Search - Amber Asylum :: Still Point

Kris Force's return to greatness

Augustus Fanee | Australia | 11/03/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I can't believe no one is as excited as I am to see the return of Amber Asylum. I thought the world of Dark Ambient, Gothic neoclassical music had ended when I did not hear any news of Amber Ayslum releasing a new album, but lo and behold the goddesses (and others) have returned to feed the world again.



Overall, this album does not fail one bit. Seems like a lot of musicians who take a while to make an album (like Tool)you can trust that they've worked on it entirely, instead of coming up with one or two hit song and then a bunch of crappy other songs. The album is dark and moody as usual, but I feel a sense of eroticism in it as opposed to the depressing and tremendous sad mood "Natural Philosophy of Love" put me in. Eroticism may be an odd word to use here but the way the drums are soft and sometimes rare and menacing in an untrusting type of way make one sense there is someone "on the other side lurking". Of course, among many instruments the main instruments are violins but on a song like "Outer Dark" the violins, as the drums pulse like an unsteady heartbeat (then rising in the chorus), creep on at the beginning of the song, staying with Kris' sad heavenly voice like an unwanted lover, and then by the end everything picks up a little pace. Kris Force's voice? She'll make you weep just hearing it. It is so beautiful.



As I am tempted to go through the entire album, song by song, to get EVERYONE to buy this album (I am a major fan), I will just go over some of the best songs on the album.



"The Summation" sounds like a darker version of Dead Can Dance "Summoning of the Muse" and like a second part to "Poppies" on "Natural Philosophy of Love." The song is very spiritual (not religiously) and deep. Once again, this is a slow song with just vocalizing on it.



"In the Still point he remains" would probably be their hit song; the song, if heard, everyone would scream in joy. Surprisingly, it is the most saddest song on the album. The instruments are the piano, violins, trumpet, viola and others. Besides the piano which plays as if it is dying or thinking about major life questions, the trumpet in the background has to be the key to this song's immense need for you to feel vulnerable when listening to it. The song is extremely light and soft, almost an airy feel to it, but the piano sort of keeps you from floating away especially after the beginning; after that it sort of drops out of that wonder and into the heart of the song. Kris and Lorraine (I believe) both sing lovely, Kris, of course, is singing at a higher range (in the background) than Lorraine's soft voice. Come to think of it, a lot of things in this song support Lorraine's voice, a lot of action in the background.



Another highlight would be "Garden of Love" which is probably the darkest song on the whole album. It take a great while to began, a slow, almost like one trying to hold on to one's last breath, it then build ups...to nothing, but to something: a premature end and then begin with that premature end and sort of dances around the notes again and again, then falls back on to the same build up before. Kris' voice won't come until the middle of the song, and it has some echo to it which intensifies the creepiness of the whole song as it rises out from the delay and begins to take on a character by the end of the song.



I'm not going to say that others songs on here are great because I can listen to this album throughout without wanting to change or skip. They are all great. However, I've been stuck on some songs and have listened to them repeatedly.



On a whole, the album is very Romantic but in a dark way, not for those who easily get depressed by music. If you do, then do not buy any of Amber Aslyum's music. However, I can't recommend a better group than this. The goddesses have returned. The world won't collapsed! Just kidding. Anyway, great, great album."