iVardensphere - Fable

A slow descending, grand scale of epic electronic sound mixed with a choir suited for the Gods comes echoing down from the Heavens. The distorted bass shimmering in through the webs of fully realized dreams and chaotic sounds play as a sample from the series Carnivale plays. The quote from one character named Samson is as follows:

Before the beginning, after the great war between Heaven and Hell, God created the Earth and gave dominion over it to the crafty ape he called Man. And to each generation was born a creature of light and a creature of darkness. And great armies clashed by night in the ancient war between good and evil. There was magic then, nobility, and unimaginable cruelty. And so it was until the day that a false sun exploded over Trinity, and man forever traded away wonder for reason.

If not for anything, that phrase fits perfectly well within the realm of Fable, the latest album emerging from the five man tribal-industrial band iVardensphere. As it stands on our lovely little site, we've had a history of loving the material pumped out from these gentlemen; whether it was from 2012's I Dream in Noise: Remixes Vol. 2 or 2013's The Methuselah Tree, various crew members have agreed that this unique group have put out bountiful and ear-pleasing releases. And, with my opinion finally injected into one of their albums, that trend shan't change.

Fable is composed of fourteen tracks spanning two hours long; so, for anyone who might be be frightful that money may be wasted on an album that shall be short lived, you can cast those fears aside. Aesthetically, the album artwork is eye catching; an angel, or something thereof, flies over city streets looming over tall buildings and the lesser citizens of the Earth. But, I am no art critic, though this does tickle my fancy, I found myself in rapture through the music that bellowed before me.

The first track that I would like to point out before any would be Disir featuring Nymm. A simple track coming a little over the one minute mark, it was constructed of nothing but vocals and birds chirping. Simple, maybe, but at the same time it was quite beautiful.

But, going on into the rougher territory, Jamie Blacker's tough and gritty chords shine through on the crunchy guitar guided Stygian, the softer and seemingly middle eastern inspired Yesterday's Giant, and a more industrial inspired Black Lodge, whose clangs of metallic noise was gruesomely ecstatic.

Instrumentals come in the form of the yet again Middle Eastern sounding The Woodsman and the Serpent, though it is very club friendly and will make you want to stomp around a bit. Trance infects and violates A Tale of Two Wolves wonderfully; mixed with their tribal tendencies, it makes something magical. A very ritualistic sound breaks out with Papa Legba, while tenacious beats paradoxically rivet and destroy everything within its path in It is As Blackness is. And, lastly, the warrior like chanting within Terra Sapian can really get you spurred up for a heaping of violence (that is if you're in the mood for it).

But, if you're more in the mood for something mellow, go no further than looking at The Girl Without Hands. The vocals within this one are soothing, and is almost abstract with its sound. Or, you can even engorge the breathtaking vocal work that Mari Kattman contributed to Tribes of Moth or Messiah. Like a Goddess singing out a well worn mythological tale, her chords echo brilliantly within both tracks. And, serving as the last track, Poseidon sends us back into our own realm with the vibrant collaboration featuring Brittany Bindrim.

I think I've written enough to say in every other word that I thoroughly enjoyed this album from start to finish. The tribal-industrial champs that are iVardensphere have struck a blow in 2015 and have knocked me down flat on my ass. The music is great, the production solid, and the themes visited are fully thought out; there isn't a single reason why you're not trying to get this album for your own grubby hands. Go out, buy it when it releases on the tenth, and love it. Mar 05 2015