Cucurbitophobia – Nexus Insidias (Album – Cucurbitophobia)
Genre/Influences: Cinematographic, Experimental, Dark-Ambient.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: New York (USA) based Rob Benny strikes back with a new opus of his sonic project Cucurbitophobia –which is an excessive, irrational and unreasonable fear of pumpkins.
Content: Cucurbitophobia remains inspired by Cinematographic music. The work features 4 diverse cuts. The opening cut is driven by Metal riffs, Electronic strings and orchestral arrangements. It sounds pretty horror-like, which is the main source of inspiration of the artist. I next noticed a track with overwhelming sound blasts and some drones. The sphere is progressively becoming more tormenting while the last cut is short and features piano arrangements, which only accentuate the sensation of Cinematographic music.
+ + + : The (mini)-album is diversified, each track revealing something different from the previous one. You clearly feel Ron Benny’s fascination for horror movies and –games. “The reckoning” is my favorite cut for its crushing arrangements mixed with drones and more delicate piano playing.
– – – : This is not exactly the most accessible project –especially the debut track, but I also have to say I already heard more convincing work from Cucurbitophobia.
Conclusion: Music with a visual appeal, which clearly wants to lead you throughout a world of fantasy and horror.
Best songs: “The Reckoning”, “The Coven”.
Rate: 6½.
Artist: www.cucurbitophobia.com / www.facebook.com/cucurbitophobia
About Cucurbitophobia
Cucurbitophobia is the solo project of Rob Benny, credited on Bandcamp as Robert Benaquista, from New York, USA. He started it in 2018 and draws on horror films and video games. Side-Line reviewed the album Dies Ferialis: Awakening The Lemures in November 2020. Discogs lists only a 2020 digital release and a compilation appearance, so the release history below follows the project’s Bandcamp page.
“Nexus Insidias” was self-released on 30 April 2021 on CD and as a download. The four tracks are “Nexus Insidias”, “The Reckoning”, “The Coven” and “The Faint Reflection”. The Bandcamp notes describe the 17-minute title track as inspired by the scores of films such as “Terminator”, “Alien”, “Lifeforce” and “Fright Night”, “The Reckoning” as a dark ambient piece with piano, and “The Coven” as music first released as the score for the Midwest Horror Network short “A Stroll Through the Woods”.
In November 2021 Side-Line reported on the haunted-house concept album Four Doors Of Your Deepest Fears, by which time eight Cucurbitophobia albums had appeared since 2018. Later Bandcamp titles include “Lunar Hypnosis”, “The Headless Horseman”, “Bay Of Leviathan”, “The Haunting At Eronos Hotel” and “Sleepwalker Suites And Slate Shadows”. “Nexus Insidias” is the mini-album reviewed here.
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