Genre/Influences: Cinematographic, dark-ambient.

Background/Info: “Tomb Of Seers” is a new opus released on Cryo Chamber bringing different ambient artists together. Next to the familiar bands from the Cryo Chamber roster (cf. Council Of Nine and Alphaxone) this album also welcomes two artists that are not familiar with the label. I’m sure dark-ambient lovers are already familiar with the Iranian solo-project Xerxes The Dark while Wolves And Horses is a Belgian solo-project and maybe the less familiar name from this work. The album wants to be an exploration of ‘gargantuan mystical monuments and the root of occultism’. The main difference with the familiar ‘family’ releases on Cryo Chamber is that this album is more a kind of compilation where the bands didn’t work together.

Content: This work doesn’t really sound like a compilation, but rather as a conceptual release featuring bands sharing a common interest in the main theme. This work sounds pretty compact. It starts in a rather dark and chilling way, progressively evolving towards a soundtrack approach and finally getting darker and darker.

The compositions are now filled with a delicious wafting sensation and next leading the listener into a dense web of horror and mysteries. It’s somewhat ritual-like, but always carried with a solid cinematographic basis.

+ + + : This is a pretty sophisticated work, which sounds like all the artists added all their knowledge and talent to accomplish the concept. The composition is full of little details while moving from pure dark-ambient impression to beautiful space ballads. There’s a nice twist between ritual elements and bewitching mysterious atmospheres. Alphaxone confirms his impressive skills to compose dark music, but I also noticed great contributions from Xerxes The Dark and Wolves And Horses.

– – – : I noticed one single piece (from Council Of Nine), which can’t really convince me. I expected a bit more from this band, which has never disappointed me.

Conclusion: I like the idea to create a theme, which serves as a muse to inspire the bands composing their music. This album reveals a few little dark sonic pearls.

Best songs: “Omniscient –Xerxes The Dark”, “Aphelion – Wolves And Horses”, “Secret Path – Alphaxone”.

Rate: (8).

Bands: www.facebook.com/Council–Of–Nine-728531383895261 /  www.facebook.com/alphaxone / www.facebook.com/xerxes.the.dark / www.facebook.com/Wolves–and–Horses-159084161113780

Label: www.cryochamberlabel.com /  www.facebook.com/CryoChamber