Extrinsic Recordings releases Vincit qui Se Vincit (‘To Conquer is to Conquer Oneself’), by Dark Sky Burial – the new music venture from Napalm Death’s Shane Embury. Produced by Russ Russell at Parlour Studios, it is the third of a quadrilogy of albums which began with De Omnibus Dubitandum Est in April 2020 and followed with Quod me Nutrit me Destuit in February 2021. This project had been planned for a few years, but Embury’s obligations with Napalm Death meant that it wasn’t until the COVID pandemic struck when he finally got the opportunity to make his plans a reality. This instrumental album is available for download, and there are plans for a limited vinyl release...

Track List: 'Vincit Qui Se Vincit', 'Beware Your Subconscious Destroyer', 'Scars Have the Power', 'The Union of Opposites', 'The Last Gift to the Universe', 'Embrace the Shadow', 'I Slept With Faith and Found a Corpse in my Arms', 'Abraxas', and 'Chains of Delusion'.

Weird Industrial Electronica is the order of the day with this one. A dark and foreboding atmosphere introduces itself from the outset. Slamming drums and peripheral monk-like chants build to a groove and slight quickening of the Doom moderate pace. The Electronica soaks the whole in an otherworldly feel which would not be out of place as a soundtrack on a hard science fiction or gothic horror film. It’s certainly different… to a point.

A simple or dramatic keyboard sound is overtaken by a conglomerate host of eerie sounds and electronic noises. The drums and low bass prove to be the overall foundation for anything from a Camden Industrial nightclub feel, through a tribal beat, to groundwork creating an alien landscape of futuristic, outré and macabre dance. Yes, it’s odd and kind of enjoyable. At times, an orchestral melody comes into play – very dour and sinister. This evolves into a sort of march, the drum beat again bringing it to life. The halfway point brings with it an experimental score-like clattering and whooshing, and the hint of a tribal beat. It also brings with it a point of diminishing returns. Some of the tracks are far too long and unchanging, the parting example particularly dull compared with what has gone before.

By having all of these offerings presented together it somewhat takes something away from each track. If one of these were heard per week as an outro to an anthology show it would leave a lasting impression – particularly 'Embrace the Shadow', wherein there is a lot of flourishes and touches to a very strange and original sound. Tracks like this one are dramatic, oppressive and weird enough to not be out of place as a score for an H.P. Lovecraft film or dramatisation. So, my advice would be to treat this album as a soundtrack and enjoy the transcendental experience by listening to tracks individually with separate visits, as it comes across much more powerfully in this manner.

7

Ty Power