Tuesday 8 May 2018

Black Earth - Diagrams Of A Hidden Order


Labels:  Bile Noire/Sentient Ruin Laboratories/In Solace Publishing/Malignant Records
Formats: Vinyl/CD/Tape/Digital
Release Date: 09 Mar 2018 (Vinyl)

Tracklist:

1. Mantric Resonances Along Fields Of Dissolution
2. Upon Labyrinths Of Broken Mirrors
3. To Cloak A Nebulous Sun

Now for something truly noise-ridden and filthy. Spanish experimental black/noise trio Black Earth recently released their 2016 record "Diagrams Of A Hidden Order" on vinyl through BileNoire and Sentient Ruin Laboratories, having previously already been pressed on cd by Malignant Records and on tape via In Solace Publishing. The trio makes use of a myriad of electronics and sound manipulation, alongside the more traditional use of guitar, bass and vocals to present a sound that's cold and isolating. See you on the other side!

I’m apprehensive about the next twenty-minutes or so. Black Earth begin “Diagrams Of A Hidden Order” with distance ambient noise on record opener Mantric Resonances Along Fields Of Dissolution. You can certainly here the black metal that’s nestled within the jarring and harsh soundscapes, while the guitar and synths paint very distant melodies. It’s like descending into hell knowing that you’ll never return. It resonates with high-pitched noise (though that may also be screams) and a ghostly sense of foreboding throughout.

Upon Labyrinths Of Broken Mirrors starts off in a more restrained manner, but slowly builds with layers of claustrophobic intensity. It feels as though Black Earth is holding back slightly as times here, but you might be happy about that given the ferocity of the opener. The screeching ambience is back though and it fits the mood of the song really well. 

Closer To Cloak A Nebulous Sun hammers the final nail into the torturous coffin. Black Earth’s industrial leanings are clearer here and the images that are created by their experimental hymns are the stuff of nightmares. Extreme metal has always been a place of escape for many, though this record may seem too extreme for some (so let that be a warning to those who venture in). It does however, have an infectious element to it that is strangely compelling. 

You can stream and purchase "Diagrams Of A Hidden Order" digitally below:-




Physical copies (on vinyl, cd & tape) can be purchased from the links below:-

Bile Noire (vinyl) - https://bilenoire13.bigcartel.com 
Sentient Ruin Laboratories (vinyl) - http://sentientruin.com/releases 
In Solace Publishing (cd) - http://www.insolacepublishing.org
Malignant Records (tape) - http://www.malignantrecords.com 

Social media pages for the above labels are below:-

Sentient Ruin Laboratories - https://www.facebook.com/SentientRuin/

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