
Halo Manash - Language of Red Goats [Aural Hypnox - 2008]This is the new sonic manifesto from Halo Manash and the occultic ambient & mysterious Finnish label /collective Aural Hypnox. It finds them striping down of their atmospheric and ritual sound to a very organic and rhythmic base, With much of the album built around gong, percussive and dark ritual tones. Though it has fairly simply and stripped down feel to it all, it’s never the less is very atmospheric and hypnotic, with this is been music most potent when played in the heart of the night. The album's built around three long tracks totalling a running time just over 50 minutes, the tracks having a nice continuity and flow between them, yet with the feeling of progress or deeper descent into the rituals spell. I don’t know quite how they manage it, but they imbed the tracks with such of a feeling of dread, ancient, mysterious and heady ocultic air. It feels like your watching a ceremony or ritual older than mankind it’s self, standing in the shadows watching cloaked and mask figures carry out the their slow methodical, mysterious and haunting movements, As they speak ancient tongued texts in low/ deep voices, around dancing and flickering flames. As with all Aural Hypnox releasers the package is something a bit special- a fold out red art card folder adorned with strange symbols and minimal text with real no explanation of what it’s all about which of course deepens the album mystery and dark power. Every release on the Aural Hypnox label has been a bit special and different from your run of the mill ambient ritual music and Language of Red Goats keeps up the high level sonic and visual quality we’ve come to expect.      Roger Batty
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