THE WORD AS POWER

"Blackest Ever Black"

The record label's name is the "keyword" for this exciting adventure named "The Word as Power", Lustmord's 2013 release, which as promised, for the first time introduces "live" voices, to his pitch black, electronic aesthetics.

Sacred dark music, which even being non-religious, is close to middle East's canons of composition, without the drumming, but in spirit and depth. The musical compositions dare to be "obscure", but not by the "satanic" paraphernalia standards, people associate this kind of "dark" projects and music with. In fact, being that he has vocal guests, he "hosts" them with extreme care and attention. He, as the owner of his own musical language, by now is very well skilled with any kind of "collaboration" project with other musicians, (he has one with Robert Rich which appears under Rich's name here in PA). Although, this one goes only with his name, it will be unfair not to mention his 3 guests: Jarboe- voice of "Andras Sodom", Maynard James Keenan- voice of "Abaddon" and Soriah-voice of "Grigori".

So, feel prepared for an un-holy ritualistic "obscure" mass of Lustmord's "black" electronics/acoustics, enhancing the attributes and skills of the human voice or its "powers", its lights and darkness. In a simmilar kind of tenor like Jocelyn Pook's "Flood" , 1999, recording.

****4 "Electronic audiophile" PA stars, that should be appreciated by anyone in the Prog listening universe.

The Word As Power became the first release of the famous dark ambient master Lustmord, in which the vocals are put at the forefront. Well, how to say... rather vocalise, as it is simply impossible to identify anything concrete from such glossolalia, reminiscent of Lisa Gerrard from Dead Can Dance. What's even more ironic is that in the compositions here, you can't recognize the big names stated in the press release, and if the name of Aina Skinnes Olsen does not say anything to the standard listener, although her voice appears in 4 compositions out of 7, it's really hard to recognize Jarboe in Andras Sodom, and it's impossible to recognize Maynard James Keenan himself, who voices in Abaddon.

Well, what about names, still it's about music. The Word As Power is a ritual dark ambient with folk motifs. The space of the album is amazing, exposing another familiar skeleton of Lustmord, but with its special muscles. These muscles grow from the creativity of the already mentioned Dead Can Dance (especially Yulunga from Into the Labyrinth) and classical ritual, shamanic music.

Hypnotizing, enveloping dark ambient keeps in suspense all 74 minutes of timekeeping. A sample of almost biblical dark ambient, though Lustmord himself is an atheist, but it is no coincidence that the name of the album has something in common with the first line of the Gospel of John. The power of the word is truly powerful, and this album clearly demonstrates it.