The Jünger Tumilon collective has been one of the more interesting to follow over the past decade or so, as while the Swiss based musicians have quite a few different bands they all focus on themes that set their material apart. Unlike a lot of other death and black metal adjacent acts, the thematic elements were woven as much into the music itself as the lyrics. This was best demonstrated on recent releases like Arkhaaik’s Uihtis, which explored hunting and other practices during the Bronze Age, and the sound of the hunt was represented through the rhythms and riffs just as much as the vocals and lyrics. One of the Jünger Tumilon acts that has been a bit more mysterious is Death. Void. Terror., who explored incredibly dense and nightmarish black and doom on their past two releases To the Great Monolith and To the Great Monolith II. Following a six-year absence, the band has returned with an EP and an album that significantly transforms their sound into something more ethereal and atmospheric. To the Great Monolith 2.5 takes two compositions written around the same time as the second album and reimagines them in the current stylistic framework while also giving listeners a longer dark ambient piece. It’s an interesting bridge to the full length especially when listened to back-to-back, and while the ambient closer may not click with everyone those that let the atmosphere envelop them will find this EP stands on its own merits.
Unlike some of the other Jünger Tumilon artists Death. Void. Terror. hasn’t revealed the two musicians in its ranks, but as the layers of noise have been peeled back a bit with each new release you can probably have a pretty good idea of the other groups they’re involved in. Compared to the sheer density and noisiness of the first two albums, you’ll notice an immediate difference when spending time with To the Great Monolith 2.5 but the tone remains just as haunting. Opener “( -- -- ) Ametähna” has a lot of similarities to The Ruins of Beverast circa Blood Vaults as well as Urfaust during their more meditative and cosmically focused period. I’ve noticed similar textures in a lot of other recent releases from Jünger Tumilon bands, so it makes sense that they continue to be a focal point here, but Death. Void. Terror. finds ways to transform it into their own cadence and approach. This opener feels very methodical in how it achieves its shimmering, tense atmosphere, as it ebbs and flows at a slower pace while the walls of cosmic melodies wash over you. Where To the Great Monolith II felt like it was crushing you with its weight, this track gives a sense of wonder and the vocals follow suit with a wide range of distorted screams, cleaner chants, and other sung pitches. The singing really sets Death. Void. Terror. apart from some of the others in this style, as it shifts so often and has pitches that feel more unique. “(-- - -) Srek Ysedon” continues the layers of melody but brings back some of the more claustrophobic and crushing elements from the group’s past, injecting a significant more amount of weight alongside some short bursts of faster instrumentation. But even the way this song progresses showcases how the duo has progressed over the years, as the bursts of more aggressive riffing and harsher vocals give way to moodier, creepier approaches that get under your skin.
“Third Monolithic Manifest” takes up about half the run-time of the EP and I think this is where listeners may be drawn in further or bounce off this one depending on their tastes. Here Death. Void. Terror. peels back the weightier doom and harsher black metal edges in favor of a pulsating, reverberating dark ambient piece that is more abstract in its construction and driven by its narration. The first thing you hear upon pressing play is very low-pitched chanting that sounds like Tibetan throat singing, but more ominous and mysterious melodies and rhythms pulse underneath it and create this eerie blend of sounds. When the narration comes in, it initially has a more distorted and powerful tone that reminded me of Trepaneringsritualen or Genocide Organ. It has that same authoritative and large presence as some of those death industrial and power electronics artists, but things shift to some slightly clearer spoken word as the song progresses. Things are pretty subtle on the instrumental side which isn’t uncommon for dark ambient, but the way that certain effects loop and repeat maintains this constant sense of tension for the entire run. Again, I think it depends on how far your tastes go outside of the traditional metal areas, but the way the narrative and sounds shift together made me think of this being the perfect soundtrack to a silent horror film or even something like Angel’s Egg.
It has become clearer how much Death. Void. Terror. has transformed listening to this EP after the full length came out, and it does feel like To the Great Monolith 2.5 properly represents an incremental step between the two albums. But the way that it peels back the murk and noise in favor of something a bit more methodical and entrancing stands on its own, as the two black metal and doom leaning tracks have a lot of substance to dig into and small details to uncover. The dark ambient piece may not be for everyone, but if you enjoy that genre or the distorted and authoritative vocal slant of power electronics there’s plenty here that will stick with you for some time to come. To the Great Monolith 2.5 is available from Sentient Ruin Laboratories.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg