Very few pairings can channel and embrace the art of compelling and near inaudible noise as an art form as Stephen O’Malley and Atilla Csihar of SunnO))) (and Mayhem in the latter’s case). A partnership formed with SunnO))), they have proven to be champions of incredibly dissident and daunting soundscapes within Drone and experimental Ambient musci, in as close to pigeonholing as is possible. Following on from 2007’s debut of alternative project Gravetemple, Impassable Fear (Svart Records) offers yet another snapshot into their striking vision.

With a focus on the harrowing depictions of Lovecraftian lore and horror; it is pretty self-explanatory that Impassable Fear is going to be a nauseating and near unfathomable experience, particularly at first; yet will still prove strangely enticing.

Ignoring the notion of a slow build; Impassable Fears crawls into view with an immediate middling pace of noise and atmosphere on ‘A Szarka (The Magpie)’, with a buzz-saw guitar tone and a drum performance courtesy of Oren Ambarchi which feels controlled yet utterly frantic.

The mix of dissident Drone, noise, experimental Ambient and array of atmospherics make this a packed display which is as expansive and explorative as it feels unnerving and claustrophobic. With its short duration, one drawback, especially given the gap between this and the debut, is the unshakeable sense that this is teaser rather than a full release. Otherwise, this is a hugely impressive release even for such a collective pedigree of people always looking to push extreme boundaries as far as possible. Unrecognisable in places, and certainly not for the feint hearted, this is the definition of challenging, but rewarding, music.

7.0/10

CHRIS TIPPELL