October 9, 2024

Shibalba / Dead Man’s Hill / Deathwalk – The Circular Shades Of The Equinox (Album – Zazen Sounds)

0
🇺🇦 Side-Line stands with Ukraine - Show your Support

Genre/Influences: Ritual, Drone, Dark-Ambient, Cinematographic.

Format: Digital, CD. 

Background/Info: “The Circular Shades Of The Equinox” is a split album between three projects; from Greece/Sweden, from Belgium and Deathwalk from Norway. They each released three songs ‘dedicated to the circular shades of the Equinox.’

Content: Shibalba takes off with the most explicit Ritual work of the album. The tracks are accomplished with chants while supported by an extremely dark sphere accentuated by field recordings and passages with slow heart-beating rhythms. 

Dead Man’s Hill excels in a more Epic approach, the songs being accomplished with bombastic arrangements and deep, vibrating vocals.

Deathwalk moves on with bombastic passages, but the work is more into drone mixed with overwhelming, shrilling noises.  

+ + + : I’m not a huge fan of split releases, but those three bands clearly have  something in common. I like the deeply Ritual side of Shibalba, which is mainly created by the chants. There also is a great passage with organ and harpsichord sounds. Dead Man’s Hill impressed me with its bombast. “Showers Of Golden Stars” is a masterpiece piece for the mix of heavy orchestral arrangements, the vocals and Eastern-like flute sounds. I also recommend listening to the excellent Drone/Ambient “Nexion Overhuman Threshold” by Deathwalk. 

– – – : This work is better than a compilation, but I would have preferred to get an entire album from this quality level by each of the artists.

Conclusion: A great conceptual work revealing a harmony between the three artists. 

Best songs: Shibalba: “Akashic Visions 1”, Dead Man’s Hill: “Showers Of Golden Stars”, “My Body Is The Universe Is My Body”, Deathwalk: “Nexion Overhuman Threshold”.

Rate: 8.

Artists: www.facebook.com/ShibalbaHalls / www.facebook.com/deadmanshill / www.facebook.com/deathwalk.official

Label: www.facebook.com/ZazenSounds 

author avatar
Inferno Sound Diaries
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.

Since you’re here …

… we have a small favour to ask. More people are reading Side-Line Magazine than ever but advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news organisations, we haven’t put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as open as we can - and we refuse to add annoying advertising. So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

Side-Line’s independent journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we want to push the artists we like and who are equally fighting to survive.

If everyone who reads our reporting, who likes it, helps fund it, our future would be much more secure. For as little as 5 US$, you can support Side-Line Magazine – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

The donations are safely powered by Paypal.

Select a Donation Option (USD)

Enter Donation Amount (USD)

Verified by MonsterInsights