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Opening in a blast of feedback and white noise, Band of Pain's new CD, "Reculver," at first appears to share kinship with the mighty power electronics acts of its home nation of Great Britain. Don't let the first track fool you, however, as the disc proceeds to pump out some of the bleakest and most unsettling dark ambient you'll hear.

Cold, sweeping electronics detail a world filled with doom-laden atmospheres, swelling drones, occasional light rhythmic movements, and grating sonic outbursts, a world where hope is a distant dream, and the light only a memory. In the best tradition of acts like Asmorod and Inade, the music of Band of Pain steadily envelops the listener, dragging them down further and further into a black void from which there is no escape.

This is simply an excellent disc, through and through. For dark ambient freaks like myself, this is essential. What are you waiting for?