I have no idea who Sisters of Death are, and their Bandcamp bio simply states, "You have been judged." When I did a google search, I got a 1976 film by the title of Sisters of Death with the tagline "Don't bother to scream. there's nobody to hear you...except your killer." So with little to go on, let's dive in and see what the judgment will be this time.

I suppose that the fact that I got a film in the search results is fitting, as the music here is cinematic and would be right at home in such a thriller. We open up with "Death," which is a chaotic piece with piano, pounding percussion, and droning bass atmospheres. There are weird synth noises that add to the unsettling feel. This is very well constructed and manages to use the piano and crashing cymbals and rumbling drums to give the entire thing an ominous feel. This is a jump scare that lasts 13 minutes, and I mean that in a good way. On "Fire," the elements are the same (piano, cymbals, droning atmosphere), but the feel is completely different. A piano note that intones periodically like a church bell, and crashing cymbals that punctuate the suffocating drone give this track a kind of heaviness that goes beyond the many layers of drone. If the first track was the fright, this is the moment right after, where you think that you are safe, but you are not quite sure. "Fear" keeps this same feeling going, but noisier. We add some xylophone and clarinet into the mix for a slightly whimsical feel that seems jarring when combined with the sounds of scrap metal being shoved around a dark alley, sparse piano, and sudden bursts of percussion. This is like the soundtrack to a Looney Tunes cartoon where Bugs Bunny has developed an insatiable hunger for flesh.... and he just acquired Elmer Fudd's shotgun somehow.... "Mortis" adds a pulsing bass drone that runs through the track like a malevolent heartbeat. This is a bit more sparse, with piano and drums making up the majority of the incidental sounds.

Overall, this is pretty good cinematic dark ambient. There is a lot going on in these tracks to keep them interesting. They are similar in feel, but manage to remain distinct with their own personalities. You can tell that they belong together, but they are not really the same. If you like it a little bit noisy and a lot bit oppressively dark, this is well worth checking out. This album weighs in at around 53 minutes.

I'm pretty sure that Substak is trying his hardest to get more albums on Inner Demons than Dan Fox himself at this point. If you are not familiar with this artist, Substak hails from Athens and has put out a lot of drone-flavored albums. The album title, "Natura Non Constristatur" is Latin for "Nature Is Not Saddened," and the liner notes state that the album is "built on the contrast between raw noise and the vast, indifferent forces of nature, suggesting that the chaos we perceive is simply part of a larger, unmoved system. A sustained wash of drone, built from low frequencies, crackles and distortion." Well, I like a good concept album, so let's give this a listen and see just how little nature cares about us.

We kick it off with “Natura 1,” which is heavy multilayered drone that is pretty intense in headphones. “Natura” is a bit more spacey in approach, but every bit as heavy. This is a bit less static of a drone, as there are a lot of elements coming to the forefront. “Natura 3” keeps the heavy drone going with bits of rumbling buried beneath the surface. Finally, “Natura 4” is what it sounds like when you have a clock chiming in a sawmill pitched down by 1000. If the prior ones were spacey, this is much more down to earth, with sand and mud in the gears. Nicely done.

Overall, I like this entry from Substak. I have found some of his other work to be composed of tracks that were so similar in style as to be almost indistinguishable. This is certainly similar in style, but there are a lot of subtle differences in the tracks that keep it interesting. Now this is purely drone, so if that is not your bag your mileage may vary. But this is great stuff for building an atmosphere without being too heavy handed. This album weighs in at around 25 minutes.

Substak hails from Athens and has put out a lot of drone-flavored albums, many on Inner Demons Records. The label describes the album as “Voices in the static. Glass Whispers is a dark, immersive journey through pitch-shifted grains and infinite shadows.” Sounds like a good time, so let’s see what the voices are telling us this time.

“Glass Whispers” is one 19 minute track of heavy drone. There is a lot going on in this track, but it is subtle. This is like traveling in the cargo hold of a spacecraft. Dull machinery hum keeps steady, with only the pulsing sounds just below the surface that tell you when the engine is under load. Put this on and read your favorite dystopian science fiction. It will fit right in.

I was unfamiliar with this trio before it arrived in my mailbox, but KBD is a trio consisting of Michael Kimaid on Drums and Percussion, Gabriel Beam on Modular Synthesizer and Live Sampling, and Ryan Dohm on Trumpet, Sampler, and Tapes. They hail from Toledo Ohio (go Mud Hens!) and their website describes themselves as "a trio of musicians who perform long form improvisational sound pieces using electroacoustic instrumentation. This approach is experimental by both nature and design, and serves as a way for listeners to engage with deep and active listening." Sounds like a good time, so let's see what this trio has for us.

We kick it off with “At the Threshold,” which is a 32 minute track that sounds like noises heard through a large concrete irrigation pipe. Scrapes, thumps, and other noises with a bit of reverb. This gives way to some analog noises and other synth improvisation along with the ever present clatter. It seems that everything is grist for the improvisational mill, as cymbals, heavily processed voices, clock chimes, and what sounds like field recordings of a crowd all blend together into an interesting soundscape. At times it is chaotic and noisy, while going minimalist at others, but all rather engaging.

Turning over the tape, we have “On Waves, Under Stars,” which keeps the controlled chaos going with a bit more of a percussive feel. This is like listening to a toy factory after it has closed for the night and the toys are moving around on their own. Lots of movement and clattering noise, with woodblock, cymbals, creaking and scratching sounds, squiggly analogue noises, and turntable scratching, but this is much more restrained than the previous track. There is a whimsical quality to the track that adds a feeling of playfulness that was not as evident in the previous track.

In short, if you like it experimental and improvisational, this is one to check out. If you want something in your face, “At the Threshold” is the one to go with. If you want something that evokes a sense of being somewhere that you shouldn't, go with “On Waves, Under Stars.” Either way, you're in for a fun ride. This album weighs in at around 58 minutes.

I was unfamiliar with Roberto Bonati, but the website states that he is a “composer, double-bass player, orchestral conductor,” who hails for Parma, Italy. He founded the ParmaFrontiere Orchestra in 1998. This work is a recording of a concert dedicated to the Centenary of the Parma Barricades (1922-2022). According to the accompanying press sheet, “Bonati wanted to pay homage to memory and history, to those days in August 1922 when the people of the city of Parma rebelled against fascist violence and defended their freedom with tenacity and passion.” Google translate tells me that the title of this album translates out to “They had dressed up for the party,” so let’s put on our finest and see what Bonati has in store for us.

We start off with “Prelude,” which starts out quietly with bits of cymbal tinkling away. This slides into a piece reminiscent of a lullaby, with pleasant alto vocalizations over slow moving orchestra. This is suddenly interrupted by a few dissonant orchestra stabs. The track tacks between peaceful and dissonant throughout the rest of the track, but there is always some indication that beneath the smooth surface there's something lurking. Bits of percussion that are not quite smoothly in line with the rest of the piece, more orchestra stabs throughout. In short, we're off to a nice start. “Oltretorrente” is a slow jazzy number with Giulia Zaniboni using vocals much like an instrument. There are some trumpet and sax solos that are a little more frenetic that give it a nice sense of movement. The track is pretty, but it plays it a little too safe for my tastes. On “Voici le Soir,” the vocals remain but they're actually lyrics this time. Unfortunately, my grasp of the Italian language consists mainly of being able to find my way back to where I'm staying if I get lost, so I don't know much beyond what the vocals are like, but the lush vocals combined with music that has a slightly dark undertone due to its judicious use of dissonance provides an interesting juxtaposition. On “Marionette Nere,” you can tell we’re in for something completely different when it opens with a harsh music blast to your face. There's a lot going on in this track and you can almost think of it as several separate movements. At times it's loose and jazzy, at others it almost seems like a march. Also, I didn't have “guitar solo” on my bingo card for an orchestral album, but here we are and it works pretty well. “Barricate” likewise has a lot of going on in it. It begins with plucked bass and incidental noises, then a man starts talking over it all in Italian. Clattering noise becomes more and more intense over time until it suddenly stops and switches to female vocals over a slow moving composition. The vibraphone gives it a languid feel before it shifts into a syncopated piece with a driving beat. We then come back to mellow female vocals and reprise the syncopated portion. “Vincenti per tutta la vita” opens up with violin and keeps the slow moving female vocals. “Arditi” is a nice conclusion that brings in a lot of saxophone solo with female vocalizations over it. This is pretty calm music with no sudden movements. If you were looking for a break from the intensity of “Barricate,” this is it.

Overall, this is pleasant listening but for the listeners of Chain D.L.K., it may not push the envelope quite enough. I do appreciate what Bonati is throwing down though. He seems enamored with the idea of opposites. Smooth and rough, slow and pizzicato, dissonant music and lilting vocals, etc. I also like that Bonati is not afraid to mix it up. Often with this kind of music each track is confined to a particular movement, but this has a lot of shifts in style within the same track. I also appreciate the sentiment of remembering those who fought against fascism (the included photo was a nice touch) and, sadly, this sentiment is as timely as ever. For music that kind of pushes the envelope, to me the standout tracks are “Barricate” and “Vincenti per tutta la vita.” If you have someone who's a fan of orchestral music and want to give them a kind of gateway to more experimental stuff, this would be a nice one to throw their way. This album weighs in at around 64 minutes.