Isolator — Culture and Principal of Anti-Human Exaltation

It seems like every time you turn around, there's a new dark ambient project rearing its head. Although most tend to cover the same turf without adding anything new, some add a bit of their own touch and create something that stands apart from the pack. Isolator's debut, Culture and Principal of Anti-Human Exaltation, comes as a nice surprise. While not glaringly different, Culture... has enough working within its layers to keep if from being a faceless, dark, drone among a sea of low, drawn out notes.

Taking time to build the scene is pretty common practice for this type of music, and Culture.... is no exception. Long, slowly moving, distantly crunchy tracks are the delivery method for Isolator's darkness, and they're pretty well done. "Cast Into Blood" starts the album off with an almost church like organ drone hidden behind a few slowly wavering walls of light crunch. The layers move at different paces, but work together to form a thick and creepy atmosphere without getting too bogged down in sound. Distant voices growl in perfect time with the waves and add another level of unease to the mix. "Mankind Shall Reap the Mistakes God Hath Sown" begins with thick, distorted guitar drones and a clock ticking deeper in the mix. The church like vibe continues on this one, too, this time with the use of chant sounding drones hidden behind layers of drone and static rumble. Veering away from the lighter undertones, "Carrion for the Feasts of Angels" goes lower and angrier, and opens up a more chthonic dialog between Isolator and the listener. Growling and disembodied chants add a nice level of creepiness to the track, which, as it turns out, is the turning point for the album. Darkness prevails on the final two tracks, and their run-times are pretty hefty. They earn it, though, so you won't be too upset. "Your Heaven Will Writhe In the Chaos of My Hell" adds a deconstructed metal element that was briefly touched upon in earlier tracks. The growls have more of a death metal vibe instead of being demonic. Earlier guitar drones move up in the mix and increase in intensity and frequency. There is more growth and change among the layers on this track, and the time invested is definitely worth it. "Into the Blood of Our Kingdom" takes a more traditional, long, synthy drone approach for the first quarter or so before getting low and rumbling. Thick guitar drones, sparse drums, and low growls enter the fray and we're treated with something akin to Abruptum. A solid ending to a solid album.

Isolator's debut album is very entertaining and shows great promise for this band. Once they get their unwieldy titles under control, there won't be much stopping these guys. The distinct but not overwhelming level of crunch involved adds nice atmosphere, as do the guitars, drums, and vocals. I'm looking forward to seeing what these cats come out with in the future.