Lamia Vox - Inlumaeh

Debuting their first book project underneath Cyclic Press, Cyclic Law Records welcomes the dark photography work of Krist Mort. Within this release, the photographer has related light and darkness; wherever there is a darkness, the simplest source of light can cast a shadow upon it. Propelling forth the alluring aspects of death and the unknown, rebirth, as well as sordid facets of heart and soul, you could say her work is inspiring and interesting.

While, disappointingly enough, the promo I grabbed did not include any of her photos, I was able to glimpse at a few via the Cyclic Law website where you can pre-order the album. Perhaps the photo that was able to catch me in rapture the most would be of a woman on all fours, covered in a cloak; in some form, it looks like a group of cobwebs. Whether this woman was woken from an ancient slumber, or if it's a harrowing ghost ready to haunt, or even if it's just a mere model to base off of, it was eye taking.

But, aside from the pictures that I was able to explore with eyesight, my ears filled with lovely, lovely music from Lamia Vox, a Russian based dark ambient/martial industrial project that is able to crack out ritualistic hymns like the back of her hand. To guide us on our journey through such distinct images, she brought forth three rituals to accompany us. And, my, they are glorious.

The first two come out with a serious dark ambient ring to it, focusing on synths that are deep in pitch, sometimes lasting for a bit before fading away for another to come forth and take its place. The various effects, such as a slight tap on the drum that will echo into the abyss, what sounds like violin work, and every other creepy manifestation that manages to form is brilliant. The real draw here, though, is her whispering that accompany the notes; and it's her voice that really propels the notes to make a very, very spiritually motivated impact on you.

The final ritual differentiates from the first two in the fact that it uses another wind instrument, and has a drum beat to it. Her voice is still in check, as much of a background noise it is, it still is blissful to hear.

And though it lasts only around twenty and a half minutes, it is a glorious twenty and a half minutes to go through. You might lose track of time, or even your own personal surroundings, but such a concentrated effort would do such a thing to yourself. Both these artists are good, in terms of photography and music production. And, when both their talents combined, there is nothing you can do but sit back and enjoy the imagery and soulful tunes that will take you away into another land. Jul 27 2014