Phragments – Earth Shall Not Cover Their Blood
Genre: Dark Ambient
Label: Malignant Records
Up next on my round trip into the gates of madness and back to where reality and dementia connect through a leyline of self discovery is Phragments and their 2008 dark ambient and third release, Earth Shall Not Cover Their Blood.
Right off the bat, Phragments separate themselves from the rest of the Malignant Records releases that I’ve heard so far by tossing actually vocal and lyrics into the fray. This intrigues me! Normally ambient artists tend to let the music speak for itself through avant garde channels. Luckily, instead of blathering on about absolutely nothing at all, they spend what little time they do on vocals warning mankind about it’s own atrocities. War. Genocide. Cultural rape. These things chime back at you through industrial distortion, tapping that little guilt button in the back of your mind. Ah. Human feelings forced to respond to the actions of the cruel. It’s one hell of a self-awareness exercise.
As for the actual ambient music, it get the emotions flowing with gusto! From the opening title track to album closer The Return, you feel the weight of the world come slamming down on your shoulders and slowly, but surely you’re crushed under the sheer magnitude of what Phragments brings to town. Metallic “twangs” and “clanks” can be heard mostly at the beginning of the songs as an attention grabber, then gradually fade into the ether. In the track entitled The Fogs Have Risen, you find yourself greeted by what sounds like a muffled, digital klaxon. It’s like it’s warning you to turn back now if you have doubts about the amazing finale that’s heading your way! I, of course, braved through it and was rewarded with twenty six tons of atmosphere that finished the job… Phragments have a brand new fan.
Overall: I don’t know how many times I can keep falling in love with this genre! Phragments co-owns the dark ambient crown and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
10/10
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