Victims Shudder, The - Sonic Torture Methods CD Review

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2004-06-14 : D.
The Victims Shudder, from California, was first conceived back in 2002 by Darrin Winn and Diana. The band plays an interesting mix of dark ambient and soundtrack styled music with some occasional more experimental and noise influences. If your thinking this is just another dark ambient band, then please think again. The Victims Shudder is a lot more musical so to speak. The album features lovely piano passages, the haunting female vocals of Diana, some distorted male voices, and brief percussion spread out through the album. Generally I don’t like to compare bands of this nature to early Mortiis or the last two Burzum albums, but I suppose the influences are certainly there indeed, as those two projects were normally a little more melodic than your average ambient band I suppose. Similarly you can also hear influences from such acts as Vinterriket, Elffor, and some of Peter Andersson’s projects.

You could say TVS sound like the soundtrack to your worst nightmare or a rather mystifying dream at least. Dark, bleak, melancholic, atmospheric, ethereal, haunting, and beautiful are just a few of the words that come to mind when I listen to this album. The male vocals although mostly undecipherable really add to this ghostly feeling the album seems to portray. Plus with the haunting vocals of Diana in the background it only serves to spook you out and transport you to some otherworldly dimension.

I guess if there’s anything negative to be said here it’s the length of the album, as the album clocks in at just a little over forty minutes. It seems like whenever I come across a really great band I just never seem to get enough of it. Oh well I’ll just listen to the album again. Otherwise the listener is treated to one fantastic expedition filled with melancholy and chills that’s sure to please any fan of the genre.
Lunar Hypnosis Magazine, June 2004
2004-06-06 : F. : Link
In six tracks we get some rather great minimalist dark ambient. In about half an hour Darrin takes us on a trip through ourselves - the deepest thoughts and feelings. And in some creepy way he seems to be able to touch all kinds of things I thought they were unreachable for others - let alone music. The dark ambient of The Victim Shudder isn't only about keyboard sounds, samples and vocal parts (I'd rather call this murmur though). Sometimes you will be awakened by some livelier sound that the rest of a song like in "Daybreak" for instance. Some evil vaudeville seems to be haunting you. It is always pretty funny to think that most people don't like this kind of music - for one or the other reason - so it will always stay obscure and in its own way extreme. I'd like to make some comments on the package too - it looks really awesome.