Split EPs are always a great occasion to check out new music and new bands. These kind of projects let you compare different styles and are really a good experience when both bands turn out to be excellent. This is the case on the upcoming split EP between Thisquietarmy and Syndrome. The idea is for sure a big deal for the bands involved and for fans it’s a great gift.
This is not the first time that Montreal drone alchemist Eric Quach, who has released over 50 albums under the name Thisquietarmy, collaborates with other bands – we all had the occasion to appreciate his work together with Aidan Baker, Year Of No Light and Labirinto – and now he teams up with Belgium's Syndrome, the project fronted by Mathieu Vandekerckhove (Amenra, Kingdom, SemblerDeah, Caan, C-O-R) who completely conquered me when I attended his gig in Zottegem in Belgium when he played that brilliant 28-minutes track titled ‘Now and Forever’.
The melting pot between Canada and Belgium is called The Lonely Mountain and is part of the ConSouling Sounds collaboration EP series. The new release is made up of four tracks including a bonus track of a live collaboration between Thisquietarmy and Syndrome, recorded during their 2013 tour. The EP is everything a loyal fan could hope for and more. The two one-man bands go beyond a simple collaboration to create a sonic experience where a mixture of post-rock and ambient music invites you to dive into a world where there’s no room for light and that is deep and intense enough to make it an unforgettable experience.
If you are familiar with both Thisquietarmy and Syndrome you already know that they are really great in evoking dark atmospheres that sometimes don’t let you breathe. Together, the two bands create a sophisticated and intricate EP able to offer you approximately one hour of pure evasion. The whole composition has a post-rock vein with heavy ambient, drone and experimental elements. Dark is its colour.
The journey through The Lonely Mountain starts in the ‘Cold Valley’ – the song title is perfect – where the two bands involved immediately create a dense and atmosphere. The minimalistic approach is brilliant and it’s impressive the way this sound is able to catch you. The EP and the tracks are very aptly titled and from the cold valley we can see the ‘River That Never Ends’. The music absorbs you completely and brings you away like the a river flowing fast.
‘A Black Breath Blows In The Sky’ opens up with a tranquil wash of synth and a solemnly echoing guitar line and it’s so intense and dark that it seems it’s enveloping the world and dragging it into the abyss. There’s not much light to be found at these depths. I particularly like the last three minutes of the track and I had the impression to be in a completely dark place where the only guide to the exit is the sound, provided that you are able to understand where it comes from!
‘Live at Magazin4’ is the live collaboration of the two bands and it’s really a masterpiece of drone/ambient music. The most devastating moments here are the quietest, and they have the power to insinuate into your into your bones.
And I feel really comfortable in these songs.
