Spanish webzine Seküencias de Culto has ceased its activities in September 2005. The end of this zine which was a valuable source of information may sound sad, but there is one big consolation: the farewell compilation “A Final Testimony”, with some of the best acts in industrial, dark ambient, neofolk and martial music.
The makers of Seküencias de Culto decided to devote their energy to other matters. SDCzine was founded in 1992 as a paper zine. In 2000 a website was introduced, which soon became their core business. You still have time to browse the archives of the site until July 2005. “A Final Testimony” is a good portfolio of the music which SDC was devoted to. The disc, manafucatured by Hau Ruck! and distributed by Tesco, has a wonderful design. A foldout digipack containing two cd’s and a thick booklet with a page each for each artist involved.
Disc I is devoted to industrial noise, power electronics and dark ambient. After a slow and deep rumbling intro by Tore Honoré Boe we get a nice experimental soundscape by Propergol with a lot of tension, more restrained than I’m used of them. Then things get heavier with some monotonous dirty power electronics by Operation Cleansweep. Thorofon has also contributed a fine track between rhytmic industrial and minimal electronics. ICK offers some oldschool industrial with Italian spoken vocals, while IRM contributes an impressive experimental industrial piece which gets quite aggreesive towards the end.
The second half of this cd is devoted to some of the finest names in dark ambient. Svartsinn, Inade, Raison d’Etre, Herbst9 and Wolfskin know how to create spine-chilling atmospheres. Especially Inade is deep, intense and multifaceted, while Raison d’Etre and Herbst9 offer the quality you’re used of them.
After all this electronic violence Disc 2 has room for dark folk and martial soundscapes. Tribe of Circle and Toroidh offer two dark soundscapes full of battlefield tension. In Gowan Ring contribute a piece in their nature-inspired traditional folk manner, which you will certainly appreciate if you like their other work. Karnnos offer a dark folk piece in the line of Strength through Joy, while Hekate is present with a melancholic ballad called ‘Memory Remains’. The track of Sieben has the appropriate title ‘The rattle of drums’, a nice song based on heavy percussion and violin loops. As usual Novy Svet offers something unique, a strange exotic jazzy piece which I like a lot. Next is the percussion based hymn ‘Il lupo’ by Camerata Mediolanense, in a live recording.
The disc is closed with a few more subtle contributions. Turbund Sturmwerk contributed a slow majestic neoclassical piece, while Instincts created a very melancholic and moving track of isolationist ambient. Tore Honoré Boe has the opportunity of finishing this excellent compilation with a minimal ambient piece which starts with various nature sounds. “A Final Testimony” is indeed a worthy testament for the Spanish webzine, with a great deal of variety and a high quality throughout.
