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AMBER ASYLUM  Still Point  CD   (Profound Lore)   13.98


Oh yes, we've been waiting for years for new music from Amber Asylum, whose mesmerizing, gloomy chamber music has always captivated us here at C-Blast. Still Point is the first new full-length release from the ladies of Amber Asylum since 2000, as a matter of fact. That baffles us, as Kris Force and company have always created amazingly beautiful music that combines the lush introspective gloom of later Swans material with a unique combination of neo-classical, gothic, and post-rock elements. Why there aren't legions of adoring fans clamoring for more Amber Asylum, we'll never understand. Headed by founding member and classically trained multi-instrumentalist Kris Force (who Neurosis fans will know from her contributing pretty much all of the string arrangements to Times Of Grace), Amber Asylum's Still Point offers nine moody tracks of austere, elegant chamber doom, with ghostly operatic female vocals gliding on lush droning violins and cellos, doomy folk-dirges like "Garden Of Love" and "Outer Dark" groaning icily, everything draped in somber, melancholy atmosphere. "Diminishing Returns" is a 7-minute flurry of eerie, droning strings, and "North" unveils an ominous horror movie score heavy with pulsating piano notes and minor key creep stalked by scraping electronic tones. On the album closer "12 Months", Amber Asylum unveil more of their gorgeous austere vocal harmonies that gradually become lost in the wash of cymbals crahing like tide over Jackie Perez-Gratz's cello. When the deep, resonant bass guitar and drumming eventually appears, the music takes on a heavy weight almost like hearing Neurosis' quieter moments being interpreted by a classical orchestra. It's all so heartbreakingly beautiful and downcast. Features a cover of Richard Thompson�s folk classic "The Great Valerio", with acoustic guitars by John Cobbett from Bay Area metallers Hammers Of Misfortune, and Tim Greeb from The Fucking Champs also shows up to contribute guitar to Still Point. Presented in a 4-panel gatefold case with metallic printing and nicely abstract imagery of cloudy greys and silvers.


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