Do you believe in spirits? Whatever your position on the case, the cooperative effort of HORSEBACK &LOCRIAN get you in touch with post-deceased astral bodies. These are not any ordinary spirits but spirits with anguish, lingering behind and dragging a heavy burden on the places they dwell and all the pedestrians who happen to pass by. Their aura is present and when you take a step into a new territory you feel their suffocating pressure. How would I describe it in one word? Death, death is the inscription written over "New Dominions" under Relapse Records.

I have not heard their individual work but this collaboration screamed out original. When listening to this record you need one key characteristic, imagination. Without it, this extraordinary effort will not go well for you. It is a test to see if you are willing to be open minded to music outside of metal. You need to go beyond the superficial level and let your mind play with events in your head that conjure an evil marionette séance per se. This type of music is new for me and with limited knowledge within this area I'd say it's ambient music but technically it can be called something else probably shoegaze which I've heard the terminology before but not entirely sure what it consists of. However, the very few vocals give you the illusion that it's par with black metal but in regards to atmosphere they're both very much alike. In my humble opinion, there's more death surrounding "New Dominions" than any Death Metal band could ever achieve. Within this release there's a story to tell. The ambiguity of it is what makes it a magnificent album.

In comparing it to something similar, the best I can give is not a band but rather Japanese Horror. The Japanese really capture a different side to horror and death and I believe its presence is here on this album. I would also recommend listening to this if you've played a video game like Fatal Frame. Look for subtly and accustom your ears to be susceptible to whispers in the wind. You never know when your past will catch up to you, haunt your surroundings and destroy you mentally.