AN NCS PREMIERE: TOWARDS ATLANTIS LIGHTS — “GREETING MAUSOLUS’ TOMB”

 

The debut album by Towards Atlantis Lights, Dust of Aeons, consists of four tracks thematically tied together in a narrative that plumbs the subconscious to reveal a magical remembrance of civilizations long dead and wisdom long forgotten, a discovery shrouded in the pain of loss and pointing toward the embrace of death. The music itself is as magical, as dramatic, and as heartbreaking as these tales brought forward from history’s depths in a dream.

The skill with which the album captures and conveys such powerful moods comes as no surprise, given the array of talents who have joined forces in this new group. The multinational quartet consists of vocalist/keyboardist Kostas Panagiotou (Pantheist, Landskap), bassist Riccardo Veronese (Aphonic Threnody, Dea Marica, Arrant Saudade), guitarist Ivan Zara (Void of Silence), and drummer Ivan Olivieri. Employing the tools of funeral doom and death metal, they’ve crafted music that’s beautiful, bereft, and wholly immersive.

The four songs on the album are significantly different in their durations. The opening song, “The Bunker of Life“, for example, exceeds 30 minutes, while the closer — which is the song you’re about to hear — is less than five minutes long. Yet although “Greeting Mausolus’ Tomb” is the shortest of the four tracks, it’s nonetheless spell-binding.

 

 

Slow and stately in its pacing, this new song builds its spell gradually but powerfully, beginning with a guitar melody that rings like chimes but quickly establishes a somber and sorrowing atmosphere. As the spoken-word vocals and an overlay of shimmering melody join in, the song’s sense of mystical remembrance grows stronger. The mood becomes darker and more intense through the addition of a further guitar layer, distorted and rasping, while the vocals become more fiery and harsh. Death comes at the end, as the intensity subsides and the band reprise the beautiful and bereaved movements of the song’s opening… but the spell lingers.

 

 

Dust of Aeons will be released on March 5th by Transcending Obscurity Records. It features artwork and layout by Francesco Gemelli (Katatonia, Mayhem, Abigor). Below you’ll find the track list, a pre-order link, our premiere of the album’s closing track, and streams of two other songs now available on Bandcamp — “The Bunker of Life” and “Babylon’s Hanging Gardens”.

TRACK LIST:
1. The Bunker Of Life (30:17)
2. Babylon’s Hanging Gardens (5:57)
3. Alexandria’s Library (16:35)
4. Greeting Mausolus’ Tomb (4:23)

Pre-order:
https://towardsatlantislights.bandcamp.com

Towards Atlantis Lights:
https://www.facebook.com/TowardsAtl/

Transcending Obscurity Records:
http://www.tometal.com