Published by Davide Pappalardo on September 3, 2018
Shrouds is the techno-industrial project of Thomas Bruning, which previous work Novus Ordo Seclorum was published by Black Carpet. If he displayed caustic techno rhythms and hardcore influences in that work, now he explores a very different path with Pagan Blood Rituals, his new ep for Dutch label Strange Therapy (he was already featured on their compilation Rough Treatments Part 1 with the dark rhythmic techno track He Raised His Voice, The Earth Melted). This time his weapon of choice are ritualistic soundscapes with dub and highly experimental industrial traits, forfeiting any club-aimed direction in the name of a creepy, crawling sound with dark ambient and droning elements.
Heresy of ignorance starts with a static effect, a throbbing ambiance, making it clear we are not hearing an easy listening 4-track club piece. Sudden drums, dispersed among shrilling sound-ghosts and squeaky horns, guide us among heavy guitar arpeggios and grim atmospheres. During the second half of the track, the rhythm becomes steadier, but it never explodes into frantic movements, keeping the malicious tension of the song contained between its walls. The Title track follows suit with dark-dub passages evoking a submerged world, while tribal rhythms and sharp effects show themselves amidst the composition. A slow rhythmic pattern is layered with industrial-tinged hard beats, underlined by eerie synths; a female voice surprises us enhancing the creepiness of the track with its verses. This is a marvelous episode in which less is more, focusing on rhythmic mantras becoming faster and more obsessive during the second half of the rack, climaxing into a post-industrial ride.
Litany of curses keeps the female vocals, adding a slow pulsation and sci-fi distortions in a technological mantra conjuring a cyber-ritual in which past and present are entwined together. Sleazy atmospheres and inquisitive riffing movements gives us a sort of demented jazz-like structure: the best of industrial’s experimental nature is at work, crafting an unusual number deafening genre definition. It is time for the usual remixes: The title track is turned by industrial/noise project Matriarchy Roots into a spacier and even more ritualistic affair with a more prominent role for the female vocals and the caustic rhythmic mantras characterizing the song. As things progress, the rhythm becomes stronger, but the end descends into a way more placid session. The Austrian techno/industrial producer Zosima (head of Noiztank) mixes the aforementioned track and Litany of curses into Pagan curses, a totally new piece, delivering a chaotic horror made of shrills, distortions and dissonant ambiances. The track slowly grows, merging the technological elements of the second track with the eerie atmosphere and creepiness of the first one. Harsh sounds, bleeps and sharp effects play hard with the songwriting, and abrasive soundscapes give us acid atmospheres.
A work going well beyond techno-driven sounds, Pagan blood rituals shows how modern producers are more than willing to experiment with harsher genres and unusual structures. Crawling movements, dub elements, noise-tinged moments, eerie vocals and atmospheres, all concur to a ritualistic sound, perfectly reflecting the name of the EP. Another great addition to the rooster of releases by the Dutch label, focusing of the more ritualistic side of industrial and noise music and the tradition of droning soundscapes. A new chapter in the growing history of modern industrial music, fueled by young blood, which is rediscovering enthusiastically the roots of the many facets of the genre. Keep it coming!
Label: Strange Therapy.
Rating: 8,5