Envenomist — Bound Dominions

First impressions whether we care to acknowledge them or not, strike a chord with us either consciously or unconsciously.  Seeing the cover of Envenomists 2011 release Bound Dominions did so for me.  Loathe as I am to admit it, hammerhead sharks scare me to no end.  So upon seeing this I was already apprehensive for what lay inside the cd cover.

To that extent there was no disappointment.  The six songs here were united by some seriously creepy, unsettling and anxious music.  Presented was a mix of minimal dark ambient and drone, seemingly constructed with a heavy synth sound that is both dissonant and sharp.  What we hear may be minimal in approach, but each song following builds on that idea. 

“Aurora” is the culmination of these efforts.  More textures are added to the original sound of “Judgment”, giving the piece a surreal symphonic (albeit underwater) ambiance.  We are submerged into a setting that is a swirling mass of orchestral electronic effects and suspenseful music.  “Writhing Towers”, “Overthruster” and “Masks” stay the course with their pensive and nervous drone.  On “Dominion” though, things take a different approach.  There is an unnerving feeling of decay here.  The music takes on a ghostly quality yet it feels sleek.

Envenomist is the creation of David Reed.  He’s been releasing electronic based music since 2000.  Not only with Envenomist but with his other projects Luasa Raelon and Brittle Foundries.  Reeds work runs the gamut from dark ambient, industrial, drone and musique concrete.  His ability to create music to accentuate emotions is skillful.  Having the aptitude to thrust the listener into a nightmarish world without suggesting any gore or extreme destruction truly takes some talent.