Dream Into Dust - No Man's Land

Released
1997

Label
Chthonic Streams

Reviewed by
destruKt

Contact

PO Box 7003
New York, NY

Last Edit/Update
20 January, 1998

Dream Into Dust

NO MAN'S LAND

Track Listing

1. The Lost Crusade
2. Age of Delirium
3. Dissolution
4. Seasons in the Mist

          Dream into Dust is the new project from Derek Rush (ex-December), the founder of Chthonic Streams label in New York. Alongside Rush are Patrick Hogan (of Figurehead) and Bryin Dall (of Loretta's Doll), together this trio creates a brand of foreboding dark industrial music mixed with gothic vocals and haunting samples. No Man's Land is the debut release from Dream into Dust, and an impressive journey into a world of militaristic rhythms and ritual clattering.
          While there are four tracks on this EP, they are bought together seamlessly to create the feeling of a single piece . At times this technique can be unsettling, as Rush employs a variety of vocal styles throughout the work, ranging from goth-rock crooning to morbid spoken-word soliloquies.
          "The Lost Crusade" is built around plodding synths and simple drum rhythms, with Rush singing a dark lament with a plethora of war-imagery, which is constant throughout the EP. The stark black and white photography that adorns the cover is of World War I trenches and a bombed-out cityscape, enough said.
          "Age of Delirium" begins where the previous track ends -- thumping percussion buries the vocals, which are typical gothic fare, all is forsaken and lost, abandon all hope etc...
          "Dissolution" is where things start to get interesting, beginning with a thick droning undercurrent and howling loops that tinker off into the night. Again vocal styles change, Rush moves into spoken-word dialogue that is infinitely more appealing than his singing. Disturbing chimes and horns echo throughout, and at thirteen minutes, there is enough time to build an unnerving ambience. Loops of chamber-music strings bring to mind the Scandinavian dark ambience of Cold Meat Industry bands. Spoken-word dialogue with occult symbolism lends a ritual element to the work, while bells and strange samples make an incredibly oppressive mixture. The track descends into thick noise and fades away slowly. "Seasons in the Mist" continues in the dark ambient vein, punctuated by creeping strings before taking a more folk-orientated approach with light guitar melodies.           The EP ends with more chimes and metal percussion before returning to doomed vocals.
          This is an impressive debut release by Dream into Dust, "Dissolution" creates an exciting atmosphere of morbid energy, juxtaposed with Boyd Rice-ish spoken word incantations. Unfortunately Derek Rush's singing seems unsuited to the music behind it, and would probably work better with a more conventional sound, but this would undoubtedly limit the potential of this trio's talent.

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