Half Southern North – Narrations of a Fallen Soul Review

Immediately the listener presses that play button, one is welcome to the opening track, Alpha Sophia, which welcomes the listener’s ears with the sound of clean avant-garde riffage, one-time drum beat and spoken incantation –

Following suit with the rest of the opening piece which welcomes the listener with an occult like atmosphere which channels throughout the remaining release and takes the listener on a dark-epic journey. “Themes of the lyrics” are inspired by the Ancient Greek Mythology/Literature and Occultism.

The album’s central theme is the essence of Death and the Soul, as the Spirit became free by Lucifer (the sacred Snake-Ophis). Death here represents the minor God “Thanatos” of Ancient Greek mythology. The last lover of the maiden Soul, a “marriage” of eternity, the bitter in painfully of death and decay. The Soul accepts her destiny and departs to the Moon, the ancient Mother of all, free from the bonds of matter.

As one continues their occult-like journey with the second track, HEARTS OF HADES, and the five remaining songs where the music feels like one is travelling down a spiral rabbit hole, where the music draws (captures this dark, authentic occultist soundscape/atmosphere and experimental occult direction).

At the same time, Narrations of the Fallen Soul provides the listener with outstanding devilmanship, seven equally solid, strongly composed songs and music.

Where the music feels (at times) dark – but beautiful, goosebumps/shiver down (one’s) spine, eerie, droning, hypnotic and magical, but sometimes being disturbed, and your soul is haunted. It consists of combining elements such as the dark sounds and slow rhythms, which evoke decadent atmospheres and dramatic melodies of doom metal and experimental/noise black metal. And experimental/noise At times the music and amazing vocal artistry consists of materialising and a vast amount of mysticism of incantation singing and spoken words. At times (including the music), the vocal work has this dark ambient vibe/-Esque of (German dark ambient/darkwave act) Sopor Aeternus, dark melodies/droning of the guitar, the use of multi-instrumentation such as flute, acoustic pickings, theremin, synthesiser, violin, and a Saxophone.

If the listener loves what Half Southern North has created… again, from the moment of play, where the music draws the listener deep within the music and atmosphere—it is not to be missed.