Review Summary: Doom/drone/dark ambient for your blackened soul...
Tauusk is a Romanian, one man drone/dark ambient project that specializes in prolonged, surreal compositions that could fit anywhere from David Lynch’s weirdest projects to just about any post-apocalyptic scenarios. The haunting soundscapes that blend distorted guitars, washes of noise and synth layers create an impressing, vivid atmosphere. This 3rd release,
Hunter, clocks in at around 2 hours, evolving into an attention demanding journey that also manages to drown you in a weirdly enjoyable haze. Augmented throughout by horns, the 40-minute centerpiece, ‘Lament’, starts like a distant call that drags you deeper into its universe with each minute. Heavily distorted, Sunn O))) influenced guitars slowly soar, until they are drowned by solos of the brass section. ‘Hiemal’ & ‘Famine’ continue in this direction, complemented by sharp guitar and eerie piano leads, albeit with a more nostalgic approach. Meanwhile, ‘Trails’ boasts a ghastly vibe, comprised of windy layers on top of several samples, as well as a mix of blissful and morbid voice manipulations towards the finale. It reminds of ‘The Spirits That Lend Strength Are Invisible’ off Ulver’s latest LP,
ATGCLVLSSCAP. Then, we finally reach to the end of this harsh trip where the rather smooth, straightforward dirge, ‘Wolves’ acts like a comedown. This track ends what arguably became the most streamlined Tauusk effort, especially when compared to its double-CD counterpart,
Refuge, which felt a bit too long. Of course, this is a type of music that requires a certain mood and patience to digest. However, at the right time, it offers a thrilling listen.
