Music
[Album Review] Assembly Of Light ‘Assembly Of Light’
Sometimes one has to culture oneself, be it going to a museum, reading a fine piece of literature, or listening to some music that pushes our boundaries. And so it was that I unknowingly embraced an opportunity to do just that by listening to the self-titled album from Assembly Of Light. Utilizing a 20+ piece female choir over some hypnotic, beautiful music, this release offers gorgeous, haunting melodies that are perfect for fans of the metal genre who wish to expand their horizons. Read on for my full review.
Opening with “Insides”, the album begins subtly with crystalline notes humming. Then a piano comes in with sparse notes, preceding the choir who enter with melodies sans any words. It is a gentle, glorious piece that is incredibly easy to get lost in. It is one of those songs that you put on, close your eyes, and let the music drift you away on wave after gentle wave of beauty.
The next track, “Transition”, is a far more sinister, foreboding piece. Thunderous, rumbling, distorted bass and guitars drone in the background while sparse drums burst like gunshots rhythmically. As the choir sings, suddenly a frantic, screaming voice enters the background, the words indiscernible. At the halfway point, the song shifts into a more positive, uplifting sermon.
While I won’t go on to describe the other four tracks of the album (hey, I have to leave some surprises for you, don’t I?), know that they are just as fascinating and pleasurable to hear.
The Final Word: Completely secular yet as grand as any cathedral choir, Assembly Of Light have released an ethereal album that is best listened to as a whole.
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It’s a new day, and you’ve got new John Carpenter to listen to. John Carpenter, Daniel Davies and Cody Carpenter have released the new track He Walks By Night this morning, the second single off their upcoming album Lost Themes IV: Noir, out May 3 on Sacred Bones Records.
Lost Themes IV: Noir is the latest installment in a series that sees Carpenter releasing new music for John Carpenter movies that don’t actually exist. The first Lost Themes was released in 2015, followed by Lost Themes II in 2016 and Lost Themes III: Alive After Death in 2021.
Sacred Bones previews, “It’s been a decade since John Carpenter recorded the material that would become Lost Themes, his debut album of non-film music and the opening salvo in one of Hollywood’s great second acts. Those vibrant, synth-driven songs, made in collaboration with his son Cody Carpenter and godson Daniel Davies, kickstarted a musical renaissance for the pioneering composer and director. With Lost Themes IV: Noir, they’ve struck gold again, this time mining the rich history of the film noir genre for inspiration.
“Since the first Lost Themes, John has referred to these compositions as “soundtracks for the movies in your mind.” On the fourth installment in the series, those movies are noirs. Like the film genre they were influenced by, what makes these songs “noirish” is sometimes slippery and hard to define, and not merely reducible to a collection of tropes. The scores for the great American noir pictures were largely orchestral, while the Carpenters and Davies work off a sturdy synth-and-guitar backbone.
“The trio’s free-flowing chemistry means Lost Themes IV: Noir runs like a well-oiled machine—the 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster from Kiss Me Deadly, perhaps, or the 1958 Plymouth Fury from John’s own Christine. It’s a chemistry that’s helped power one of the most productive stretches of John’s creative life, and Noir proves that it’s nowhere near done yielding brilliant results.”
You can pre-save Lost Themes IV: Noir right now! And listen to the new track below…
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