Phragments & New Risen Throne – Between Ecstasy And Death (Digital/CD/Vinyl Album – Winter-Light)
This album is the result of a collaboration between two veterans of the Dark-Ambient genre: Phragments (Slovakia) and New Risen Throne. Together, they have channeled their creativity around two extreme poles of human experience: ecstasy on the one hand, and death on the other. These themes are explored through four fully developed compositions; two for ecstasy and two for death.
The result is a true feast for the ears of every Dark-Ambient enthusiast. Each track unfolds progressively, shaped by an impressive arsenal of sounds and effects. Deep, dark sound waves evoke a terrifying atmosphere, further enriched by the addition of strings on certain pieces. At times, the music takes on a more floating quality, yet the ominous character always prevails. The first two tracks, in particular, stand out as absolute masterpieces, steadily building towards powerful climaxes.
What emerges is a work with strikingly visual and evocative qualities—an essential criterion, in my view, when it comes to this kind of music. This album is an exceptionally successful collaboration, one that begs for a worthy sequel in the future. (Rating:8½).
Listen to “Ecstasy”:
About Phragments and New Risen Throne
Phragments is the dark-ambient project of Slovakian composer Matej Gyarfas. Side-Line reviewed the project’s “All Towers Must Fall” in 2016, released on vinyl through Tumor/Malignant Records, following the earlier album “New Kings And New Queens”.
New Risen Throne is the solo project of Italian artist Gabriele Panci, active since the 1990s across Dark-Ambient, Drone, and related genres, also known for the Konau project. He released the New Risen Throne debut album more than 20 years ago and has since built an extensive discography, including the 2020 album “The Outside” and the 2025 album “The Journey To Reach The Fathers” on Cyclic Law. In a Side-Line interview, Panci described 2025 as an intense and productive year that included the collaboration with Phragments on “Between Ecstasy And Death” alongside his solo release and a contribution to Cryo Chamber’s “Tombs” series.
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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.
