none-dampchilloflife-reviews

Review from Angry Metal Guy

Wed, 11 Dec 2019 21:54:07 +0100

From: Angry Metal Guy

Published: December 8, 2019

Let’s get one thing straight from the get-go: I trvly don’t give a fuck about you, never have and never will. When I share something wonderful here, it’s because awesome Muppet is awesome, not because I want to improve your miserable lives; you deserve nothing and I hope you get less, yo. Accordingly, I write these TYMHM pieces not because *you* might have missed any gems I cover, but because *I* missed *my* chance to properly babble about them during the year. Now that the holidays are upon us and Steel‘s too nog’d out of his noggin to keep me in check, it’s high time I waxed reviewical on Damp Chill of Life, the best DSBM release ov ’19 that I never got to sling any words for.

Describing the music of NONE as DSBM is like calling my ego Rogga Johansson‘s discography a tad sizeable. The enigmatic Oregonian act creates songs to bed the cold earth to, harvesting the corroded essence of a world dead and grey and manifesting the damp chill of life into something fittingly bleak, damp and dead. Warn your warmth to turn away, NONE will make your cold soul suffer and wither until you feel that life has gone on long enough, leaving you to desperately desiderate death and its sweet, hypoxic release. If such stark and somber stuff sounds too strong to sit through, then congrats, you did a good thing by missing this one. If you AREn’t a little bitch a fan of this super sad scene and somehow slept on this, then congratulations to you, as well: you’re fucking up your whole life, yo.

As the album title, artwork and band name all suggest, Damp Chill of Life is utterly fvcking bleak. While artists like Déhà or Clouds create depressive music which embodies the dark, melancholic aspect of depression, NONE sonically encapsulates the sense of sheer cold lifelessness that becomes the world when you’re walking through it as a ghost. As is often the case with DSBM, there is an opportunity for catharsis within these icy tracks, and yet so is there the potential for danger. Where other acts often strive to embody the feeling of depression itself, Damp Chill of Life instead captures the essence of the world around the affected individual. It doesn’t so much summon the sentiment as it does the sound of the scenery seen through super sad stare-sockets, effectively bringing light and life around the listener to an end by painting an immersive sonic scene of all-encompassing bleakness: this thing doesn’t merely sound like misery, it sounds like fucking freezing to death.I can’t make someone who doesn’t understand depression understand why those of us that do often seek out such potentially weaponized fare as Damp Chill of Life, but I can make someone who understands atmoblack understand why it’s worth investigating.1 Aside from wielding top-notch and utterly convincing shrieks, NONE have a grasp on mournful riffs and rhythms that completely chokes the life out of their contemporaries. Their visual, visceral vvork values variety and (somewhat ironically) vitality, and things are never allowed to wallow in one spot for too long. Mind you, this is DSBM, so there’s plenty of tremolo waffling and a little obligatory lurching, but trvst me, if you’re into dark atmospheric black metal and aren’t afraid of the cold, you have no excuse for sleeping on Damp Chill of Life so long. Fix your life by fucking it right up, yo, let the existential misery of NONE put a smile on your face and a hole in your heart.

Reviewed by: Master of Muppets

Review from ZWareMetalen

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 23:29:55 +0100

From: ZWareMetalen

Published: September 29, 2019

Original Link

Hypnotic Dirge Records volg ik al sinds 2009 en het verheugt me om te zien dat ze nog steeds bezig zijn op dezelfde leest met het uitbrengen van middelgrote bekendheidsband en daarmee een steevast solide kwaliteitsniveau bereiken. Eén van de bands die daar nu zijn derde album uitbrengt is het Amerikaanse None (ook wel NONE genoemd hier en daar). Het debuutalbum None vond ik overtuigend genremateriaal, de opvolger Life Has Gone On Long Enough (wat een titel) heb ik vorig jaar gemist. Er is ook een derde album verschenen dit jaar – hoe ze het volhouden weet ik niet – genaamd Damp Chill of Life. Haal de confetti en taart alvast maar boven.

Het is allemaal niet gemakkelijk, het leven dat de mens(en) achter None moet(en) doormaken. Een heel erg trieste bedoening. Niet enkel fysiek, ook emotioneel heeft er een complete freezing plaatsgevonden die er voor zorgt dat een rouwproces nooit heeft kunnen plaatsvinden. In plaats daarvan is er lijden, lijden en nog eens lijden. Pijn in alle geledingen. Hoeveel er ook tergend en gekweld gekeeld en ‘geschruweld’ wordt, niets helpt. De atmosferische depressieve black is een creatief syndroom dat ontspruit uit de maalstroom aan pijn, een onuitputtelijke bron aan afzien, vertaald in abrasief ruisende gitaren en passief agressieve drums met behoorlijk wat tempo. Soms weerklinken bitterzoete toetsen en akoestische meewarigheid, met een verknipt uplifting spirit, om vervolgen weer ondergesneeuwd te raken in de verzwelgende melancholische sfeer en het beknellende iele geluid van de gitaren. Onderliggend heb je hier en daar een Finse melodoom feel die zich mengt in het pure depressieve blackmetalgedoe, een gevoel dat vooral door een degelijke productie (en de sfeervolle synths) versterkt wordt – iets wat je in het genre van depressieve black metal maar weinig zo degelijk voorgeschoteld krijgt als bij dit None.

Hier en daar zie ik de naam Burzum opduiken als referentie, iets wat zeker genuanceerd dient te worden. De ingrediënten en uitvoering zijn dan wel gelijkaardig, maar None is een stuk melancholischer, neerslachtiger. Denk dus eerder in de richting van een ColdWorld, Totalselfhatred of Sombres Forêts als je blindelings wil instappen.

Rating: 79/100

Reviewed by: Bart Al Foet

Review from Ave Noctum

Mon, 15 Jul 2019 17:21:49 +0100

From: Ave Noctum

Published: July 15, 2019

Original Link

Although I’m writing about this in the summertime the Damp Chill Of Life is never far away waiting to cast its arthritic pall on proceedings. Masters of depressive and atmospheric doomed blackness, USA based shadowy entities None are back with their 3rd album. Thanks to label Hypnotic Dirge they have been casting their cold misery on me since 1st self-titled album in 2017 and with ‘Life Has Gone On Long Enough’ following in 2018 it seems like there is enough sorrow to spread on a yearly basis. We might not know exactly who is in the (rumoured to be a duo) band but they certainly seem to have a quick working ethos. The excellent nature inspired frosty and pine-scented artwork sets things up perfectly, even on the hottest day, one look at it is enough to make one shiver and the music is waiting just behind it to chill the listener to the bone. Fear not though there is a heated glow within for those who make it inside and stoke a fire, some may fall to the elements to freeze and remain till the great thaw but there is a bit of hope here and the gorgeous tones and melody of the music may yet warm the cockles.

After gradually fading into this barren wilderness courtesy of a short atmospheric instrumental we arrive at the mammoth 10 minute title track. It’s a journey that is instantly mesmerising catching you like startled deer caught in headlights on a deserted road before the vehicle ploughs into it bringing doom to nature and its trespasser. Atmospheric doom is the musical mainframe but when the vocals gradually rasp in the blackness is delivered with a barren and misanthropic sense of gloom and hate. Melody is strong and involving, this is not fast but the pace is gentle as it slowly crushes the will to exist burying you in its folds. The tempo picks up and drums power away, the sombre tones envelope and the slow death of what we have arrived at has its beauty as everything decays. Tracks are allowed to flow into each other without pause making this a numbing continuous piece of music and ‘Cease’ is at first a minimalistic piece of throbbing drone with piano keys being singly hit before the great wilderness is confronted and everything drops into place with cinematic clarity. The grace of the keyboard work here is excellent and the move from fragility to the full body of the track is handled with poise and precision. Vocals coming in is the icing on the frosty cake and the whole thing is lush as it sparkles and gleams.

I have no idea what it was but ‘You Did A Good Thing’ strikes as a moonlight sonata with keyboard calming things right down and providing a midway point along with some sudden spoken samples adding an argumentative DSBM feel to the otherwise placid piece. ‘It’s Painless To Let Go’ continues this narrative, challenging to question the pain of existence with fuzzy guitars trembling with the essence of Burzum and a sudden drop into the depths of sorrow with howling heartfelt vocal cries and mesmerising melody. With languid guitar solo and poetic verse this pretty much is a master-class of depressiveness and although the album MUST be listened to as a whole is possibly its pinnacle point. Acoustic fretwork and Morricone Western keyboard melody build a gorgeous bridge paving the way from ‘I Yearn To Feel’ to final number ‘A Chance I’d Never Have’ and yes the song-titles may suggest shuffling off this mortal coil the best solution but don’t be pushed into hanging up that gun quite yet, if you have made it this far your days of slinging are not yet over. Besides that would mean missing the finale, which is a fittingly glorious one.

Everything about this album is pretty much perfect right down to its 44 minute running time. None have yet again proven class and majesty and reminded that winter is just round the corner in the process. Embrace the sun going out below.

Rating: 8/10

Reviewed by: Pete Woods

Review from The Headbanging Moose

Sat, 13 Jul 2019 03:25:19 +0100

From: The Headbanging Moose

Published: July 11, 2019

Original Link

Since their introduction in the spring of 2017, the enigmatic and anonymous Atmospheric/Depressive Black Metal unity NONE, from Portland, Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest, has crafted disturbing and emotionally devastating music that have garnered the attention of many listeners of the genre. After having released their self-titled debut opus on April 11, 2017, a thick shroud of piercing guitar interwoven with haunting synth and tortured vocals marching in despair towards an empty void, followed by Life Has Gone On Long Enough exactly one year later, on April 11, 2018, developing its tortured personality further, NONE returned this spring like clockwork, once again on April 11, with their brand new effort entitled Damp Chill of Life, weaving visionary soundscapes with first-class Depressive Black Metal, picking apart your psyche and destroying your seasonal optimism with their oppressively bleak atmosphere.

As atmospheric and cold as possible, the intro Fade embraces our souls in darkness and sets the tone for the chilling and piercing sounds from the 10-minute aria The Damp Chill of Life, with its Doom Metal beats, melodic riffs and an ethereal background generating the perfect ambience for NONE’s desperate, raspy gnarls. In other words, this is a lesson in Depressive Black Metal, alternating between serene passages and aggressive and dense riffs and vociferations, and flowing majestically until its melancholic ending. Cease also begins as mournful as a lonely morning in the woods, with the music exploding into the most Stygian form of Atmospheric Black Metal you can think of after four minutes of pure serenity, all enfolded by beautiful piano notes and anguished vocals, once again showcasing a touching finale and building an instant connection with You Did a Good Thing, where the uncanny duo delivers more of their delicate but at the same time crushing music. Furthermore, eerie voices exhale anger, despair and the feeling of loss, matching flawlessly with the music to give the listener a true and deep melancholic taste.

It’s Painless To Let Go brings forward another visceral hybrid of Depressive and Atmospheric Black Metal, this time infused with Doom Metal and Blackened Doom nuances, with the duo delivering somber guitar lines, creepy vocals and endless obscurity for our total delectation; whereas I Yearn to Feel is a semi-acoustic composition by NONE that will penetrate deep inside your mind and take you on a journey through vast, gelid lands, always led by crystalline piano notes and showcasing an enfolding aura. And the music remains bold and inspiring, reverberating into A Chance I’d Never Have, beginning with acoustic guitar lines and growing in intensity and fear until an avalanche of dark and crisp sounds invades our ears. In my humble opinion, this is perhaps NONE’s record with the most introspective vocal lines, and this song is the perfect depiction of that, with its second half offering the listener sheer melancholy and rage in the form of top-of-the-line contemporary Depressive Black Metal.

I’ve already had the utmost pleasure of reviewing all albums released by NONE since the inception of such idiosyncratic and mysterious entity, and I must tell you NONE definitely know how to transform all the solitude, wilderness and bitterly cold winds of the Pacific Northwest into the best Depressive and Atmospheric Black Metal one can ever imagine, showing how connected they are with their homeland. Hence, you should take a good listen at Damp Chill of Life in full on YouTube (especially on your loneliest days), and grab your copy of such bitterly cold album of extreme music from the Hypnotic Dirge Records’ BandCamp or webstore as well as from Apple Music, Amazon, CD Baby or Discogs. Simply succumb to the music by NONE, accept hopelessness, and finally realize you are no one, nowhere, and nothing.

Rating: 3.5/5

Reviewed by: Gustavo Scuderi

Review from Metal Addicts

Sat, 13 Jul 2019 03:23:59 +0100

From: Metal Addicts

Published: July 3, 2019

Original Link

What would happen if Pink Floyd and Slayer musically meet? I really don’t know but None with “Damp Chill of Life” may be considered the lost link between them in an enormous variety of ways. None show us that the sweet and tender may be affected by the acid and hard in order to make a very different kind of music that disturbs the laymen. It disturbs because the main idea is to write sweet melodies in the most common facet to then subvert it to the most disturbing and annoying. It’s like a dream that went wrong and became a bad dream. Again the idea is to subvert the ‘right’ order of things. So, in the middle of a sweet and melodious instrumental sequence comes a devilish yell that frights us to the bones and makes us go gray. Nobody is safe these days. Not even in our dreams.

There are no vocals in their proper name in “Damp Chill of Life.” Only the demonic and desperate yells aforementioned. “A Chance I’d Never Have” really means its tittle due to the despair and relentless moves to make you feel miserable. Well, then, I’ll have to say the obvious “Damp Chill of Life” isn’t meant to make you feel better. On the contrary, it is meant to make you feel terrible. Lyrics wouldn’t do it better, unstrumentals made it easier to express the feeling. Instrumentalwise, “Damp Chill of Life” is a neat and carefull feature leading all the emotions in a very proper manner leaving vocals only to reinforce the idea in general using yells and screams.

If you haven’t been introduced to Depressive Black Metal, here I present you None and “Damp Chill of Life” a great introduction the subgenre. None present life as it is, with no colors, no beaches full of babes, no happiness in the end of the day, no pot of gold in the end of the rainbow, beter yet, no rainbows, only the hard and harsh, the bitter and the cold, just life as it is in its rawest and ugliest picture. Sometimes life is like Pink Floyd in its darkest hours, sometimes life is like Slayer in its most violent hours. It doesn’t matter, None don’t make it colorful.

Reviewed by: Poleto

Review from Aristocrazia Webzine

Mon, 01 Jul 2019 20:19:24 +0100

From: Aristocrazia Webzine

Published: June 30, 2019

Original Link

Se per la maggioranza di noi l’11 aprile non ricopre un significato particolare, così non deve essere per gli anonimi musicisti dietro al progetto None. Negli ultimi tre anni, puntuali come un orologio, hanno infatti scelto questa data per pubblicare il nuovo materiale, che nel 2019 è stato raccolto sotto il titolo Damp Chill Of Life. Nessun tipo di informazione traspare dalla consultazione del libretto, niente testi o foto che identifichino in qualche modo gli autori che evidentemente tengono molto all’alone di mistero nel quale la loro creatura è nata e sta crescendo. Solo dopo una ricerca nel mare magnum di internet, ho scoperto che si tratta di una coppia di musicisti provenienti dall’Oregon, e in particolare dalla città di Portland, luogo che negli anni ha saputo regalare agli amanti del metal non poche soddisfazioni (chi ha detto Agalloch?).

Fedeli a quanto messo in mostra nelle precedenti uscite, per il terzo anno di seguito i None accolgono l’arrivo della bella stagione con sette canzoni gelide e malinconiche come la foresta ghiacciata utilizzata per la copertina. Quasi 45 minuti di black metal dalle forti tinte depressive, nei quali però trovano spazio anche melodia e ampie parentesi che sfociano nell’ambient più cupa e intimista. Propria questa è l’arma vincente della formazione americana, capace di unire efficacemente la ferocia del black metal e il trasporto emotivo che la musica atmosferica riesce a trasmettere. Ogni singolo brano presente in Damp Chill Of Life riesce nell’intento di evocare un senso di tristezza e desolazione tale da lasciare profonde cicatrici anche nell’animo dell’ascoltatore più navigato. Difficile resistere allo stato di abbandono indotto dalle suadenti note di piano che introducono “Cease” o ai freddi riff che rendono “It’s Painless To Let Go” un vero anestetico per la mente.

A differenza della maggior parte delle uscite in ambito DSBM, Damp Chill Of Life gode inoltre di una produzione relativamente pulita che permette alle varie componenti, dalla voce straziante che sferza come un gelido vento le orecchie dell’ascoltatore alle evocative parti di tastiera, di rimanere distinte e comprensibili. Se dal punto di vista stilistico il duo di Portland non inventa nulla, ricordando in diversi frangenti Burzum dell’era Filosofem, è altrettanto vero che i None hanno gusto e talento a sufficienza per poter dire la loro in un genere sempre più inflazionato. La loro terza prova in studio si posiziona così, a mio avviso, un gradino sopra le due che la hanno preceduta, risultando più matura e profonda pur conservandone intatto lo spirito originario. Un album introspettivo, destinato a chi nella musica non cerca la pura violenza sonora ma piuttosto un momento di astrazione dal mondo, durante il quale l’immaginazione possa prendere il sopravvento su tutto il resto.

Review from Metal Temple

Mon, 20 May 2019 22:11:26 +0100

From: Metal Temple

Published: May 17, 2019

Original Link

If the readers watched “Lords of Chaos”, you all can understand that many standard features of Black Metal scene were born from a fundamentalist insight in music and in the way a Metalhead must be. Today, many of those ways aren’t used anymore, but from time to time, someone resurrects something from the past. And NONE did it on “Damp Chill of Life”. The band members didn’t show their names, signing just as “anonymous” (this is the feature from the past mentioned above). But their music is truly good, a sad, darkened and melancholic form of Ambient/Depressive Black Metal. Of course some of their musical elements were used many times before, but the way the duet plays is good, what will seduce the fans of this specific Black Metal genre, and can gain extreme Metal fans as well.

Their melancholic and aggressive insight gains a boost due the nasty sound quality that was built for “Damp Chill of Life”. It tries to sound as raw as on early days of Black Metal, but not in a way that the comprehension of what they’re doing would be harmed. No, the rawness comes mainly from the instrumental tunes used during the recordings. It’s good, but could be better. The long, darkened and melancholic “The Damp Chill of Life” with its nasty guitar riffs and agonizing shrieks (and tender melodies), “Cease” and its morbid pianos touches, the aggressive and funereal approach presented on “It’s Painless to Let Go” and on “A Chance I’d Never Have” are their best sinister hymns, but they could have shown more songs with vocals.

Even with “The Damp Chill of Life” not being the eighth wonder of the world, NONE proves itself to be a good name that will conquer many fans of Depressive Black Metal. But setting things in a better in the future will make them grow outside of the genre’s bounds.

Rating: 7/10

Reviewed by: Metal Mark" Garcia

Review from Grizzly Butts

Sun, 12 May 2019 23:56:54 +0100

From: Grizzly Butts

Published: May 3, 2019

Original Link

Too often popular music treats depression as if it were a strike of lightning, or an extra-sensorial event, entirely separate from whatever normative state unaffected folks feign on a daily basis. The bend of a string, a weeping vocal affect, or a descent into downtempo swooning offer a simplified and fetishistic treatment of sorrow that is altogether inhumane in its core assumption. As if a leaking anesthetic gas tamed by an open window the quiet hysteria of depression might creep in expected waves but its slow numbness is not a light switched on. Just as one might mistake lust for love their entire life so too do countless people confuse self-pity and/or empathetic reaction for a true physical and chemical depressed state. It is a land of shuttered sight, intoxicating obsessions, and such profound avoidance that so many self-pitying fools might count themselves lucky to be only a small percentage of the way there. As the ice melts and refreezes in the stable cycle of collapse and rebuild within the mind hopelessness will inevitably become anhedonia, a depth powerful enough that a few rounds of reasoning or cognitive behavioral changes couldn’t hope to ascend. So many turn to drug, drink, and self-harm regardless though, the normalizing catharsis of music is impossible for the anhedonist, the incurable empath, or the pitiable to resist. Black metal in particular has a wild history of irresponsible and absurdist reactions to mental illness, partially because of weirdly ‘macho’ northern European attitudes in the 1990’s, yet the path beyond the mid 2000’s is smoothed thanks to well-tapped marketability. Thus that catharsis continues to be sold as if natural medicine to relief-seekers and the few that distribute it freely but responsibly as considered art deserve some credit for not becoming entirely manipulative or exploitative. Count Portland, Oregon duo None among the few who’d truly represent the slow and ominous easing of depression into the expectant vessel’s already aching state without prying the listeners pockets free of any loose cash with a crowbar made of tropes and talentless obscuration.

It might be their chosen name or the cold and distant atmospheric values of their collaboration thus far but it seems appropriate that None are an entirely anonymous project devoid of any meaningful extraneous collaboration. Each record features a panoramic photograph, perhaps from the various elevated lakes surrounding the Mt. Hood area based upon the large sedimentary rocks in each, anonymously taken. The music is likewise drafted as something familiar elevated to something more poignant that it probably should be. The generations beyond Hypothermia and Xasthur in ColdWorld and Woods of Desolation would inform a style well-worn but worn well upon the arms of None. ‘Damp Chill of Life’ comes notably with the warmth of Burzum-esque synths and watery production values rescinded in favor of a gravel-stuffed wound of a guitar tone and thinner choice of synth movements. Whereas the previous album was a walk through the snow that’d endanger hypothermic death for the sake of a beautiful view, ‘Damp Chill of Life’ accepts that isolated beauty as a curse and mourns the death of the self in its own narrative consciousness. None are no less contemplative when they’ve cut loose the tendons that’d keep pure despondency at bay, but the feeling here in 2019 is that a life on the edge is taking a serious toll. The wailing lead guitars upon the crux of “It’s Painless to Let Go” break the realm of meditation and express as desperate action, a strike at numbed flesh meant to shatter the blurred-dark tunnel vision of ones own enfeebling self-obsession. The mirror shatters, the psyche broken.

Downtempo depressive post-rock drum patterns, meditative neofolk guitar strumming, accompaniment from piano and acoustic guitar alike all defy the dry and amateurish staples of depressive black metal yet at no point is ‘Damp Chill of Life’ warmed enough to thaw of its atmospheric black metal gnarl. There is a comforting stasis in each composition as they largely soldier on through predictably paced funereal strolls guided by whispers, rasps, and the occasional broken howl (see: “A Chance I’d Never Have”). It won’t satisfy the masochist, those seeking self-harm might relish in certain moments but None have crafted a slow climb rather than a drowning lilt. The full listen is captivating and becomes increasingly final as it reaches the last track but the arc is mere anesthesia, a disaffection that is almost too angelic to feel truly demolished by. Without punishment as part of the listen it’ll feel remarkably repeatable as an experience and I found I could spin the record 2-3 times in a row and still be nowhere near a point of exhaustion. The appeal might have to come from the soft, plodding and lushly balanced raking of the self that it provides as there will me a minimum amount of blood incurred in whatever suffering ‘Damp Chill of Life’ creates.

I can only approach a record of this genre as a dabbler, one who’d avoid the nuance of some of the sub-genres it caresses for the most impactful releases. As a fellow who truly believes he understands the intent and feeling of what None create, I would suggest the greatest strength of this third full-length is its emotionally distant affect. It is not a heart-yanking fall from a high place but a gently numbing erosion that begs to be re-assessed over and over again. That ‘Damp Chill of Life’, the numbed distal regions of the mind and body, is exactly appropriate for the piece and as a description of the intended feeling. Absurd as such linear thought might appear on my end, the experience was satisfying as it was neatly symbolic for this listener. Moderately high recommendation. For preview the title track is perhaps one of their best compositions but I’d also suggest trying “It’s Painless to Let Go” to witness the most profound breaking point within.

Rating: 3.5/5

Reviewed by: terraasymmetry

Review from In Your Eyes Zine

Thu, 02 May 2019 19:04:47 +0100

From: In Your Eyes Webzine

Published: May 1, 2019

Original Link

LNone è il nome di un progetto atmospheric black del quale poco si sa, se non il fatto che la sua provenienza è la sempre fertile per queste sonorità terra statunitense.

Damp Chill of Life è il terzo full length che, come quelli usciti nel 2017 e nel 2018, è stato pubblicato puntualmente l’11 aprile, data che evidentemente riveste un significato preciso per questo musicista (probabile infatti che si tratti di un solo project).

L’opera di None è di assoluto rilievo per l’abilità nell’unire in maniera ottimale le componenti più cupe e al contempo più atmosferiche del black metal, al cui interno la tendenza di matrice depressive viene infatti stemperata da aperture melodiche che rimandano alle band cascadiane, ma il tutto viene poi rafforzato da una scrittura non banale e sempre carica di tensione emotiva.

Damp Chill of Life si snida per circa tre quarti d’ora, tra brani molto lunghi come la title track, dal drammatico incedere punteggiato dal tipico screaming disperato, o Cease, dall’incipit ambient che si apre nella seconda parte in un dolente e cristallino afflato melodico.

La componente ambient è comunque sempre piuttosto presente, così come sprazzi di folk regalati da un notevole lavoro di chitarra acustica: Damp Chill of Life è un album in cui vengono alternati con maestria passaggi dall’enorme impatto emotivo ad altri più rarefatti e riflessivi, senza il tutto appaia mai frammentato e qui risalta la bravura, anche esecutiva, del nostro anonimo quanto ottimo protagonista.

Una produzione al di sopra della media per gli standard del genere chiude alla perfezione un cerchio all’interno del quale è possibile conservare con cura questo album, chiuso da un altro splendido e sofferto monumento alla disperazione come A Chance I’d Never Have.

Per fortuna, contraddicendo il titolo di quest’ultima traccia, un progetto come None ha avuto invece la possibilità di emergere in tutta la sua bellezza in questi ultimi anni, grazie al supporto di un etichetta come la Hypnotic Dirge, come sempre capace di portare alla luce magnifiche realtà altrimenti destinate a languire nei meandri dell’underground più nascosto e inaccessibile.

Rating: 8.2/10

Reviewed by: Stefano Cavanna

Review from Metal.it

Mon, 29 Apr 2019 03:47:32 +0100

From: Metal.it

Published: April 26, 2019

Original Link

Scrivere questa recensione mi risulta particolarmente difficile.

Difficile, se non impossibile, tramutare in parole il pesantissimo carico di emozioni che un disco come "Damp Chill of Life" è in grado di suscitare in modo così straziante.

I "solchi" di questo album hanno poco a che fare con la semplice musica ed il loro contenuto travalica qualsiasi genere per arrivare a toccare l'animo di tutti coloro i quali si nutrono di dolore, tristezza ed inverno.

I None, sempre avvolti nell'assoluto mistero, sono maestri del depressive black metal ed inarrivabili cesellatori di melodie gonfie di vuoto e di nulla. La loro musica è aspra e senza speranza, il loro messaggio difficile da digerire eppure così affascinante.

Rispetto al precedente "Life Has Gone On Long Enough", capolavoro unico del suo genere e titolo più bello di sempre, il duo americano ha insistito con maggiore evidenza sull'aspetto melodico ed "ambientale" (i paesaggi che ti si parano davanti sono spettrali) del suo suono riuscendo ad incidere una manciata di brani letteralmente da brividi che , a mio parere, possono solo essere equiparati alle lacrime che, amare, solcano il viso nei momenti più bui delle nostre vite piuttosto che a vere e proprie canzoni perché, se dovessimo condurre una analisi tecnica dell'album, ci accorgeremmo che i None non inventano niente e che tanti si cimentano in proposte simili, senza capire, quindi, la grandezza di una musica che fa male ad ogni nota, che lacera il nostro io ad ogni straziante urlo e che, inesorabile, ci accompagna verso la fine, verso quella possibilità che ognuno di noi non avrà mai ("A Chance I'd Never Have").

"Damp Chill of Life" è arte pura.

Lo dico senza paura di esagerare.

Lo dico mentre "Cease" (purissimo dolore), "I Yearn to Feel" (quasi "post") o la title track mi provocano i brividi e mi fanno soffrire con una ferocia che nessuna musica "estrema" potrà mai eguagliare.

Lo dico mentre poche note di pianoforte e gelide armonie di chitarra fendono l'aria come il vento d'inverno.

Qui, cari amici, siamo al cospetto di un'opera catartica alla quale concedersi senza remore e della quale occorre subire il sapore amaro ed aspro tipico della sconfitta.

Perché la vita, qui dentro, esce sconfitta e diventa qualcosa di "altro".

Disco enorme che, come sempre per i None esce l'11 aprile (perché?).

Rating: 8.5/10

Reviewed by: Beppe 'dopecity' Caldarone