Genre:  Dark Ambient

01 Shadows
02 Trauma
03 Hope and Fear
04 Rebirth
05 Caravan of Restless Souls

The cover of this compact disc is so black that the only thing that can be discerned from it by lamp-light is that there is in fact a band logo on the top of the front cover. This is my first encounter with Germany’s Dooom, who released their debut “Endtimes” in 2004. The back of the CD booklet declares this release to be “an imaginary walk through fields of the mind,” and fair enough. Although a person’s art is generally is somewhat autobiographical, Matt Sick, sole purveyor of Dooom (no explanation for that extra “o” by the way) seems to be more interested in the effect that his music has upon the listener. However the end result of listening to his newest release “Psychonaut” leads me to believe that the more interesting story comes from what he reveals about himself.

The first two tracks of “Psychonaut” do, in fact, act as somewhat of an audio rorschach test. They are grey, shadowy travels through the aforementioned “fields of the mind.” The lack of an easily identifiable mood can be unsettling, and allows the listener to decide upon it for themselves. In this way, the first several tracks nicely demonstrate Sick's ability to hold up a mirror to the listener's mind, as is the stated goal of the record. Lovely flashes of space-age synths fade in and out of the occasionally New Age mist, and by track three, “Hope and Fear,” there is a welcome mood shift toward a more ethereal sound. Some synthesized choral arrangements pepper the sonic atmosphere, and Mr. Sick creates a dramatic electronic landscape that could work as the score to the next Werner Herzog motion picture.

“Rebirth” takes us back into darker territory, floating among an ambience that is rather reminiscent of Maurizio Bianchi, and similarly crosses effortlessly between the pleasant Eno/Krautrock-style ambience and darker textures. The minimalist element of the music seems to be equally influenced by experimental composition as it is by emotion and ritual. This combination culminates in the final section of “Caravan of Restless Souls,” where things take a surprisingly martial turn, filling the air with a carnival sense of horror. A very catchy keyboard section pops up at the very end, and everything follows suit spiralling into the carnival death march of the finale.

Throughout the record, there is an effortless shift between doom-laden electronic atmospheres and pleasant ambience that is carried off very impressively. The composition of each track seems to be very purposeful, and this brings together an admirable combination of foresight and ability. Upon repeated listens, I find that there are many parts that went unnoticed, and the music presents a constant source of new ideas and enjoyment. The keyboards are very prominent throughout the record. If you are phobic to a somewhat ‘canned’ keyboard sound (ala some martial-neofolk or many black metal keyboards) in your ambient, there is still plenty more depth to be found within the eerie rhythms and soundscapes that populate this release. This is highly recommended for fans of prison Burzum + MB, and anyone who likes the idea of cold industrial sounds and rhythms contentedly existing side-by-side with Kraftwerk/Cluster-style electronics. Very professionally recorded and produced, the controlled environment seems to be an advantage as Dooom’s compositions unfold with much clarity. Definitely not as “doom” or dark as one might expect, this could even pass for a New Age record if presented differently. Interesting and worth checking out.