Beyond The Ghost – The Desolation Age (Album – Cryo Chamber)
Genre/Influences: Dark-Cinematographic.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: Pierre Laplace strikes back with the second chapter of his trilogy about the “Europe Series”. He previously this year released an album about Berlin in the year 2060 and now travels to London in the year 2061 where ‘ultra-nationalist powers are fighting against each other, trying to conquer more territory and assert their supremacy’.
Content: The album takes off in a rather surprising way revealing a somewhat Kraftwerk-ian sequences surrounded by dark sound vibes and accentuated by strings. It reveals a different approach, which I would label as ‘natural evolution’ in sound, featuring explicit Electro sequences with the familiar dark atmosphere on top. Some passages feature piano like arrangements, but still the icy sound of a trumpet –which was also noticeable at “The Last Resort”.
+ + + : I already enjoyed the previous album of this French artist who simply confirms at “The Desolation Ege”. The futuristic, dystopian theme has been perfectly adapted into a production of dark reverie mixed with more chilling passages. I especially enjoyed the obscure synth parts resulting in a true masterpiece entitled “Pale Conquerors”. Another noticeable track is “Quietus” for its slow, crescendo progression. Last, but not least I also want to mention “Slow Motion Downfall” for the low resonating piano tune and the icy, trumpet part.
– – – : The last track sounds a bit as an antithesis to great album.
Conclusion: This trilogy still has its final chapter to get revealed, but so far, it’s a brilliant production.
Best songs: “Pale Conquerors”, “Quietus”, “Slow Motion Downfall”, “The Desolation Age”, “Exodus”.
Rate: 8½.
Artist: www.facebook.com/beyondtheghost
Label: www.cryochamberlabel.com / www.facebook.com/CryoChamber
About Beyond The Ghost
Beyond The Ghost is the dark ambient project of French musician Pierre Laplace, based in Lille. Discogs states that Laplace led the experimental rock band Vera Clouzot for ten years, self-released two acoustic solo albums as Kenyon, and is half of the atmospheric folk duo The Sandman’s Orchestra.
Cryo Chamber released “You Disappeared” in 2019 and “Eternal Drift” in 2020. “Crier’s Bane”, a collaboration with Dead Melodies, followed on the same label in 2021, and Laplace took part in the Cryo Chamber Collaboration album “Yig” that year. “The Last Resort”, the first chapter of the Europa Series, arrived in July 2021.
“The Desolation Age” was released by Cryo Chamber on 28 September 2021 in digital and CD formats. Pierre Laplace wrote, performed, produced and mastered the album, and Simon Heath supplied the artwork. It holds nine tracks: “The Desolation Age”, “Exodus”, “Pale Conquerors”, “Tainted City”, “Passage into Oblivion”, “Slow Motion Downfall”, “Spectral Parade”, “Quietus” and “Lights Out”.
Cryo Chamber issued “Sundown” in 2022 and “Neon Twilight” in 2024. Side-Line published a ‘Click Interview’ with Beyond The Ghost in August 2022.
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