I’m always getting suggestions of what to review from friends online, and yes sometimes it’s quite an interesting list of items, among was this intriguing album, which at first had doing some research on the band which I am playing now playing often. Ashley Dayour and David Pfister are the founding members of the band The Devil & The Universe who originated in Vienna, Austria conjuring from just two cards of the Tarot, which many spiritualists and occultist use in various methods.
From the opening track Haunted Summer, I found myself thinking of folk horror movies, ritualistic drumming, forces of evil imposing their will upon others and their music soundscapes and ritualistic sounds that should be incorporated into these films immediately. However, before one travels further into this incredible album one needs to step back both in understanding the conceptual design and in time. These artists harkened back to 1816, when a group of aspiring writers, poets, and artists themselves gathered together to allow the free flowing of ideas to loosen morality and engage their minds to and bodies to explore, past basic thought, into a higher plane of spiritualism. They were Lord Byron with Percy and Mary Shelley, Claire Clairmont (Mary’s half-sister) and John W. Polidori, they took turns together and separately by giving into the willful exploration of drugs, sex, occultism, and other paganisms which bash against all the so-call moralities of today, and even then, were consider abominations. This when Mary found the inspiration to create her novel and concept of Frankenstein, a literary masterpiece and one that which holds the attention of all horror fans, but also regard by some as dabbling occultism and blasphemy. It all occurred at an isolated lakeside mansion, the famed Villa Diodati; these actions inspired the band to do the same, to escape the modern world’s devices, distractions and frankly the noise which disrupts the metaphysical, mystical, and magical worlds of inspiration, allowing them to abandon the known reality. Therefore, a new third member joined the project, Stefan Elsbacher, and they set work by embarking on this music and spiritual journey in an old chapel somewhere in a forest in Styria.
This music aids in transcending the bounds of musical notes, and allowing to enrapture the listeners’ mind, and expand their spiritual essence, and explore creativity to its fullest and definitely has various cultural influences, such on “Stygian,” delivers a louder ritual beat to it, something the echoes a mystical rhythmic tone with sampling words mention the ‘occult.’ Next is “Cloak of Dispersion” which is very hard to describe and perhaps that’s a good thing as the interpretation is each listener a very personal journey though the best say it is a dark eastern haunting track. “Danaus Plexippus” shows John Carpenter’s synthwave influence transcending culture and folding to the darkwave, and gothic sweeping sound.
“The Goat Head” starts with a spoken command, of ‘strip themselves naked before the Prince of Darkness’ it is these phrases that lend to the satanic imagery and suggestion in some of the songs; before launching to a series of rhythmic drumming, which can see spreading out across a dance floor involving everyone quickly unleashing a supercharge adrenaline. “Calling Of The Shadows” presents with the illusion of Arabian music, along with a series pf upbeat electronics namely the drumming once again, and more sampling repeating phrases ‘(who among you) is a witch’ and ending with eerie mysterious question, which shall not reveal. The final track as my link to stream the music for this review only has 9-songs, is a 9-minute epic ambient track entitled “Gipfelrausch” which primarily nature recordings, birds chirping, replace my triumphant horns, as walking to into spiritual embrace and series of goat bells fading away to glorious unveiling as if the battle is over and called home. However, at the 5:26 mark the rhythmic drumming returns, similar to rest of the album, as if one has return to a march back to finish, it honestly makes me think of the end of Gladiator (2000), the background a church bell rings faintly before slowly claiming down and peacefulness replaces smothers the drumming, the rapid heartbeat with tranquil soothing.
Track List:
Haunted Summer
Stygian
Cloak Of Dispersion
Danaus Plexippus
The Goat Head
The Curse Of Byron
Calling Of The Shades
Phantasmagoria
Gipfelrausch
Release Date: October 31, 2014
Label: [aufnahme + wiedergabe]
Just to listening to this music, one-time to see if it penetrates your senses and captures your attention, repeated listening, I believe will inspired creation if you allow that unbridled free will to take over your mind. I can honestly state listening to this album aided me in breaking through the long endurance of writer’s block, and fixated depressive emotions, it spoke volumes., especially tracks Stygian and The Goat Head; one can hope either music is used, or they aid in composing in a new wave folk horror creation.
https://www.thedevilandtheuniverse.com/
https://www.facebook.com/TheDevilAndTheUniverse
https://thedeviltheuniverse.bandcamp.com/
https://aufnahmeundwiedergabe.bandcamp.com/album/haunted-summer