Genre: Martial / Ambient / Neofolk

German martial ambient newcomers Golgatha have returned with a brand new album following their self released debut album “Wasteland.” Golgatha’s new offering titled “Kydos: Reflections on Heroism” sees the band signed for the first time to an official label. Anthanor records have received the honor of producing the new album and have made the music of Golgatha avaliable through international distributors for the first time.

“Kydos: Reflections on Heroism” marks a stunning return by Golgatha as the band continues their exploration of war and humanity through martial ambient and neofolk music. “Kydos: Reflections on Heroism” continues the journey begun on “Wasteland” as Golgatha explores the theme of war in the 20 th century. Focusing upon the evolution of warfare as it has mutated from a contest between nation states to the emerging confrontation between religious ideologies Golgatha plunges head first into the mayhem and discord of our time. Paired with the wartime theme is an imbedded theme of heroism in its many forms. Golgatha approaches these very somber subjects with maturity and keen musicianship while honoring the gravity of the subject matter they have chosen to explore.

“Kydos: Reflections on Heroism” opens quite appropriately with “Death March.” “Death March” pays homage to the countless lives lost in armed conflict in the 20 th century which has proven to be the bloodiest century in human history. “Death March” begins with vintage classical music played upon a scratchy phonograph. The music echoes the losses of past ages and initiates the listener to the forthcoming expedition into war. The vintage recording is gently overtaken by dark ritual ambient. Lonely sounds driven by grim percussion and snare drums create a sobering track of dark ambience. Occasional rumbling sounds and industrial accents emerge out of the music adding a tone of oppression and finality to the death march.

Track four titled “Icarus” is based upon a poem by the deceased Japanese poet Yukio Mishima. Yukio is considered by many to be one of the leading Japanese writers of the 20 th century. Known for his attachment to imperial Japan and the Samurai tradition Yukio wanted to see Japan return to its traditional roots. Yukio committed suicide in an act of protest against the Japanese government in 1970 after a failed attempt to arouse the Japanese people to revolt. His hope was that the Japanese people would follow his attempt to overthrow the government and lead to the reinstatement of the Japanese imperial emperor. Adding to the enigma of Mishima is the fact that he was an admitted homosexual. Like Alexander the Great, Mishima was one of the few openly homosexual males to have gained the respect of his fellow warriors in his lifetime. “Icarus” sees Golgatha approaching guitar and vocal based compositions for the first time. Assisted by the sensual voice of Patrick Leagas of Sixth Comm Golgatha have produced a beautiful neofolk composition driven by crystalline guitars, waves of romantic orchestration and minimal percussion. Patrick’s voice is given room to excel as he recites poetical lyrics with confidence and his own individual vocal style. This excursion into the domain of song based neofolk proves very successful for Golgatha it is repeated in additional songs on “Kydos: Reflections on Heroism.”

“Twilight Hills” is the ninth track on “Kydos: Reflections on Heroism” and it illustrates Golgatha’s mastery of dark ambient music. “Twilight Hills” begins with a percussive explosion that gently declines into a dark ambient soundtrack. The music settles into a passage of windswept isolation marked by low howling drones accented by orchestral strings and a disembodied boy singing liturgical music. Just as you become seduced by the subtlety of the music and the beauty of the boys singing, deep bass percussion rumbles across the music rattling the speakers with stern indignation and martial dominance. The thunderous percussion steadily pounds through the music while the dark ambience swells and the angelic voiced boy sings through the mounting darkness. The juxtaposed elements create a wide array of sentiment in the listener as the child’s voice stirs remembrance of childhood innocence and the deep percussion drives home the indifference of war. The message I received from the song was one of children caught in the crossfire of adult’s wars. As so often is the case while heroes are crowned during wartime the lost lives of children are often forgotten by history and humanity alike.

“Kydos: Reflections on Heroism” is a powerful and very effective album. Golgatha’s intent was to create music inspired by war in the 20 th century which is a monumental feat to successfully accomplish. I have to confess that I was thoroughly moved by each and every song on “Kydos: Reflections on Heroism.” Golgatha has successfully followed up their debut album “Wasteland” with an accomplished and effective album. “Kydos: Reflections on Heroism” also demonstrates an evolution in the sound of Golgatha as the band has embraced music and influences beyond the reach of their debut album “Wasteland.” Having kept the dark ambient soundscapes that defined “Wasteland” Golgatha has successfully incorporated elements of neofolk and martial music into their music and have expanded the range and scope of their music. The appearance of vocals alongside their music has also expanded the sound and added a much appreciated poetic and narrative quality that was previously only avaliable in cut and paste sound clips.

I would recommend that all collectors and fans of industrial martial music, dark ambient, and neofolk music fans secure a copy of this release. Golgatha are one of the most interesting bands to emerge this year and they have debuted with considerable force. I highly recommend that hardcore collectors not miss this release because you will regret it when you have to secure an overpriced copy on EBay. If you only buy one dark ambient album this year make it “Kydos: Reflections on Heroism”!