By KRISTOF G.
From the twisted mind of Napalm Death’s Shane Embury comes an experimental, ambient industrial record. His one-man project is called Dark Sky Burial, and the album is a more than fitting soundtrack for these confined times. Ominous, timeless and introspective, DE OMNIBUS DUBITANDUM EST is quite a trip. These dense, unnerving compositions really get under your skin, since the moods are legion. The 13 (mostly) instrumental tracks range from quiet piano-infused pieces (“Social Exorcism”) to smashing, hypnotizing electro-manufactured joints—like the title piece and “Panic,” which sound like they came off a Skinny Puppy-infused assembly line.
There are even some slow-burning, hair-raising tracks (opener “Commands from Beyond”) featuring chilling choir-like keyboard lines thrown in for good measure, reminiscent of Fabio Frizzi’s masterful THE BEYOND score. Meanwhile, “Homage to the Past” is almost like John Carpenter doing a cover of an eerie Mike Oldfield soundscape. Sometimes, we aren’t too far from the recent soundtrack universes of Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor either (“Station 0,” “The Wheel”).
Plus, here and there, you can find some lighter cuts—like the luminous “Dark Sky Burial”—and electro grooves as well; pieces like “Severed Reality” and “Hallowed Be They Name” will undoubtedly have you bopping your head in no time. Overall, DE OMNIBUS DUBITANDUM EST is a well-done and nicely layered deep dive into Embury’s new creative impulses. If only there was a horror movie to go with it… Can’t wait to hear more. It’s dark as your (mechanical) soul.
Find out more about Dark Sky Burial here.
