
Khlyst - Chaos Is My Name [Hydra Head Records - 2006]Khlyst is James Plotkin’s(Khanate, Phantomsmasher) New project, which finds him joined by Runhild Gammelsaeter (ex Thorr's Hammer).They summon up a mix of grim blacked metal, deep dark droning tones, dread weighted ambience.That really has the power to breed real fear in ones mind. The album track layout works thus; one track of slowed metallic drone come twisted and bent black metal concoction, with Runhild Gammelsaeter sounding a mix between creepy, disturbing and for some reason very funny. Then one track of deep dark hole or ritualistic cave gloom ambience .This mixing of track types seems to work rather well, giving an nice contrast to the proceedings. The the slower ambient tracks are more effective in my eyes. Here the pair seem to really conjure up a frightening array of sounds and drones. Which really feel like they’ve taped the sounds from some strange subterranean cave or hell it’s self. The more metallic tracks are interesting and sometimes enjoyable, but for the most part they seem a little too haphazard for the own good, and as mentioned very amusing in parts. I’m sure this wasn’t the band intention - but it just clearly sounds very silly at times. Runhild sounding like something from a kids puppet show- a demon or some such furry terror. Thankfully for the most part the ambinent tracks are longer, than the metallic tracks. So a mixed grim bag, which when it does dive down deep into black oceans of dread. It really has the power to chill you to the bone, and send more than a few shivers down ones spine.      Roger Batty
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