Here are the dark ambient albums that we at This is Darkness have been listening to this month – some are new releases, but a few are older gems we’ve just (re)discovered.
Please check these out by clicking on the Bandcamp link next to each review, and please consider supporting the featured artists.
Enjoy!
If you have a Bandcamp release you’d like to be considered for inclusion as one of our picks of the month , please email richdodgin-tid@virginmedia.com. Bandcamp download codes for albums to be reviewed are always very welcome, but are not essential.
insectarium – with wings removed
The latest release from the ever awesome insectarium is with wings removed, an album of deliciously dark drone and dark ambient, with perfectly balanced post-industrial elements added to the mix. This is one of those albums best listed to one headphones, as you lie in a darkened room – losing yourself in the multi-layered soundscape as it unfolds and develops, dragging you down to hell with it. Absolutely divine!
Poena Sensus – A Cold Furnace
I’m a big fan of the Ontario based Dark Odyssey Records label, and their latest release – A Cold Furnace by Poena Sensus – is another cracker, featuring 9 tracks of wonderfully executed winter ambient / drone. The sounds of decaying machinery and haunting echoes compliment the music to create a breath-taking audio experience. I’ve had this on repeat play since I first heard it, and each time I listen I discover something new and wonderful. Superb!
Music Analysis Discussions Records – M.A.D. VI
Oh wow! New from the Music Analysis Discussions Records label is this incredible 104 track compilation album of tracks by artists linked to their community. Featuring a wide mix of genres (noise, post-industrial, dark ambient, drone to name a few) this is an absolute masterpiece that reflect the love and attention to detail that the label and the involved musicians have. With so many high quality tracks, this album is a must-have. Stunning!
Esmam La Crowned – Trance
The latest release from Bangladesh based Esmam La Crowned is a heartfelt album of emotive music, with gentle soothing tracks and darker more abrasive ones working together to create a remarkable and rewarding listening experience. There is a melancholic undertone running throughout this album, and it adds a feeling of genuine depth and meaning to the music. This is a fabulous album and highly recommended if you are looking for something introspective. Wonderful!
Substak – Glass Whispers
I’m a huge fan of both Substak and the Inner Demons Records label, so I’m always thrilled when the two collaborate! Glass Whispers is a fantastic 19 minute long track of ambient drone, that features “pitch-shifted grains and infinite shadows“. It’s a wonderful, dark piece with a distorted machine-like sound and a meditative feel to it that keeps pulling me in for listen after listen. Incredible!
Mark Hjorthoy – The Future That Never Existed
New on the ever awesome Zero K label is this delightful release from Mark Hjorthoy. Inspired by Mark Fisher’s concept of ‘hauntology’, the album explores “futures that never existed”, featuring dark ambient, drone, and synth work, the end result is a remarkable collection of tracks that take the journey on a real journey of discovery. I’ve had this on repeat play since I first got my hands on it, and I cannot recommend this highly enough. Magical!
Dead Angel Ensemble – Spiritus Immundus
The latest release on the excellent Befalling Silence Productions label is Spiritus Immundus by Dead Angel Ensemble – a haunting album of ritual dark ambient, featuring eerie soundscapes and unnerving whispered vocals. “Spiritus Immundus” or “Unclean Spirit” in English, is a phrase usually associated with Catholic exorcisms, and the tracks here do an amazing job of invoking the brooding essence of those rituals. Outstanding!
Ugasanie – Endless Cold, Endless Darkness
The Cryo Chamber label continues to deliver the goods, with their latest release –Endless Cold, Endless Darkness by Ugasanie – being another first class album, with music that is harsh and cold, conjuring up images of blizzards in frozen wastes. With an eerie, melancholic undertone, evolving drones, and a growing sense of dread, this is an album that is wonderfully dark and atmospheric, and is a must buy for those who like artic ambient and dark ambient. Phenomenal!
Hiemis – Compendium
I’m a huge fan of Hiemis – their music always dark and brooding, and always leaving a powerful impression. Compendium, as the title suggests, is a compilation album, featuring tracks from 2018 to 2025 that were released on official albums on compilations, as well as a previously unreleased song. With brooding dark ambient soundscapes, haunting ethereal vocals, and an almost hypnotic feel to it, this album is very highly recommended for anyone who likes dark ambient. Stupendous!
