Darkspace – Darkspace II
Reviewed By: Jason Deaville
Review Score: 7.5
In space, no one can hear you scream. This marketing slogan for the original Alien movie (released all the way back in ’79) may be scientifically correct. Further explained, space is a vacuum, which means it contains almost no matter. The word vacuum comes from the Latin word for empty. Sound is carried by atoms and molecules. In space, with no atoms or molecules to carry a sound wave, there’s no sound. With this in mind, how is it possible that the cosmic echoes and haunting screams of Swiss psychedelic/atmospheric/spatial black metallers, Darkspace, resonate through the deepest, darkest recesses of the cosmos? Let’s find out!
The triumvirate that is Darkspace (Wroth – guitars/vocals, Zhaaral – bass, vocals, and newest member Yhs – guitars, vocals) are gearing up for their long-awaited return to earth after almost a decade since their last transmission. They will emerge from the void on February 16th via Season Of Mist with their brand new album, Dark Space-II. With them, they bring a non-stop 47-minute voyage that drifts far beyond the earthbound realm of black metal. Fractal electronic samples slice through layers of extraterrestrial drones. Vocal transmissions, like whispers from the outer reaches, seamlessly intertwine with the chilling mix, adding a haunting dimension to this celestial configuration.
Dark Space -II loosely deviates from the course set by Darkspace on their previous four albums, experimenting with different sonic textures. But while the mysterious trio still venture into uncharted aural territories, Dark Space -II never leaves their familiar realm of atmospheric, ambient black metal. The programmed drums are sequenced in such a way that it carries the music over light years, like a transmission emerging out of the depths of a stellar-mass black hole to be intercepted and dissected by beings of unknown origins. The guitars echo with a cold and clinical melody while the vocals fluctuate between a raspy, growled iciness and a cybernetic snarl.
Unlike previous albums, Darkspace-II strikes an equilibrium never before heard. Typically, the band either rage with a fury befitting a Type I Supernovae or they drift into a relatively calm region of the universe that inspires a more ambient, trippy, serene singularity. This duality of chaos and coherence serves the album well, not unlike a competent cosmic horror movie that leaves the active participant on the edge of their seat never knowing what lurks in the icy cold blackness.
It’s difficult to further dissect this album, as it contains only one continuous track. This works in its favour, as the seamless transmission never fluctuates too much, which, in turn, keeps the listener’s attention focused and immersed in the cosmic waves of blackened interstellar metal. This is an album to throw on when pondering the vastness of the cosmos, as it is the perfect soundtrack to the unknown and the unobservable of this universe we call home.
Darkspace -II will reach Earth on February 16th via Season Of Mist.