DigitalMetal.com

Being the brainchild of the exceptionally imaginative Brian Daniloski, darsombra projects a bounty of vastly atmospheric tonal shifts, plunging the listener headfirst into an intricately spun web of aural imagination. "ecdysis" delves into the substructures of sound in search of primal sensations and in doing so, sprawls toward remote horizons of experimentation that make for a fulfilling listening session. Ambient music of this breed often can be meditative, but in the same breath, as a deeper consciousness of the boundaries of such art arises, a renewed respect for musical expansiveness can be discovered.

Daniloski makes the most out of each and every tone, tempting cavernous reverberations during the detached opener "thinning the herd", as the guitarist reaches deep within to harvest some of the most expansive expressions allowed in the context of what is perceived to be a "song." As Daniloski's murky, underwater harmonies reflect strongly against distant, sustained buzzing, the experience transcends reality, the ornate echoes shimmering like radiant pools of sonic liquid.

To brand a track like "the place where there is no darkness" as a trip would be an understatement. Daniloski performs thick swells set amidst a backdrop of swirling, seemingly endless delay, manufacturing unadulterated sonar pulses and bowed envelopes, pulling the listener into a distant musical black hole, where depth is infinite. "my house" finds the musician incorporating a lurching march, a wildly introspective offering humming with electricity yet reigned-in by chilling, steely vocals and Middle-Eastern inspired sitar melodies. Detached and withdrawn, the music of darsombra is something of a journey through the emotions that are more difficult to contend with in life, and because of this, the imaginative energies contained herein are even more relevant and urgent.

Certainly, the album speaks volumes about the songcrafter's diversity as a composer. darsombra is stylistically distant from sound of the guitarist's other highly acclaimed projects, Meatjack and Trephine. As a preacher rants incessantly during the first throbbing, then squalling "drag the carcass", Daniloski provides a fine representation with what one can achieve with layered sounds, with the end result being a sublime venture, indeed. A doomy interpretation of the classic "Dies Irae" bends and folds around the piece’s original concept, first dirging, then lapsing into a pseudo-psychedelic mass of distant distortion and glowing buzz.

Although such highly "out-there" concepts may be difficult for those with an extremely focused musical palette, advanced listeners will revel in the depth and scope of this half hour plus endeavor. Sufficient shades of melody enhance the droning style Daniloski projects, making this album an inspired achievement that must be lauded for its distinctly daring artistic embellishments.