Hiemis – Nephilim (Digital/CD Album – Noctivagant)
Spanish artist Juan Carlos Toledo continues his prolific output under the Hiemis name. In this latest work, inspired by the mythical and Biblical figures of the ‘Nephilim,’ Toledo delves into an intensely dark musical landscape mixing Dark-Ambient, Cinematic, and Soundscape elements. The atmosphere is deeply ominous, with powerful, resonating sound waves that evoke a desolate, hopeless world. “Nephilim” feels like a journey with no return, capturing the breath of the afterlife -a relentless, cutting wind that lingers as you pass through it alone. Hiemis has crafted a production with strong visual appeal, offering beautiful tracks that, despite their inherent monotony, captivate the listener. (Rating:7½).
Listen to “Chaos”:
About Hiemis
Hiemis is the dark-ambient project of Spanish musician Juan Carlos Toledo. He launched the project in 2018 after a period with his dark-folk group Silent Love of Death, which released “The Poet’s Senses” (Palace of Worms, 2004) and “Donde Habite el Olvido” (GH Records, 2011).
The Hiemis catalogue includes “Nachtstücke” (GH Records, 2018), “Hyperborea” (Noctivagant, 2019), “Thule” (GH Records, 2019), “Radix” (Noctivagant, 2020) and “La Chose” (GH Records, 2021), the latter issued with an accompanying ritual book in Spanish and English. The music combines drones and immersive textures with ritual elements.
“Nephilim”, released on September 22, 2024 via the American label Noctivagant, holds eight tracks and draws on the fallen beings described in the Book of Genesis, the Book of Enoch and the Book of Giants. It is the album reviewed here.
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I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
