Michal Turowski – Wormwood And Flame (CD Album – Mozdok / Positive Regression)
Genre/Influences: Dark-ambient, soundscape.
Background/Info: Polish artist Michal Turowski is involved with multiple projects. I mainly know him for his work with Mazut, but he’s also active under the Gazawat moniker and set up labels such as Positive regression. This album is a conceptual one dealing with the tragedy of Chernobyl and the impact on the citizens of Pripyat who had to evacuate their houses.
Content: “Wormwood And Flame” is clearly inspired by the dark realms of ambient music, but also sounds like a noisy soundscape constructed with industrial sounds. Repetitive loops will get the listener into an imaginary state of terror, which perfectly stands for the horror theme this work is dealing with. The tracks have been accomplished with multiple, crispy noises, but I also noticed a few sequences with icy, astral bleeps.
+ + + : The album perfectly brings the torment of this event back to life. The sound treatments are raw, unpolished creating a profound state of angst. I especially enjoy the track “The Woodpecker” for the resonating bleeps emerging at the surface. This track also injects diversity to the work.
– – – : Some passages are definitely too repetitive becoming a bit monotonous after a while.
Conclusion: This album is constantly switching from real great cuts towards less inspired passages. It however has something poignant and creating a visual sensation.
Best songs: “The Woodpecker”, “26th April 1986”, “Pripyat”.
Rate: (6½).
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