Desiderii Marginis – Serenity / Rage (Album – Cyclic Law)
Genre/Influences: Dark-Ambient, Cinematic.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: Johan Levin strikes back with a new album of his main project Desiderii Marginis. The work is conceptual work dealing with the contradictory human capacity to do both good and evil, where clarity and insight can turn to blind overwhelming rage and how we find ourselves moving back and forth across this vast expanse of human emotions’.
Content: Desiderii Marginis creates a poignant sound atmosphere creating the illusion of desolation. Resonating dark sounds are joined by speeches around the concept of the theme. Overwhelming sound waves and heavy, droning, percussions move crescendo while string parts and field recordings are joining in. From pure Dark-Ambient towards Cinematic music this work is diversified.
+ + + : Johan Levin remains faithful to his favorite influences and elements in sounds without repeating himself. Each album sounds like living on its own while being part of a wider project. I like the apocalyptic sphere hanging over this opus which is reaching its summit at “New Flesh At The Demon Cold” and “The Hours Of Darkness”. The sampled speech parts inject a very own touch to the work while reinforcing the mysterious mood.
– – – : The work is not exactly what I consider as Desiderii Marginis’ best work in history although it remains intriguing and accomplished.
Conclusion: A fascinating exploration of the inner-self transposed into a dark sound canvas.
Best songs: “New Flesh At The Demon Cold”, “The Hours Of Darkness”, “I Was Destroying Icons”.
Rate: 7½.
Artist: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100062986161230
Label: www.cycliclaw.com / www.facebook.com/cycliclaw
About Desiderii Marginis
Desiderii Marginis is the dark ambient project of Swedish musician Johan Levin, founded in 1993 in Mjölby, Sweden. The project released three self-issued tapes, “Consecrare”, “Via Peregrinus” and “Triptych”, later compiled on “Years Lend a Golden Charm” (2009), before its debut album “Songs Over Ruins” appeared on Cold Meat Industry in 1997. Later albums include “Deadbeat” (2001), “Strife” (2004), “The Ever Green Tree” (2005), “Vita Arkivet” (2018) and “Departed” (2020), followed by “Serenity / Rage” on Cyclic Law in 2023.
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