Insect Ark - The Vanishing (2020)

Crafting a haunting atmosphere with crushing walls of sound and eerie synths, today we have Insect Ark and their crushing release “The Vanishing”. With a certain minimalist and drone edge, the band’s music creates cavernous avenues for waves of distorted bass and lap steel guitar. For fans of bands like Earth, Jex Thoth, SubRosa, all minus the vocals, this release will command your attention and take it for a warm and fuzzy trippy ride.

The album kicks off with the interstellar antics of the crafty “Tectonic”, a piece that nicely builds as the bass guitar leads into crafty percussions and dreamy synths. The duo’s ability to slowly build tension and atmosphere is quite impressive as tracks like “Three Gates” slowly build from minimalist passages to fuzzy onslaughts that are both playful and yet pummeling. The experimental component of the band’s music allows them to create tracks that are highly hypnotic, like the trance inducing “Philae” and the slow burning “Danube”.

Continuing with the church-like atmosphere of “Swollen Sun”, you get that eerie horror movie atmosphere as this track slowly develops. Sadly all great things must come to an end and with “The Vanishing” the band closes the release in style with a more typical Doom-centric piece that is both desolate and very introspective.

Insect Ark has managed to create a release that is as heavy as it is atmospheric. We have seen the band live recently on their tour with Oranssi Pazuzu and are quite psyched to see them and their uniquely intense music, as it very nicely translates in the live setting. If you like weird, experimental and most importantly: visionary releases, do not miss a note from this one.

Label: Profound Lore

Release: February 28th, 2020

Genre: Psychedelic Doom Metal

Country: USA