Band – G.N.L.S. (Geometric Nictation of Lament’s Space)
Album – Conspiracy of Thoughts
Country of Origin – Greece
Genre – Avant Garde Ambient Black Metal
Release Date – March 25, 2023
Label – FYC Records
Author – Hayduke X
Conspiracy of Thoughts quickly pulls you into its riptide, threatening to drag you down under its crashing weight. Many extreme metal albums are instrumentally heavy. This is not that. As is Wrath’s trademark, the weight of this album is in the emotions produced. He and collaborator m.Sarvok have created a swirling abyss to represent the vortex one finds in their own darkest thoughts.
Formed at the end of 2019 by these two fairly regular collaborators, G.N.L.S. represents a new take on darkness. The promotional material describes the album as ‘claustrophobic,’ an apt description to be sure. Musically, the album is something like an unholy marriage of the darker material by The Cure and the best DSBM albums. Bleak, haunted post-punk with a twist of nihilistic horror.
For this project, the musical reins are entirely in the hands of M.Sarvok, who masterfully takes them to create this mind bending journey. Piano, subtly plucked guitar, and haunting bells interweave with heavier guitar, pitch black electronica, and more are various points throughout the six tracks. For his part, Wrath handles the lyrics and vocals. I’ll quote Wrath from the promotional material, in regards to themes:
“In the end of 2019 we created a new project, that we named it, G.N.L.S. (Geometric Nictation of Lament’s Space) in order to satisfy the voices in our heads. Our restless spirits and our long discussions on the constant decay of this world and humanity led us to this bastard creation.”
As always, Wrath’s vocals are haunting and heart wrenching. He has become one of my favorite vocalists over the last few years, showing so much range and variety, but especially because of the passion evident in his vocal takes. On Conspiracy of Thoughts, it seems he is pouring blood, sweat, and bile through the microphone cable.
Conspiracy of Thoughts is not a journey to be taken lightly. It pulls the listener bodily into the darkest recesses of their own mind, through the contemplation of the horrors of humanity. It is a journey which should be taken, however, as we all must reflect on the curse of our species upon this earth. Listen, ponder, then act.
Biography: Hayduke X has been writing for MoshPitNation since June of 2016. He is also a contributor to The Metal Wanderlust. Prior to joining the MoshPitNation team, Hayduke published reviews on his own blog Rage and Frustration. In addition, he has DJ’ed an online metal radio show of the same name as his blog, written for TOmetal.com, done interviews for Metal Rules, and collaborated with The Art of B Productions to create video interviews with a wide variety of bands.
