Konau - Speech from the Shadows (2006)

Back in 2006, AF of Subinterior and Stielth from New Risen Throne. got together and created an absolutely stunning record called, 'Speech from the Shadows.'

‘Speech from the Shadows’ is a 50+ minute mixture of dark droning ambiance and field recordings that takes the listeners deep into the dim shadows of oblivion. Try and imagine yourself slowly descending and being totally possessed by the darkest aspects of life, slowing vanishing, whimpering and eventually dying. Rain begins to pour down on you, thunder erupts, your blood boils, ghostly growls and distant voices enter your ears, this is the end… for you…

Perhaps either a perfect bond or a marriage made in Hell, Konau is stunning. These two gentlemen manage to take their listeners to the most desolate, deadliest, depressive, places you can imagine. Standout tracks like, ‘Contemplation’ gives me the feeling of total seclusion perhaps in a cathedral of sorts whilst rain heavily pours down of me, while, ‘Deep’ is downright grotesque; reminding me a lot of the early Current 93 experimental material. ‘Crawling Darkness’ creeps up on you, revealing nothing behind you when you look over your shoulder, just to be consumed by all that is malevolent in this world when you look forward and face your doom.

To call the Speech from the Shadows anything less than a masterpiece would be criminal, I’ll go the extra mile and simply call this one of the best dark atmospheric recordings I’ve ever heard.