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User
Reviews 1
Approval 100%
Soundoffs 70
Album Ratings 1403
Objectivity 77%
Last Active 03-28-23 6:46 pm
Joined 03-28-23
Review Comments 41
| Dark ambient essentials
Soundscapes from abandoned places, mostly on a gloomier industrial (i.e. Cold Meat) side of things, but not limited to. More of a personal pick, not definitive or established list of renown works. | | 1 |  | Raison D'Etre
The Empty Hollow Unfolds
The golden classic, the pinnacle of dark ambient, and one of the most accessible albums - choral chants, industrial clangs. Post-apocalyptic atmosphere at its best. | | 2 |  | Desiderii Marginis
Hypnosis
One more act originally from Cold Meat Industry, whose later works seem to be his best ones - vast, austere, bleak, majestic. | | 3 |  | Apoptose
Nordland
If unsure, start here - another golden classic, more accessible to somebody unfamiliar with ambient genre, might sound a bit simplistic nowadays but captures the spirit of Scandinavia like nobody else. Remaster from 2011 or 2021 is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED. | | 4 |  | Sephiroth
Draconian Poetry
Somewhat darker and more agressive side of Ulf Söderberg, eerie soundscapes and ritual drums exploring "inexorable and destructive power of Time, mankind's futile attempts of resistance, and the sunken cities, fallen towers, and overgrown ruins." | | 5 |  | Yen Pox
Between The Horizon And The Abyss
Cold, lifeless, monumental, cosmic, intimidating. One of the best dark ambient coming from US with outstanding storytelling. | | 6 |  | Raan
The Nacrasti
While being not as widely known as Yen Pox or Inade, this one is a 'hidden pearl', the only album of a project known as R|A|A|N. Tibetan monastery chants made this a personal pick. | | 7 |  | Inade
The Incarnation of the Solar Architects
Ritualistic and industrial, no matter of occasionally used vocals Inade remain inhuman and bleak. | | 8 |  | Troum
Grote Mandrenke
Perhaps the gloomiest and most dramatic of Troum, dedicated to "the great drowning of men", guitar-based drone ambient to start with. | | 9 |  | Troum And All Sides
Shutûn
A personal favorite, reminding "Grote Mandrenke" but on a less dramatic, more ethereal side. | | 10 |  | Maeror Tri
Myein
Yet another golden classic of guitar drone ambient from 90s, while being quite minimalistic remains deeply immersive. | | 11 |  | Allseits
Dedalus
A rather unknown artist with rather unique blend of drone ambient and industrial post-rock, lead by guitar and rhythms, disturbing and gloomy. | | 12 |  | Troum
Eald-Ge-Streon
One (more) of Troum's diverse works, while being "a collection of strange songs and odd old jewels" and not a regular album remains one of their best. The add-on track Abhijna is worth mentioning too. | | 13 |  | Ulf Söderberg
Tidvatten
Tribal, rhythmic and perhaps less dark but honestly, all Ulf's albums are equally great. | | 14 |  | Morthond
This crying age
Probably more of a historic interest as it was released in 1991, when Morthond has pioneered the path in times no notion of dark ambient genre existed. | | 15 |  | Hoedh
Hymnvs
Yet another historic LP from early 90s which still remains amazing, ethereal, ghostly, captivating and strangely romantic. Unfortunately the only Thorn Hoedh's LP worth listening to. | | 16 |  | LEAK
The old teahouse
Between electronic and acoustic, melody and noise, brooding and subtle, remaining quite unique and head and shoulders above the majority. One of the more experimental projects, great yet remaining largely unknown. | | 17 |  | Lustmord
Heresy
Not a personal favorite but an honorable mention, essential dark ambient classic. | | 18 |  | Sysselmann
The Northern Chronicles
Minimalistic to the point of becoming monochrome, spacious and sparse, nordic ambient with field recordings from Arctic Norway. | | 19 |  | Troum and Yen Pox
Mnemonic Induction
Low drones and empty spaces, monotonous and echoing. For experienced Lustmord users. | | 20 |  | David Darling
Dark Wood
And now for something completely different! Not exactly 'dark ambient' in its appearance but very close to in essence, coming from as far as classical minimalism or even 'contemporary jazz' crafted by a solo cello. A quiet flow of a dark river. | | 21 |  | Bad sector
Ampos
Deeply emotional industrial ambient with a pinch of noise, one of the genre defining albums. | | 22 |  | Kammarheit
The Starwheel
Less harsh/industrial, more still and meditative while remaining post-apocalyptic. | | 23 |  | Atrium Carceri
Metropolis
Moving further away from aggressive industrial sound of Cold Meat Industry towards cinematic one, this is a great example of extensive Cryo Chamber catalog. | | 24 |  | Time Machines
Time Machines
Technically a Coil album, disturbing experimental hallucinogen-infused soundscapes to accompany psychedelic travels. | | 25 |  | Letum
The Entrance to Salvation
Drenched in gothic chorals and eerie synths, this one is perhaps not groundbreaking or most original but true to trademark Cold Meat sound and atmospheric. | | 26 |  | Robert Rich & B. Lustmord
Stalker | |
someone
10.02.23 | random numbers generator says i should listen to Maeror Tri, so listen i shall | mystagogus
10.02.23 | @someone I'd say everybody should listen to Maeror tri so I certainly agree with your random number generator!
You might want to start with Beauty of Sadness, Myein, Mort aux Vaches or Language of Flames and Sound if you prefer it harsher way. Both Hypnotikums are abrasive but great too. Might take a few spins to get it, enjoy! | AsleepInTheBack
10.02.23 | This list looks useful, thanks. If you put some cute descriptions on and a handful more recs and I’ll feature it if you want. No pressure - just think we need more resources like this etc. | IsisScript80
10.02.23 | Looks interesting. Cheers! | Deez
10.02.23 | solid man
Needs Kammerheit - The starwheel
Deathprod - Morals and Dogma
Hoedh - Hymnvs
Flowers For Bodysnatchers - Aokigahara
Apocryphos, Kammarheit, Atrium Carceri - Onyx
| loulou
10.03.23 | This list is exactly what I need, thanks! | pizzamachine
10.03.23 | Thank you for spreading your assortment of music towards the immediate populace | artiswar
10.03.23 | never heard of any of these, thanks for the homework boss | MO
10.03.23 | niiice good list | MoM
10.03.23 | These album covers catching my interest, especially 3-6 | Hawks
10.03.23 | Dark ambiement | artiswar
10.03.23 | I'm gonna tell Johnny you're doing it again men | Hawks
10.03.23 | Lmao | TheSonomaDude
10.03.23 | Til Det Bergens Skyggene - Til Det Bergens Skyggene | Mort.
10.03.23 | no Lustmord? | Deez
10.03.23 | Since theyre both on there needs
Troum and Yen Pox - Mnemonic Induction
also
| mystagogus
10.03.23 | @AsleepInTheBack added descriptions and going to add more recs today, that would be great as people seem to see some value in this, thanks!
@Deez thanks, added HOEDh right off, will check out the rest. Generally the intention here was to mostly go through classical Cold Meat, and while I like a lot of cinematic things released on Cryo Chamber it looks like somewhat a different story.
And as much as I adore Troum and Yen pox, I don't spin Mnemonic Induction often, going to give it one more try right now =) Please feel free to give more recs!
@TheSonomaDude briefly checked it and well, actually I wanted to go real dark ambient here, so 'ha I bought a Casio keyboard!' kind of dungeon synth like Mortiis, Vinterriket, Ildjarn's Hardangervidda etc. which don't exactly fall into this category in my opinion.
@Mort. to tell the truth, never learned to like Lustmord =) But perhaps you're right and he deserves an honorable mention, being among the pioneers, Monstrous Soul or Heresy perhaps?
Thanks everybody, glad you find this useful! | AsleepInTheBack
10.03.23 | Thank you featured etc x | mystagogus
10.03.23 | @AsleepInTheBack thanks a lot! | VlacDrac
10.03.23 | Very nice list. |
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