Artist: Ghül
Title: A Forest, A Temple, A Grave
Type: Album
Label: Digital
As I touched on in my review of Rhîw earlier this year, Abghül steers this project beautifully between the visceral black metal and the ambient with a fine eye for the story telling and flow of the work in hand. Their releases have also included the purely ambient and ‘A Forest, A Temple, A Grave’ follows this theme after the mix of Rhîw. Intrigued
‘The Gate’ opens, slowly with a strange grey mist of keyboards that gradually heightens an ominous tension with with a rhythmic ebb and flow of keys. Within minutes the sense of mystery is all around. The sound is that balance between dungeon synth with the live feel and layering, the organ sounds, and the dark ambient whispering around the edges. It feels more warning you to show respect than menacing; you opened this gate and so tread with care. The sound is insular, a seclusion to it making this very much a place set apart from prying eyes.
‘The Grave’, perhaps found as you walk along a misty, rain damp pathway has a simpler sound at first. Haunting, the sound of dripping water around and is that thunder in the distance of… and as you ponder a feeling of something forgotten has crept upon you. The keyboards and string sounds are so beautiful; melancholy yes but there is a softness to the melody that again offers no horror or fear or malevolence. It is a still place, sheltered from the rain, and the gentle music to me tells simply of where something ended for someone even though our journey has barely begun. Simple notes, simple melody but suffused with memory and emotion.
We move onwards, deeper into ‘The Forest’ after the rain eases. A winds ruffles the leaves and the mood changes. The keyboards become deeper, more wary. A dark ambient sound smooth and enveloping. The age lies upon us, but not with ill intent, simply being what it is. Old, having seen our like before but having no thought on us. The forest looks only to itself and its natural rhythm in the slow and elegant waves of synths. It seems to open up to us a little as subtle layers are added, strata of melody sliding quietly in and bring colour to our senses. Maybe our respectful passing has opened this for us, maybe we simply see more as we become accustomed to the forest but it is around us and quite majestic in its stately motion.
We reach ‘The Temple’. There is now a shift in the atmosphere. A sound which could be rain upon stone or even a crackle of flame deep within and a low hum all that we can feel. A sense of dread, caught in pulsing notes, raises hairs and the music feels like careful stapes indeed. An eerie string sound begins to cut sharply though the atmosphere as we go deeper. The odd hiss, buzz and that stranger pattering deeper still. This is a strange and yes unsettling place carved by this ambient sound. The music creates a cavernous feel but one very much carved by hand and tool. It somehow suggests shapes not simple wear of the elements with its precision and the enshrouding nature of the music. It feels as though this place so very much wants me here, but not for whatever reason brought me. The temple has its own designs on that…
‘The Path’ leads either out, or on. But immediately there is a sense of having passed beyond the temple. The music opens out, slowly flowering into a feeling of lights growing in a soft luminescence. A revelation maybe; the buzz has become more like light flickering past, the sound rises and the sudden sharp bright sounds become stronger. Everything is serene on the path. A trial passed and the lessons laid out before us? Or simply a place of beauty and rest, the outer world stripped away with care. It softens and quietens and at last all is at rest.
I have lived with this for a good while, thanks to the generosity of Abghül and it has well and truly created a calm place in my home and in my mind. It is a journey, yes, but there is a feeling of one of care. There are moments of fear as all journeys have, but no malevolence here. I find it speaks of memory, of passing of time and of souls and the serenity the revelation of the natural way of things can bring. Subtle, deeply felt and endlessly thoughtful, ‘A Forest, A Temple, A Grave’ is a pathway well worth walking indeed.
Gizmo
Walking The Liminal Space 