Ierophania – Book Of Memories II: Golgotha (2006-2007) (Album – Castle Of Dreams)
Genre/Influences: Industrial, Cinematic, Dark-Ambient.
Format: Digital, Cassette.
Background/Info: “Golgotha” is the second opus in the “Book Of Memories”-series. It’s a way to (re)discover this Russian project featuring nine songs composed/performed between 2006 & 2007.
Content: The first and last track are studio compositions while all the other tracks are taken from live performances. The opening piece is driven by the Industrial side of the project while mixed with a kind of liturgical chant. The live recordings reinforce the Industrial spirit of the band, revealing an extremely cold and sterile sound. Passages are reminding me to the ominous sphere created by Last Few Days.
+ + + : Ierophania empowers its Industrial side by their live recordings. I like the metallic noises and percussion. The work also reveals an interesting diversity between this ‘typical’ Industrial format and a more explicit Cinematic style.
– – – : The live spirit is not exactly coming through, but I can imagine the songs were recorded right from the mixing desk.
Conclusion: Extreme Industrial with a strong retro feeling.
Best songs: “Mobilization – Live 28.11.2006”, “Golgotha”, “Brutal Ejaculation – Live 18.08.2007”.
Rate: 7.
Listen to “Book Of Memories II: Golgotha (2006-2007)”:
Artist: www.facebook.com/Ierophania
Label: www.facebook.com/codmusicdistro
About Ierophania
Ierophania is a Russian ritual industrial and dark ambient project active since the mid-2000s. Discogs credits the recordings to a single member, listed as Мертвый Лед. The label Castle Of Dreams states the project “has never been genre-oriented” and “has always remained true to its once-postulated ‘ritual anti-art’ manifesto”.
The project debuted in 2006 with the limited CDr “Иерофания” on Ufa Muzak, followed by the two-disc “Детство” on Embrion D in 2007 and the “Splite” and “Human’s Death” EPs in 2008. Four titles appeared in 2009: both volumes of “Ritual Works For Destruction”, on Tachibana Records and Spermodeath Records, plus “Heliogabalus” and the collection “Mobilization 2005 – 2009” on SkullLine. “Krv” followed on DNA Production in 2012, alongside the collaborative album with Fanum, “Escort Of Endless Summer”, on Radiodrone Records.
Castle Of Dreams issued the four-part “Book Of Memories” series on 8 August 2021, using 2017 remasters and artwork by J. Nemo. “Golgotha” is the second chapter, after “Book Of Memories I: The Flight Of A Bee (2005-2006)” and ahead of “Book Of Memories III: The Scar (2008-2009)” and “Book Of Memories IV: Jordan (2009-2010)”. The label also reissued “Heliogabalus” on CD in 2021.
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