singer-songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist and interdisciplinary artist from Tallinn, Estonia. She describes the work as electro-noir, mixing darkwave and EBM with techno beats and industrial sounds. Sammel is also a member of the Estonian avant-garde outfit Forgotten Sunrise and sings in the UK/Estonian industrial band Deathsomnia. Under the alias DJ Dirt Vessel she has been part of Beats From The Vault, an underground event series running in Estonia since 1998.
The debut album “Sublime Malaise” arrived in 2019 and was followed by the remix set “After Malaise”. “Bending The Iron Bough”, the second studio album and the record reviewed here, was released on 25 November 2021 through Cold Transmission Music and holds nine tracks. Metropolis Records reissued “Sublime Malaise” on 11 August 2023 in an extended version with four added remixes, and released the third album “Mire Of Mercury” in early November of the same year.
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