CLOAK OF ALTERING — Ancient Paths Through Timeless Voids (review)

CLOAK OF ALTERING — Ancient Paths Through Timeless Voids album cover Album · 2012 · Black Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4.5/5 ·
bartosso
Nocturne of the void

How? How did he do that, for random chance's sake? Mories pulled off four quality albums with two different projects within two years but somehow he doesn't seem to be out of creative inspiration. Quite the opposite. His last observation, ANCIENT PATHS THROUGH TIMELESS VOIDS, is the second Cloak of Altering album and while it draws on similar ideas the debut did, it pushes the envelope in almost every way. While I still prefer the first album, I can't help but love this... unsettling nightmare.

Compared to THE NIGHT COMES ILLUMINATED WITH DEATH, the new record is a little bit more chaotic composition-wise and hence more similar to De Magia Veterum. Still, Cloak of Altering is first and foremost about creating unique atmospheres. That's exactly what we experience here. While the debut was a poetic depiction of cosmic apocalypse, ANCIENT PATHS THROUGH TIMELESS VOIDS sounds like a frantic soundtrack to its aftermath. Everything from clever electronica and overpowering black metal tremolos to rasping shrieks is here on purpose and contributes to the music's unique character. Speaking of electronica, Mories deserves a big round of applause for the way he redefined his - already original - approach to digital sounds. It's dark, intriguing and adds a whole new dimension to the music.

While I can safely recommend this album to fans of avant-garde black metal in the vein of Deathspell Omega and Blut aus Nord, I'm deeply convinced that despite being more popular, these bands are simply no match for Mories and his visionary Cloak of Altering. I'm not just impressed by this sensational project, I'm deeply moved.
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