Procer Veneficus — Saltwater & Glassmoon

Procer Veneficus Ghost Voices was one of my highlights of 2006 with it’s re-birth of black metal in ghostly and ambient tinged form, Saltwater and GlassMoon finds the project striped of guitar and vocals  going completly ambient- yet still feeling somehow linked to black metal’s melancholy, hopeless and decayed grandeur side.

As the Projects titles suggests there’s quite an sea bound air drifting here and there through out the album.In particular showing up in the opening track Oceanic spears which starts with manipulated wave like textures that are edged by weird tinkling tones. It  seems like your totally surrounded with this sad lapping tone & feeling so alone, and out of the lapping textures come this quite cinematic ambient synth melodies that aches with a very poignant feel of lost grandeur and sadness- almost like looking down at a once great city thats now under the sea. 

Next up is Descent through the glassmoon which strips out the other sound elements and just focusers on this lush, haunted semi-classical ambient drone texture that wraps around you in silky yet mournful wonder with its Melodic drift. As the album progresses Procer Veneficus pulls you deeper and deeper in to this slow-motion heady and falling majestic world of decaying and drifting harmonic sadness- leaving you by the end of the album heavy limbed, quietly completing and in awe.

A really emotional effecting collection of sombre tracks that seem to channel deep into you. For those who enjoy their ambient lapped by sadness and decayed grander this is a must- one of this year ambient highlights.