Who knew that a harmless synthesizer could open the portal to Hell? The latest CDR from Aleph Naught is a sinister swath of dark ambient that whispers at the ear of Lucifer and pulls us into the void.

"Coagula" is all about a descent. A descent from serenity into chaos. A descent from hope into nihilism. Aleph Naught doesn't want us to simply stare into the abyss-- he wants us to feel it. He wants us to succumb to its nothingness. We are not immediately thrust down-- "Cast the Seed Into the Field of the Night" is built upon dreary synths wandering the dark. The nearly 12-minute piece invokes the calm spirit of the night-- you can almost feel the balminess of the air and smell the dew forming upon the grass. The piece takes a sudden, jarring turn into deep, resonating tones, and our fear of the unknown takes hold. The once eerie calm is now overcome by restlessness and anxiety.

"Putrefacio" continues the descent. The echoes run deeper still-- with a clatter and a rumble, the abyss opens and the shadowed hands of the underworld are revealed. The foul breaths of beasts can now be heard. As the CDR reaches its end with "Black Days Will Come," we are now totally lost in a wasteland marked by sudden post-industrialized crashes and clangs. There is no exit.

By now you probably have the impression that "Coagula" is quite an unsettling experience. Although "Coagula" is a gradual descent into blackness, Aleph Naught has a way of muting the feeling of helplessness that permeates our nightmares. We are removed from the self, lucidly observing the physical form overcome with dread. But we are not terrified-- we are mesmerized and fascinated. 8/10 -- Robert Oberlander (16 December, 2009)