Nightmare Lodge - Blind Miniatures CD Review

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2002-08-04 : eternalfrost : Link
It seemed like it was about time for Red Stream to release another ambient/synth record since it's been a while. So here it is in the form of Italy's Nightmare Lodge. This was originally released by Minus Habens Records (Italy) earlier this year and soon after, was licensed to Red Stream for American release.

This is something to listen to if you're either in the right mood or if you're stoned. It's very dark and could probably pass for a horror film soundtrack. That's the way I think of it when I listen to it, which is probably what makes it so enjoyable. Some parts sound a bit too techno-y, but overall it's quite an effective disc.
2002-08-04 : hellfrost : Link
Blind Miniatures opens with a song called “Fugitive”, a breathtaking opus of mechanized dark ambient that gives me chills every time I hear it. Many of Nightmare Lodge’s songs try to capture that gripping atmosphere though how many of them live up to it is up for debate. Ironically enough, this Italian artist reminds me a lot of In The Nursery(who are one of my favorite bands of all time), in the sense that this album sounds like a film score - but the fact that it isn’t kind of urks me in a way. To try and summarize their sound, I’d call it “cinematic dark ambient”, though with occasional “electro” leanings. The overall sound is nowhere as near as orchestrated as ITN though often gives that illusion. “Attempt at Resistance” and “Locked Memories” are slow and uneventful, as if structured around a portion of the “film” that doesn’t require the same energy as “Fugitive”, but again, if it’s not really a film score that doesn’t give much reason for their slow and almost boring nature. If you go out and buy this and put it on the first thing you might think about is how much this would be a good album “to fall asleep to”. Well, every time I have followed suit I have never got past track 5, the title track. It is the most dramatic song since track 1, and sets an absolutely lulling atmosphere. I suppose the reason why I am so iffy about this album is I wish Nightmare Lodge would have furthered the “apocalyptic industrial” aesthetic “Fugitive” sets so well instead of comprising an album that is essentially background music. For all practical purposes I should be giving this a better review, as it thorougly reminds me of In The Nursery - but for some reason when the last song “Extinction” comes to a close I feel tired and without much urge to spin the CD again. In any case I look forward to what direction Nightmare Lodge go with their next release. 48:11 69/100.
2002-08-04 : RVWR: PTR : Link
"War is everywhere...and everyone is fighting"

Not including the soundtrack Syrena (which perhaps remains my favourite release), Blind Miniatures is the first full length release from the Italian Nightmare Lodge since the completion of their trilogy. Blind Miniatures is also the first Nightmare Lodge CD to be released outwith Iusco's Minus Habens label. Given the artwork portraying familiar green, plastic soldiers, and the quote on the album sleeve it is clear that this album's theme is war. A theme explored through 8 tracks and 48 minutes of music.

With a light string assemblage we enter Fugitive. Entry established, the tone and pace change, suggesting a furtive franticness, alluding to the track's title. Swirls and pauses suggest motions - over the shoulder, clear to carry on. Slowing to an air of despair we meet an Attempt At Resistance. Stroked beats suggest a cornering, while the slow rise of strings and electronic sounds offer a surrender. A moment of head in hands - what do I do now? I feel a resignation, perhaps contradictory to the resistance of the title, though the upswing of bowed strings and increased insistence of beats may bring us that.

Lighter in mood Locked Memories is initially comprised of little beats and gentle melodies. One level of beats has the flatness of electronic generation, while another has the depth of an eastern rhythm emphasized by the little jangles. Maintaining the feel of electronic melodies is Tenia (Still Hooked Version), soaring while underpinned by bass. Inclusion of a piano changes the feel, as does an increased sense of chord structures, with elements of voice. Seems like an extension of the introspection, even with the rise and fall.

Reaching the title track we take a more sinister turn, slight piano, deepening bass and swollen strings. Although, as it opens up Blind Miniatures is revealed to be a rich piece, tempo shifts and we are embraced by the increasing emphasis on the grandness of the melody. Eyes closed in concentration the orchestra plays on, eyes closed in concentration the audience continue to listen.

Surrounded By White Eyes extends some of the sound elements, but is simpler than Blind Miniatures. Little sounds creep in towards the end, an we slow down. Mired down in suggestions of increased tensions. Bass exerts pressure and we enter into a Labyrinth Without Walls. Even with string elements, the darkness holds on. Though with each corner turned we sense that dawn could break at any time. First glimpse of light and the mood changes, less of a feeling of restraint.

With a title like Extinction one expects a definite finality from the last track of Blind Miniatures. Following the 9 minutes of Labyrinth we do have a slow bass drone rising. Nearing a minute we have spaced moments, lighter intonations. Layering in a subdued manner we follow stepped out trails. Which leads to the end of this melodic soundtrack.
2002-08-04 : Craig Conley : Link
Just as the best scary movies use the power of suggestion to allow viewers to imagine their own worst horrors, the Italian band Nightmare Lodge stirs up violent images within the listener without sounding violent itself. This conceptual, darkambient band is known for its ability to present darkness without angst. Blind Miniatures presents a soul-stirring deluge of dark orchestral strings, conjuring mysterious and disquieting moods. While most of the album features minimal atmospheres, tracks such as "Tenia" are reminiscent of the majestic synth soundscapes of Vangelis, while "Fugitive" recalls the complex layering of Mike Oldfield. Bandmates Ivan Iusco and Russolo describe their sound as "a moody trip through a red terrain of horror-filled frequencies and subdued selections of celestial encounters, reminding us that war is everywhere and everyone is fighting." But the war in question is an internal conflict, deep within the heart and mind of the listener. Like an emotionless documentary, the music directs our attention to the front line, and what we see there depends upon which personal demons we are battling. The tension builds gradually, peaking at the album's halfway point, with "Blind Miniatures," "Labyrinth Without Walls" and "Extinction" introducing more floating beats and unidentifiable sound creatures. All told, it is a haunting, eerie, brooding, introspective journey.
2002-08-04 : AO : Link
For your darkest hours. Nightmare Lodge always have been a group that promises an uncertain, deep and, most often, quite depressive journey. Their music has this floating atmosphere of terror, and, in my opinion, only several groups in the world can reach this emotional height. The new piece of nightmares continue this trip of ambience into dark worlds. Comparing with previous releases, here we have less voices, and the music became a bit slower (at the same time, it became even darker). Also, the tribal character became clearer (like on "Locked Memories"), and band's dark ambient is more flowing and much more useful for deep diving into yourself. It seems that Red Stream don't release much stuff in this style (as far as I can remember, they have En Nihil and Wejdas), but all their signings are more than worth of attention. The motto of this album is "War is everywhere... and everyone is fighting," and it clearly characterizes the mood of "Blind Miniatures." It is ambient at its most depressive side; it's darker than Raison d'Etre or Desiderii Marginis.