Genre: Dark Ambient / Soundscapes

01 Sounding
02 Ensnarled
03 Siege
04 Titans

Until today I had, to my shame, never heard of David Reeds 'Envenomist' project. Well here is my wake up call. Clocking in at a comfortable 36 minutes in duration, this release somehow manages to appear longer. Here we have four deep, moody and haunting tracks, similarly themed and styled, but also unique enough to stand on its own merit.

It is as the whole that they really come into full effect, each track perfectly complements the other and builds into a logical, collective whole. This is a soundtrack to the deep, the abyss of the title, and the unseen, unknown behemoths that dwell within. Abyssal Siege is often a sparse sounding release, but beautifully executed, minimalist keyboards combine to produce a bass heavy texture throughout. Majestic in places, oppressive, even threatening in others, this is compelling stuff.

Sounding, track one, is the standout track for me. The sound of a rough sea, rain lashing down and darkening the sky, searchlights sweeping back and forth across the rocky coast and heavy mechanical throbbing. As the track progresses and becomes more complete it starts to take on an air of dark, brooding serenity before trailing off in an almost blissful fashion. Sonic hypnosis with a hint of Lovecraftian menace? Sounds damn fine to me, I'll take it !

Abyssal Siege is a beautiful piece of work, more Soundscaping than Dark Ambient but fans of both genres, and anybody with a taste for quality electronica should check this release out. I look forward to discovering more by this artist.