A-Sun Amissa - Ceremony in the Stillness

  by Keith How

published: 13 / 10 / 2018

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'Ceremony in the Stillness' is the follow-up to last year's 'The Gatherer' and finds Gizeh Records head honcho Richard Knox, whose project this is, heading out into deep dark sonic lands where few fear to tread. As with many releases that find themselves lumped into the dark ambient and drone genres, 'Ceremony in the Stillness' does not reveal all its secrets with a passing listen. The territory here is certainly quite dark and foreboding but each track has hidden depths and nuances that become both intriguing and unique. Opening with 'The Black Path' a huge ringing chord surges from the speakers. The guitar rings clear, unlike a distorted metal sound that would be the obvious way to start, before the track develops a spacious fragilty, which is the calm before the storm. Thunderous drums and a repetitive riff break in before the track eventually dissolves into an electronic howl that slowly fades away. Powerful stuff. 'With Wearied Eyes' follows. Building on a measured drone, a lonely guitar rings solitary notes as the track builds in depth becoming both atmospheric and symphonic. Continuing in a similar vein, 'To the Ashes' has a quite fragile atmosphere before an imposing riff brings more emotion into the mix. The track drifts away with no real conclusion which works perfectly. At this point in the album Knox cleverly moves away from the doom/drone territory with a gorgeous composition, 'The Skulk'. Experimental textures and strings create swirling atmospheres in a track that bring to mind misty moorlands and hidden places. Moody and slightly creepy in parts, this is a masterpiece. 'No Perception of Light' is a superb slow-burner. Layers of sound build tension as tribal drums increase intensity without dissolving into heaviness. The sixth and final track 'Rememberancer' closes the album with the continued intensity of the opening piece. While maintaining the pervading dark tones of the whole album, this closing piece unfolds into a symphonic and hypnotic composition rounding off a superb offering. 'Ceremony in the Stillness' never falls into classic post-rock territory. Instead all those cliches are neatly sidestepped making the album a very satisfying listen. Richard Knox plays guitars, electronics and effects. David Mclean plays saxophone while Christine Ott adds ondes Martenot (an electronic gizmo!). T.J. Fairfax plays drums and Jo Quail plays cello.

Track Listing:-

1 The Black Path
2 With Wearied Eyes
3 To the Ashes
4 The Skulk
5 No Perception of Light
6 Remembrancer

Band Links:-

https://en-gb.facebook.com/a.sunamissa/
http://www.slowsecret.com/
https://twitter.com/aslowsecret
https://www.instagram.com/richardknox_/

Label Links:-

http://www.gizehrecords.com/
https://www.facebook.com/gizehrecords
https://twitter.com/gizehrecords

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