Sounds like…
A dark purging ritual performed by faun folk.
The review
Like a purging ritual, Lustmord and Karin Park collaborate in a dark space. Organs, bellowing piano keys and the mechanical drone of churning harmonics build an atmospheric world. Add in Karin’s voice and you have a great for the macabre.
The entire album focuses on a push/pull drone. Oscillating between just a few notes or chords, every song has the same charged vibe. It is like a benevolent ying and yang and the entire album is built on it. What brings in humanity is Karin’s voice. On some tracks like ‘Song of Sol’ she brings the light. Elsewhere on tracks like ‘The Void Between’, she brings a charged foreboding. Add to this Lustmord’s restrained use of arcane renaissance instruments and you have a winner. His use of brass and organ especially conjure up witch caves and magick. It’s a very potent force and with each track being lengthy, you can bathe in its mood.
My only negative is that this very specific pattern repeats throughout the entire album. There’s no mix-up, no tempo changes and no palette cleansing. Some tracks like ‘Sele’ have extended moments of ambience but the horns and drones always return. If you love one track, you’ll love it all. You may need to break them up in a dark playlist to keep them in ultimate freshness though. Fatigue may set in.
Ultimately ‘Alter’ is a deeply meditative experience. It cleanses and purges in a way dark folk only can. I’d love to see where Lustmord and Karin Park take the collaboration in future. This is a magical beginning. ‘Alter’ is out Friday 25th July 2021.
Recommended track: Hiraeth
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Lustmord and Karin Park - Alter