Phelios - Gates of Atlantis

Atlantis... a magical and mysterious name that captured imagination of many people in classical antiquity and continues to be one of the biggest secrets of all times. The brightest minds tried to discover for centuries what could have happen to this legendary island or to find its remains in the deepest ocean abyss, but all the attempts are still unavailing. Some believe though that Atlanatis could be a poetical expression of the treasures which are hidden inside the human being while the quest of each and one should be to reveal those treasures to the world.

Anyhow, imaginary continent or not, but its vision inspires many artists until today and one of them is a German resident Martin Sturtzer aka Phelios transferring his ideas into the content of the new album called "Gates of Atlantis". Exploring the world of dark ambient music, Martin uses the potential of this genre to create a vast landscape that perfectly describes a true spirit of this fascinating theme.

To be honest, this project slipped from my sight somehow though I always try to keep my eyes and ears opened for such kind of projects. That's why, without any prejudgments and expectations, I dive deep into the ocean of sound to discover the magical land of Atlantis.

The first track that carries the title of the album, hits hard with the tunes of tribal ambient full of strong and powerful drumming, a majestic melody and a dense background atmosphere. All the energy of apocalyptic and utopian vision that was accumulated inside the myths of Atlantis is bound by ritualism of the whole album. The gates open wide towards the brave listener that found his way through the labyrinth of fears to discover the treasures of the long lost land. Once the gates are opened, I follow the pass towards "Temple of Yith", the great race of aliens that first appeared in Lovecraft's Cthulu Mythos, guided by a very hypnotic track which operates with dense wavy drones of wide bass pulsations and flowing ambience.

"Spiritual Possession" strikes back with the ritualistic percussion to set the rhythm for the demons taking control over my body that starts to shake to the tunes full of dark radiance. Industrialization meets antiquity to prepare a mixture of the highest quality for all the fans of Sephiroth that miss their idol. The same recipe works amazingly in the next composition "Hibernation" but with a little bit slower tempo, drumming turns to be more militaristic and melody more solemn, but still soaked with the atmosphere of ancient times.

Listening to the new album of Phelios is like sinking inside the legend, feeling the tragedy of the lost civilization, the tragedy of unfulfilled desires and eternal pride. "New Stellar Age" becomes a hymn for the ages forgotten, the history that will never be found and restored, but also a door for upcoming generations giving hope for the vortex of life creation. Extremely wide space drones roll over and over weaving between areas of tension and fading away to leave a space for the deep sensual experience. "Shadow out of Times" returns the stage for the ritualistic percussion driving the music again together with the same wide ambience and mysterious melody. Broken columns and abandoned ruins peek out of the depth of the ocean telling the story of the empire's rise and fall, revealing secrets of its wisdom. But the story ends with "Ascension", and an ancient spirit is raised again, prevailing over the merciless time and against all odds, shining as never before, inflaming the hearts of those few that dared to believe in one of the biggest mysteries of all times. Distant trumpets and ticking pulsations, airy electronics and again extremely wide drones, all of them contribute to the truly majestic atmosphere to set a really strong end of the whole masterpiece.

Colored with deep blue, grey and dark black tones, "Gates of Atlantis" establish new standards for those that try to explore the field of tribal and ritualistic ambient music. Highly cinematic content provides a lot of material for the listeners' imagination, guiding it on its journey, manipulating with moods and senses. I feel that Martin was able to find the right balance between the running time of each track and the message that it carries inside its textures. Arriving from the crypts of one of the most recognizable names on the scene, Malignant records, Phelios generates the material that will enter the pantheon of dark ambient classics and will fill the air in my room with its hypnotizing tunes and rhythm for many years to come. And those of you that live in Europe, I am really envious, because you are able to witness this beautiful act really soon, during Phobos Festival that will take place in October. I am sure it will be unforgettable experience. Sep 26 2013