IMMUNDUS : HAUNTED MEMORIES
Hypnotic Dirge Records
It’s immediately clear from the beautiful artwork of “Haunted Memories” that this release by Norwegian ambient/experimental artist Immundus is a creation characterised by imagination and attention to detail. It follows on from 2008’s debut “Torments”, continuing in the same dark and evocative vein that caused critics to liken Immundus to both a soundtrack composer and a storyteller, yet adding further adventurousness and subtlety, marking a progression of which the artist is understandably proud.
The dark ambient sounds with which “Haunted Memories” presents us are striking for their non-conformity; there seems to be a template for create unsettling ambient sounds at the moment, but Immundus is far freer with his compositions, resulting in a genuinely interesting output. Opener “Entering the Domain” is a perfect exercise in scene-setting, with its freezing tones and eerie atmosphere, created via the medium of creaking timbers and a deep, alien drone. Choir synths lend grandness, and the overall feeling is rather Lovecraftian, as if something immense, unknowable and unbelievably dangerous is lurking just around the next Arctic corner.
“The Hall” also utilises found sounds to disturb the listener’s peace, but seems unable to settle into one direction, and changes in pace and effects are rather disorienting. It is with the sparse, subtle “Whispering Walls” that Immundus really hits his stride, hinting at insanity with a very light touch. “Dining Beside an Old Corpse” is equally effective, with a harsh electronic buzz interfering with the extremely deep drifts and string synths which otherwise comprise the track, suggesting an awkward interface between the human and the natural, the technological and the just plain mystical. After some calm, if not calming, haunting pulses and cresting synths on “From the Depths” and “Lured into an Abyssic Maze”, “The Descent” offers the creepiest moments on the album, with the skittering of unknown feet combined with distressing tones and a weird, electronic breathing.
The madness crests with the perturbing “Dementia”, which introduces laughter, the final conclusion to the listener’s slowly-building fear. It’s a cleverly structured album, managing to sustain interest and threat throughout, while still providing plenty of relaxed, glacial passages that will satisfy the listener who is content not to engage the imagination, and expects a soothing experience from their ambient music. Whilst still not entirely mature, Immundus’ sound has plenty of potential, and there are a number of sophisticated passages on this album. “Haunted Memories” reflects a very dedicated delving into the darker corners of the mind, and throws up an amazing range of imagery and emotion, considering that its component parts are genre staples. A rewardingly different journey for the ambient traveller.
79/100
ELLEN SIMPSON
