Imagine being locked inside the black lodge … „A place of murder, dreams, mystery, darkness, ancient machines, old memories and horror“ … Yes, you will feel yourself captured in the dreamworld of literary giants as H. P. Lovecraft and William S. Burroughs as well as visual visionaries like David Lynch.

Musterion is Simon AA Kölle, partner of Simon Heath in the project Za Frûmi. As for now reasonably unknown names, but Simon Heath’s solo-project is (way) better known as Atrium Carceri who surprised a lot of people with his releases on Coldmeat Industry.

And exactly in this Swedish style of darkambient (or better: ambient-industrial) is where Musterion can be placed. Reason why CMI has been a success is because of its variety. Ambient on the one side, noisey on the other, then a bit folkish or a even bit more accessible.

Musterion covers all territories and created an album which is the becoming of flesh of a horrible nightmare. Where at one moment you are confronted with death, and the very next moment you’re playing chess with monkey.

But!

This release has one negative aspect. In the opening track 1 – Passing a sample is used which we’ve sadly heard too often in too many tracks. Yes, it is gorgeous (If you’re frightened of dying… from the movie Jacob’s Ladder) but in the meantime, this sample has lost its depth through overuse.

Without the sample, the CD would get a 9/10 now only 8/10. But it’s still a magnificent piece of work.

Grade: 8

Bauke