SHIBALBA

SHIBALBA. The incarnated Ritual Dark Ambient entity behind ACHERONTAS. Many Metal bands have tried to work on Ancient Egyptian concepts and spirituality in the past, others focusing in the atmosphere, others strictly in the music as they grasp it would have sounded then. "Saurian Meditation" of KARL SANDERS (NILE) is an example, however not solely focusing on Egyptian-based concepts. SHIBALBA here are walking their own path, focusing on atmosphere, combining light and darkness, using the power of symbolism, words, chants and invocations, as a homage to Then and Them... They unfold a ritualistic musical story which brings shivers down your spine upon listening. "Memphitic..." "transports" you back in time and you almost get the feeling of sand on your feet while your eyes are staring aflame high in the sky towards His greatness... Instantly, the invocations have you wandering in the catacombs, crawling like a snake and looking for a way out... What is surprising has to be the "depth" of their compositions and the multi-dimensional effect of the music upon the listener. The honest and clear, sincere ritualistic character of this release is what makes it stand out among many other Dark Ambient releases out there, which sometimes are proven boring. "Memphitic..." sounds coming deep from the underground, a pitch black entity... but with moments of utter illumination at the same time. It evolves as it progresses, creating numerous feelings to the listener, and most importantly: Images. I canno't grasp this release in parts, but only as a whole and at the same time I would really have loved it more if it lasted longer in overall duration. It was release in 300 limited copies. I advise SHIBALBA to continue creating such "poisonous" releases, filled with the "stench" of the mysterious past and utterly magical, ritualistic atmospheres... "Memphitic..." is the soundtrack of a journey through time and space...