Skrika – Soludenia (Album – Cryo Chamber)
Genre/Influences: Cinematic, Dark-Ambient.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: This is the second Skrika album which is the successor to magistral “Fifth Nature” released in 2021. Monty Adkins deals with an imaginary concept about the distant planet Soludenia where surreal things happen.
Content: The album takes off in a very Cinematic way and progressively evolves into mysterious, dark atmospheric pieces mixing Dark-Ambient and Mystic music driven by elevating female chants. The work is pretty diversified; each track being a new sonic adventure although some influences are coming back. There’s another cut with enigmatic chants but also tracks accomplished with Industrial sound treatments, field recordings and extended string parts creating a feeling of drama.
+ + + : The debut album revealed impressive passages with chants and the best tracks at “Soludenia” are the ones with mysterious, Ritual/Esoteric-like chants. It creates an uplifting effect which together with dark sounds and blasting treatments has something divine. There also is a very strong visual strength emerging from these cuts. There’s also something to say about other passages leading the listener into an endless ocean of despair.
– – – : The only regret I have is that this work remains one or two levels under “Fifth Nature”.It doesn’t take away the fact that it’s really a great work.
Conclusion: It’s never an easy job to release a new album after a masterpiece. This work however has a lot to offer and mysteries to resolve.
Best songs: “Pantropic Adaptation”, “Cerria’s Lament”, “Ice Fields Of The Eidola”.
Rate: 8.
Artist: www.facebook.com/skrikasoundstudios
Label: www.cryochamberlabel.com / www.facebook.com/CryoChamber
About Skrika
Skrika is the dark ambient project of British composer Monty Adkins, started in April 2020. The name comes from the Swedish word for “scream”, referencing Edvard Munch’s painting “The Scream” and the stark visual art of Dariusz Zawadzki and Zdzisław Beksiński, which shaped the project’s sound design.
The debut album, “Fifth Nature”, was released on Cryo Chamber in 2021 as the first in a planned album series set in a distant future, featuring vocals recorded with Peyee Chen and Girilal Baars. “Soludenia”, reviewed above, is the second album in the series.
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