NEAR EARTH ORBIT: End Of All Existence (Solar Lodge 2015)
What happens if you put together Ashley Dayour (Whispers In The Shadows, The Devil & The Universe) and Artaud Seth (Garden Of Delight, Lutherion, Chaos GOD, etc in the past; and right now Merciful Nuns)? Just what had to happen, a new example of what creativity, talent, composing and instrumental power and the pleasure for the esoteric and apocaliptic stuff and in general the conceptual work, can project. Near Earth Orbit is one of those bands in which the idea goes before the band itself. The concept before everything else, or almost. In this case, the concept is as clear as odd. The future presences of both musicians emit this album from the future (well, in fact, it is already being emitted) to warn the world of its extinction, that will happen suddenly on 16 March 2034 and it seems we can do anything to avoid it. This new extinction is scheduled from the beginning of time by the (extraterrestrial) Gods. Yes, those who were responsible of our creation and who come from outer space. The well-known Annunaki, from Nibiru, etc (note: check the past discographies of both forefathers to know more about them). In this way, this End Of All existence becomes a diary of destruction and a warning of it at the same time. In addition, the design is planned to be developed in three albums: the next one will appear on October (Trans Neptunian Objects) and the last one on May 2016 (Near arth Orbit, as the project itself).
Musically, it is perfectly equidistant from the sounds Mr. Dayour and Mr. Seth accustomed us to: dark and cold atmospheres, more or less dreamy or distort guitars, deep basses, voices near from litany and the recited song… What I have already said, half way between the leaders’ bands. So, The End paves the way for what they will narrate, for what will happen. What happens, that in this case it’s mixed with what will happen in a strange loop in which neither future nor past exist. A beginning near to the dark ambient leads to a hypnotic rythm where guitars (Dayouresque style) and the preacher Artaud’s deep voice puts us in context. Samplers, rythm, sequences, it’s the end of all existence. Abandoned World begins with an electronic rythm, postnuclear winter, loud and metaphysical apocalypse. Dark litany, spooky reciting. Raised voice, there’s no exit. It’s the eclipse, the final darkness. The end after the end when you realize there’s no chance to be reborn. The Warning is tribal at the beginning and grows with the dreamy lines of the guitar’s strings. Metallic and inhumane, one of the best songs of this album (If there are any, given the insulting excellence of all the songs), the end is just magnificent, leaving you without words (and breath). Observing The Sun starts with a dark ambient atmosphere, samplers and dark and cold air, but it turns around to a glossy gothicism quickly. The sun dies or transforms. In any case, from the terrestrial perspective of a life-holder star, it’s its end.
T.H.E.M. or Trans Human Earth Migration, harmonious, metrical, lethargic in the best sense, it eats you away with the echo of the voices, recited again and under the pushing and deep bass. It drags slowly in six minutes and a half of slow pain, catching you. Now arrives Heat Death and pulls out your guts. And this is because it’s probably the most canonical song of the album. Accelerated, sinister, smashing gothic rock. Impressing and captivating. You can hear it in the podcast, for sure. Taken is another masterpiece. The outcome of the unavoidable, the summary of what will happen. There’s no reason for destruction, it’s the end of an experiment?, a divine carving? We only know what, but not why. Anybody Out There doesn’t give any answers neither. Maybe there are not. Or maybe everything will be clearer when the trilogy ends. At the moment we leave with this quiet song, of acoustic guitar, ghostly air of keyboard and sampler. Radio comunication, it is the exact moment of the end. The song starts exactly three minutes and thirty three seconds before the end. It ends logically and exactly there. With that radio comunication.
Oh my God, the apocalypse is fucking beautiful! (Ashley Dayour dixit). I must add that this album is beautiful too. Thy did it again. Bastards.
On tour:
