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Band: Council Of Nine
Album title: Dakhma
Release date: 28 April 2015
Label: Cryo Chamber
Tracklist:
01. The Magi
02. Tower Of Silence
03. Sacrifice
04. Nasu
05. The Ossuary
06. Circle Of The Sun
Lately I was exploring quite a lot the genre named dark ambient and while I was browsing through all those promos from a couple of labels releasing this specific kind of music I found this very gem, Dakhma, a debut album from the Californian artist Maximillian Olivier who hides behind the name Council Of Nine. A little is known about Council Of Nine, except that he was featured on a (higly appreciated inside the genre) split album named Tomb Of Empires, together with Foundation Hope, Alphaxone and Coph`antae Tryr. But on this debut album, Council Of Nine, presents much more of a creative freedom, a truly passionate work where Maximillian Olivier takes the listener on a journey into ancient history, exploring the darkest places where no sunlight ever shines, making a visit to the dead and carrying the listeners soul into the void. Dakhma is an esoteric, pitch black delivery of sounds, yet masterfully crafted in one hell of a compact structure, a cinematic soundscape, a dramatic delivery of the most intense sound of death and desolation.
Once you'll dare to enter those corridors of pure droneing reverberate bass frequencies that expanse into the mind for almost one hour, the incorporate hypnotic darkness will conjure up the most vivid images of unexplored universe and feeling of pure isolation, yet while letting it go through the album you'll often be challenged to explore what's coming next. It's like a story told through sounds, a strange melodic layer is a pillar that constantly gives enough dynamics and kind of a horrific suspense. Dakhma starts in a bit minimalistic manner with the absolute darkness of "The Magi", still if you listen very carefully you'll hear kind of oriental vibes making its way out of gloom. From there on the dramatic factor rises more and more with use of echoing piano touches, strange voices in the distance are just like hearing the dead souls whispering from another dimension, just listen to the magnificient and rich in texture "Tower Of Silence" or hypnotic "The Ossuary" where kind of an highly emotive melody goes beyond anything you'll expect. If you'll go through and survive the "Sacrifice", more than fifteen minutes long psychotic and deep haunting drone lines without any serious damage, you'll be then rewarded and overthrown with those simply beautiful dark desolate layers of "Nasu" put over those reverberate constant sub frequencies of the universe that are just like if Council Of Nine is toying with listeners mind, going into spheres of pure mistery, a strange kind of ecstasy that hides kind of a tribal undertone. Like if there's a light behind the corner, but be aware that "Circle Of The Sun" is far from there, the sun never shone and it never will, in the end the pitch-black light takes over everything.
Council Of Nine created a masterwork within dark-ambient genre, the sound can be put somewhere in between the two cult masters of the genre like are Desiderii Marginis and Atrium Carceri, but still I find in Council Of Nine's sound something unique, cosmic, something so vivid expressed through sound that I rarely had a chance to hear. I don't know if any field-recordings were utilized, but sometimes it feels like that, otherwise every element is so elegantly used that it's almost impossible to step out before it ends and consumes every hope. Dakhma is a horrific cinematic beauty, yet emotional, thus it pushes with ease the listener into a fantasy world with many unexpected twists. A fantastic and highly recommended release for any fan of dark ambient, but as well it can be a fine starting point for all those who want to explore the genre.
Review written by: T.V.
Rating: 8,5/10
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