Atrium Carceri - Kapnobatai

Reviewing this album and Desiderii Marginis' new release back to back has been one of sheer excitement.  If you are into dark ambient, these two albums will have you laughing with sinister glee.  And speaking of "dark" ambient, Artium Carceri's record label refers to this as "black ambient"...which very much fits the masterfully haunting sounds resonating from my speakers.  Kapnobatai combines so many elements in such immaculate detail, that it is breathtaking to say the least.  Crystal clear production allows the listener to hear every sound as crisply and as real as if you were there when it was recorded.  From beautiful soundscapes, to distorted, pulsating walls of noise, to scary and creatively placed samples, this release is woven together which such precision that it's hard to imagine that it could've been made any better even if the composer Simon Heath had worked at it the rest of his life.  Add to this the lavish artwork contained within and you have a spectacular album that will please even the pickiest of fans of the genre.

Cold Meat Industry has brought us many talented artists in their day...Mental Destruction, Sanctum, Parca Pace, Raison d'être, In Slaughter Natives, Arcana, etc.  To leave Atrium Carceri off the "best of CMI" list would be criminal.

Rating: 98/100

Review: Matt Morrow

Label: Cold Meat Industry

Total Songs: 14

Total Time: 68:35

Tracklisting: 1. Enclosed World/Liberation, 2. Behind the Curtain of Life, 3. Impaled Butterfly, 4. Maintenance Tunnels, 5. Wrapped Cloth, 6. A Stroll Through the Ancient City, 7. Synaptic Transmission, 8. Ruins of Desolation, 9. Torn Citadel of the Autarch, 10. Monolith of Dreams, 11. Stained Pipes, 12. Thermographic Components, 13. The Corruptor, 14. The Carnophage.

Best Songs: Tracks 1, 2, & 6.

Band Lineup: Simon Heath

Band Website: http://atriumcarceri.coldmeat.se/