Well this being a bit of a short cd and also a split the review will be divided into two sections
1 Uruk Hai
Sharing names with the spanish raw black metallers and Vargs pre Burzum band Uruk Hai delivers a very odd soundtrack/effects type style of music. Another LOTR band this band is pure ambience (as far as this split goes anyway). There are almost NO melodies and basically if you're not in the mood for this type of music you will not enjoy it. The songs all basically sound the same (more or less), long droning string sounds and some effects here and there make up this half of the split. It is not by any means bad, the mood is as if you are at the brink of desolation or in some long forgotten tomb/cavern, much like the Vinterriket half. The problem is that unless you are absolutely in the mood the songs will be dull and boring. You just have to go along with the idea and let your imagination create scenes to the music. Could definitely be better as this hardly even qualifies as music since it kinda just drones and has no melodic qualities but it can be enjoyed.
2.5/5
Pros-Atmospheric, cold, desolate
Cons-Boring at times, repetitive
2 Vinterriket
The Vinterriket half is also ambient but is much more melodic. The tone is also very sad and has a very cold despairing quality. It is like you are caught in Winter (there are even cold winds that are sampled, don't ask how I know that they are cold). The strings are absolutely freezing in timbre, and sound distant and deceased in a way. Very depressive music as well, especially Stille I and II. There are no instruments besides keyboards again here but the music is more interesting than the other half. It achieves it's melancholy through more effective melodies and while it is still slow and droning it is engaging and strangely soothing. The songs are again very much the same and hard to tell apart and are meant to be listened to as a whole. This is the better side of the two in this split.
4/5
Pros-Melancholic, melodic, oh so cold
Cons-Repetitive
FINAL VERDICT
3.5/5
Bottom line is you must be in the mood for ambient music and you kinda have to zone out to get into the music. Recomended for fans of dark ambient/darkwave/noise. The split is limited to 300 copies on a remote label but it is to be found on some sites as mp3.
