Amber Asylum Releasing Sin Eater Dec. 4
Something of an act of cruelty on the part of San Francisco’s Amber Asylum and German imprint Prophecy Productions to release the band’s new album, Sin Eater, so close to the darkest day of the year. Not saying I’ve heard it yet, or that I’m listening to it right now as I type this or anything like that, but it’s a beautiful, depressive wash of strings that offers classical poise with an underlying intensity of purpose that is undeniably heavy. They cover “Tot” from Candlemass‘ From the 13th Sun, transposing Leif Edling‘s riffs and Björn Flodkvist‘s vocals into a dirge opera, and march it to a tense and unexpected finish, and elsewhere proffer immersive ambience that will no doubt fit well with the colder months to come. Not saying I’ve heard it or anything, but I’m looking forward to getting to know it better.
Album announcement and info follow. Also take note of the part where Prophecy is releasing a box set for Amber Asylum‘s 20th anniversary, because that looks awesome.
Dig it:
AMBER ASYLUM to Release New Album ‘Sin Eater’ December 4
San Francisco Dark Ambient Group Celebrates 20th Anniversary
Critically acclaimed Bay Area post rock collective AMBER ASYLUM will release its new album, Sin Eater, on December 4 via Prophecy Productions. The band’s seventh studio album was recorded at Ear Hammer Studios (OM, Pallbearer, Vhol) in Oakland, CA and produced, mixed and mastered by frontwoman, multi-instrumentalist and soprano vocalist Kris T. Force. The subject matter that helped inspire the album is the cleansing ritual of “sin eating”. Sin Eater combines the ominous energies of AMBER ASYLUM’s drum and bass-heavy albums, Garden Of Love (2005) and Still Point (2007), with the lushest string arrangements in the band’s history.
“Sin Eating still exists as a death ritual where the Sin Eater consumes a meal or ‘corpse cake’ that is passed over the body of the deceased or laid on the chest,” Force explains. “The meal represents the sins of the deceased and once consumed by the Sin Eater the sins are released thereby allowing the soul to rest in peace. The album speaks of this process of taking on the pain of others to set them free.”
Celebrating 20 years of creative music making, AMBER ASYLUM possesses the rare gift of turning deep feelings into gorgeous music and gifts the listener with the opportunity to delve deep within and imagine or release the grip of obscure emotion. With classical strings, grounding rhythms and female voice as the nucleus of its sound, AMBER ASYLUM occupies the singular territory of chamber doom. Overflowing with palatial textures counterpoised by electronic disturbance, achingly beautiful melodies and lyrical prowess, AMBER ASYLUM consistently eludes predicable categorization yet remains distinctively female. During its two decade-long existence, AMBER ASYLUM has found favor with classical music fans and metalheads alike, releasing albums on respected labels such as Relapse Records and Profound Lore and collaborating with acts such as Neurosis and SWANS.
In honor of AMBER ASYLUM turning 20, Prophecy Productions will release a limited box set entitled Anthology, simultaneously with the release of Sin Eater. Anthology will include twelve CDs, containing the band’s entire catalog of work, as well as rare and unreleased bonus songs, topped off by an accompanying 80-page leather-bound lyric book. For full details, visit this location.
Track listing:
1.) Perfect Calm
2.) Beast Star
3.) TOT
4.) Harvester
5.) Paean
6.) Executioner
7.) Sin Eater
Sin Eater is available to pre-order now at this location.
https://www.facebook.com/AmberAsylum.official
http://www.amberasylum.com/
http://en.prophecy.de/shop/amber-asylum-sin-eater.html
