Lustmord : This Monstrous Soul
Lustmord : This Monstrous Soul
Ixaxxaar: There are claims that this is Lustmord’s most minimal record. While such claims are arguable, it is much harder to argue that this track is not one of Lustmord’s more straight-forward and (yes) minimalist compositions. Consisting mainly of a looped sample from a 1950’s horror movie (ironically enough, called “Night Of The Demon”) hovering over synthetic winds and synths, it continues for roughly five minutes as the sample is repeated every 4-6 seconds. It will definitely test your patience as repetition, as the sample continues unabated or changed as the piece slowly progresses. It is difficult to concretely say whether the sample is being used as a mantra or (probably Lustmord’s preference) as an invocation. Thankfully, however, the song is much shorter than the usual Lustmord song, this is because it mainly serves as an introduction to…
Primordial Atom:
This song spans half of the album at an impressive twenty-five minutes. Thankfully, it is much better than the previous track. Opening with creaking noises very much reminiscent of ambiences found on Lustmord’s previous album “Heresy”, Primordial Atom soon gets underway in a dramatic fashion, as a repeating drone (I would compare it to an ultra-low ritual horn) and percussion somberly alternate with each other. Subtle synthetic waves slowly arise from the depths of the mix, as occasional vocal samples (probably from the same movie) appear every now and again, concerning themselves with the nature of mankind and the devil, psychology, and the nature of reality, among other things. “Where does imagination end and reality begin?”. Roughly a fifth of the way into the song, various industrial scraping sounds begin to appear at sporadic intervals. This track also introduces one of the main aspects of the album, both positive and negative: that while the music is quite striking, it is the well-placed samples which elevates the music from merely excellent to incredible. It also clearly demonstrates the other noticeable auditory fact about the album: that this music portrays his skill into film score composing very well. Is this song overly indulgent? Perhaps. Yet indulgence is rarely this good by any group, and rarely as hypnotically powerful. After what seems like an eternity, we finally arrive at the…
Protoplasmic Reversion:
Beginning with a strange chant and clanking noises, a very low bass drone is brought in a minute later, followed by more “Heresy-era” whooshes (for lack of a better term). A lonely string sequence suddenly intrudes three minutes into the song, increasing the unsettling nature of the song.
Finally, everything fades back except for the cinematic strings and strangely unidentifiable names. Ultimately, the song ends with several dramatic movie samples: “It’s there! I see it, in the trees! The smoke and the fire…my time allowed is almost over! THEN THE DEMON TOOK HIM!!! NOT ME!!! NOT ME!!! THE DEMON!!! IT’S COMING!!! NO!!!”. An anguished scream from the speaker finishes this piece, bringing us to the front of…
The Daathian Doorway: A nod to Lustmord’s proto-industrial beginnings, The Daathian Doorway abruptly changes the pace of the album, presenting a clanging rhythm, reminiscent of clanking chains and rumbling engines. This theme remains relatively constant throughout, as if it were what you would hear observing the condemned in Hell (whether it be the hell of war, servitude, boredom, etc). Various industrial hisses and groans sweep through the mix, further enhancing the perception of rumbling machinery and effluent exhaust. Towards the end of the song, sounds akin to waves can be heard. Now imagine you are on a boat. You look down, and in the murk of your tiny little boat, you reach into the stagnant waters and pick up…
The Fourth And Final Key: Beginning with desolate synthetic percussive stabs (which can be comparable to lightning) and metallic sounding sweeps, lamenting choirs soon join the fray. Strange organic rumbling noises creep in as the drones become more pronounced. A strangely muted drum beat and gong appears halfway through the song, accompanied by a barely identifiable conversation slowed down to the degree of incomprehensibility. The whole song is ended by several gong hits.
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Overall, this is agreeably not Lustmord’s best work. However, that should not discourage anyone from listening to it, as Lustmord’s less impressive work tends to rank much higher than the average dark ambient band’s best accomplishment. For a darkly enjoyable experience (as well as for a chance to listen to material unique within Lustmord’s canon), The Monstrous Soul is an excellent choice.
It is the night of the demon…
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John Lithium 