Second Algol Encounter

I have always been attracted to lengthy, uncanny instrumental music. The absent of human voice is quite a delight sometimes. And knowing that it’s composed and performed by a guy like Fenriz of Darkthrone fame just makes it even more interesting.

Anyway, it’s not the first Neptune Towers album I’m blabbering about. This is Fenriz’ second release with the dark soundscape project (1995) and it’s no less intriguing. Still framed in the fictional saga of ‘empire algol’ (“Transmissions from Empire Algol”), I have read mixed review of this release (notably on metal-archives).

Maybe it’s the short and repetitive weird melodic tunes midway through the album that makes the whole affair less appealing than its predecessor. It sure makes the whole thing sounds a bit more ‘melodic’ than Neptune’s debut.

Whatever. This is no review blog. You either f#$king love it or f@#king hate it. I just know I can still stomach the album, with the melodic bit and whatnot.

Spacedustin’ to Empire Algol.

Trippy Notes 2 - Deep Space

I wonder if anyone know or remembered a band named Yes, who produced absolutely godly progressive/art-rock works all through the 70s? Back in the days of MCs, tape decks and walkmans my personal favorite soundtrack for tripping to dreamland, or just to chill out after a long day, was Yes’ “Tales From Topographic Oceans” 1973 double album. The psychedelic and otherworldly soundscape of that lengthy album is simply hypnotic. That one album was also the reason why I fell in love with such lengthy, ambient musical work that really painted landscapes in my mind with nothing more than sounds.

I have always thought such things belongs only to the 70s prog/art-rock scene. That is until I started to find out that even within the underground extreme music/metal scene there are also highly talented musicians producing equally hypnotic soundscapes. And I’m not talking about industrial bands here.

Fenriz’ Neptune Towers is one of those gems. Despite its allusion to Black Metal-esque misanthropic view (as a work of art in support of the total decimation of all life forms), listening to its 1994 release “Caravans to Empire Algol” truly creates images of otherworldly landscapes not unlike Yes. The album cover (depicting the Horse Head nebula) have always created a sort of mental reference in my mind to a sort of hibernating power, somewhere in the deep, dark recesses of space.

What a trip it would be to go to such a place and awaken that power.

Deep Space Hibernation by Neptune Towers (1994).