1. At the Edge of the Universe2. Dark Matter
3. Echoes of a Vanished World
4. All That Exists
5. Distorted Perception
6. Magnificence of Vastness
7. Summoning the Phoenix
8. Outro / Sunrise in Deep Space
Rating: 9/10
---Other Z, Saturine Continuum---
Truth be told, I am not really big on the experimental dark ambient sound like I use to be. Why? Because these days there are an abundance of bands/projects out there that really don't stand out these days or are to bland with the sound. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy the genre as I do enjoy my own cup of dark ambient tea from time to time. I am proud to say that Zalys, a French project, which I was unfamiliar with got me intrigued on what the genre has become. I gave it a listen and to my surprised I enjoyed what I heard. I grow onto the the dark sound more and more as I listen to it. While I cannot speak for its predecessor yet, I can tell you that this second album entitled, Summoning the Phoenix, has caught on to me like a gasping fly caught in a web. It really is a sinister piece of dismal soundscape.
Zalys describes their sound as space/dark ambient with touches of symphonic future elements with a hint of industrial tones to create that perfect sci-fi touch. I totally agree with that description. It is dead on! Ever play the Metroid Prime video games? One can surely agree that the sound Zalys produces can be a soundtrack to that game. It reminds me of that game a lot. Of course the sounds of Zalys can be fun with the lights off before bed as it will twist and mangle the mind into a dark void of ecstasy. Yes in the end, this dark travel through the galaxies will surely be a hazy one with warp holes of dark matter overlying but it will bring such a nice and wonderful pleasurable experience. One must listen to that outro as well. Just amazing!
Surely I can say that is genre is not dead. Yes its diminishing slowly but there are a few underground bands out there that are doing much more to get recognize hence Zalys. After listening to Summoning to the Phoenix I am curious to the first album and split as well. This project surely has me glued to its dark web of sounds. Fans of the dark ambient genre, do not miss the opportunity to miss out on this project. Zalys is one project to keep an eye out for. I know I will as it has revitalized my interest into the dark/ambient sound once again! Cheers!
---Review by Freddy Garcia---
Hello Freddy,
ReplyDeleteI've just discovered your blog and your review and I wanted to say thanks for the nice words you wrote. I am glad that this album has revitalized your interest into the dark ambient sound. Hope you will enjoy the previous releases too, especially the first album, where I was not sure of what I was doing haha. Have a good Sunday and thanks again for your text.