CoC : Ildrost - High : Review

Ildrost - _High_
(Cold Meat Industry, 1997)
by: Adrian Bromley (8 out of 10)

What a wacked out release this is. Haunting and truly mystifying is the latest release by ambient/soundscape band Ildfrost, their previous record entitled _Autumn Departure_. This is eerie shit here. From the opening chimes of the church bell and softly played piano, "Natanael" begins its journey of story-telling with melodic interludes, spoken passages, and vibrant exploration of soundscapes. This is, I guarantee, unlike any record you will have heard before. Much like a concept record, this album reads like a book with background music (a soundtrack, if you will), and like any good book with plot changes, twists, turns, and characters, this album dishes up some truer than life realism. It's stunning to hear and try to follow. The lyrics (enclosed within the special gatefold pack) read like a book/play and only help open your mind more to what is actually going on within the music. I'm speechless. This is a great find for anyone into well-crafted music and story-telling. A gem.

(article published 14/7/1997)