DARKSPACE is a Black Ambient/Atmospheric Black/Electronic Metal Band from Bern, Switzerland.  Their bio is fairly mysterious and the band doesn't have the usual Black Metal topics of Satanism, but rather they choose to write about space, darkness and cosmic mysticism. This album is the band's fourth release, and contains three tracks...the first clocks in at nearly 28 minutes, and the next two are right around 19.

Following a long atmospheric opening, "01 Dark (4:18)" begins to take musical form a couple minutes in.  Heavy, dark electronica pummels you into submission as an eerie guitar riff mingles in and around, like a skeleton seducing you into his graveyard.  The vocals and double bass are beyond intense, and there is a clear Black Metal sound here, making it difficult for you to discern individual elements of their music.  As it breathes a bit more here and there, it's a nice contrast from the sharpness of the bombast. The rhythm is almost hypnotic, and it is easy to fall prey to its fury and potency.  As the track finished, it settles into a slower grind, and instruments begin to drop off.

"02 Dark (4:19)" is the next song presented.  A droning riff carries the initial melody, over a steady double bass, complete with background sounds I can best describe as chants or chimed notes that are held and then slowly fade.  A seamless segue into a dark and deeper sound soon rolls in, and then it's back to the original riff.  The keys that are creating this sound are bright and seem to pierce the darkness of the main riff and guitars in a pleasingly contrasting fashion.  A lengthy atmospheric passage builds suspense as the song ends with some up front, assertive darkness.

The third and final track is entitled "03 Dark (4:20)."  It is pretty aggressive and somber right from the start.  The tortured vocals would scare a demon from the pit of Hell.  Again we hear the song almost sectioned into various passages of repeated riffing, connecting back to the original sonic bombast.  This is without a doubt some of the most intense brutal, ferocious and mysterious Black Metal that I have come across in a while.

Though the band purports to not use Satanism as their lyrical or musical themes, the music is undoubtedly as wicked and venomous as anything I have heard in the genre. One of the most pleasing features of this album however is all of the various sounds that are going on in the background. It really keeps the material interesting.