Empty Chalice / Cactus Dildo – Split Album (Album – Industrial Ölocaust Recordings)
Genre/Influences: Soundscape, Dark-Ambient, Noise, Industrial.
Format: Digital, CD, Cassette.
Background/Info: This is a split release between Italian projects. Empty Chalice has already released several productions while this is the first work released by Cactus Dildo.
Content: Empty Chalice has been featured by 2 extended cuts which are moving into the fields of Dark-Ambient and Soundscape. Both cuts are driven by a dark soundwave with some extra noises on top. Cactus Dildo has accomplished 4 tracks. They experiment with heavy distorted noises and voice effects at one side but also with a more ‘structured’ and dark work at the other side.
+ + + : The contrast between both projects is noticeable although interesting and complementary. I like the debut track of Empty Chalice which has been progressively built up and holds you in its grip for 10 minutes. Both last cuts from Cactus Dildo are definitely my favorites. The sound has something perverted and tormented with ghost-like vocals on top. It reminds me a bit of the minimalism from Sleepchamber.
– – – : Both debut tracks by Cactus Dildo sound more improvised and without real structure.
Conclusion: This work is not what I would call groundbreaking but Empty Chalice has accomplished a cool soundscape while the minimalism and haunted sphere created by Cactus Dildo is fascinating.
Best songs: Empty Chalice: “Schisma” + Cactus Dildo: “Diary Of An Old Pervert”.
Rate: 7.
Artists: www.facebook.com/EmptyChaliceFBOfficial / www.cactusdildo.bandcamp.com
Label: https://cardinium.com / www.facebook.com/iorecs
About Empty Chalice and Cactus Dildo
Empty Chalice is the project of Italian musician Antonine A., who describes it on Discogs as dark ambient and blackened noise or post-industrial work running since 2015. The first release, “This Way Is Called Black”, appeared without a label in 2015, followed by the compilation “Incipit Tragedia” in 2016.
Industrial Ölocaust Recordings issued “Emerging is Submerging – The Evil” in 2017. The cassette album “Ondine’s Curse” came out on Ho.Gravi.Malattie. in 2018, and Toten Schwan released the CD “Mother Destruction” in 2019. The concert recording “Live In Bristol 22nd February 2020” returned the project to Industrial Ölocaust Recordings that same year. Antonine A. is also a member of Gopota.
The split with Cactus Dildo is untitled on both editions and was released by Industrial Ölocaust Recordings on March 23, 2022, as a CDr and as a numbered limited C30 cassette. Empty Chalice contributes “Schisma” and “The Field”; Cactus Dildo contributes “A Mattress Of Dead Fetuses”, “Daisy (She Was Just A Little Girl)” and “Diary Of An Old Pervert”, with the bonus track “Moldy VHS” added to the CDr. Discogs holds no other Cactus Dildo release.
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