ISON - Stars & Embers (2023)

Just when you think a band and their music can’t get any better, ISON comes at us with the majestic “Stars & Embers”. Daniel Änghede brings back Lisa Cuthbert to achieve total dreaminess in the eight tracks presented in this release. Perfectly blending Ambient with Darkwave and some additional ‘Doomgaze’ elements, this release is both haunting and captivating. While it might require a specific mood for full enjoyment, this release has been a great backdrop to some long days at work.

The release opens with the lush and sidereal “Luminescent Reverie”, a piece that instantly transports the listener to have an astral projection experience as the music blends with the hypnotic vocals and masterful pacing. ISON always has this experience on us, as their music is quite lush in the atmosphere and vocals department. Lisa’s range is amazing, allowing her voice to shift across songs this release progresses, additionally, Mikael Stanne lends his signature clean vocals in a duet on the shoegazey “Peregrination”.

While most tracks are always superbly atmospheric, there are some more fun electro elements thrown into the mix in pieces like “Astr” and “Formations”, allowing the music to be more expansive and engaging. Keeping things different and the listener fully engaged as they take on this journey. Our favorite track has to be the enigmatic “Beings of Light” and its very melodramatic atmosphere and arrangements.

As a whole, “Stars & Embers” is a magical release with an extremely immersive atmosphere that further elevates ISON and their majestic music. Every time we are surprised that we can be more impressed by this band and this release is definitely one step up from the previous one. If you love highly atmospheric music with dramatic vocal arrangements and very hypnotic and ‘outer space’-ish vibes, look no further and get a copy of this release.

Label: Avantgarde Music

Release: April 7th, 2023

Genre: Drone/Ambient

Country: International