kariti – Dheghom

Releasedate:   02-02-2024
Label: Lay Bare Recordings

Being a passionate fan of funerary aesthetics, I simply could not pass up the kariti project. The name itself was promising enough: according to official information, “kariti” means ‘to mourn the dead’ in Church Slavonic.

The opening track, “As Within” starts with lyrics in Russian. A stunningly atmospheric poem, dark and solemn, it becomes even more frightening and depressing when spoken in this language – which itself sounds rather dark. “As Within” is sleep paralysis, a dreadful awakening in a stone coffin, with the taste of grave soil in the mouth, with the smell of fog, with the inability to interrupt the endless numbness.

“A Mare Called Night” sounds tender, warm and soothing in its otherworldly, ethereal beauty – as if Enya would begin singing about the world of the dead while walking along the shores of Acheron. However, the buzzing electronic parts introduce tension and suspense, while the measured drums, as if counting down one’s time, remind of frailty of all living things: memento mori.

“Son” (which means “dream” in Russian) evokes a truly haunting effect with its contrast of the singer’s warm, albeit otherworldly, voice – and lyrics that paint utterly bleak and hopeless pictures. “Desine sperare qui hic intras” – in the second part of the song, the depressive, heavy and deep guitar sound conveys this mood with remarkable accuracy.

A gentle and melodious “Vilomah” is reminiscent of Cocteau Twins, Violet Indiana and sometimes Ilya with its brooding melancholicity and estrangement. 

In the theme that follows, “Reckoning,” the calm, soft beauty of the piano music again sounds vaguely like Enya’s, only the piercing drama of the violin in a duet with the emotional voice of the performer reminds the listener that the narrative is being told in a completely different vein.

The next song, “Metastasis” is a dark, cruel ballad, full of poison and destruction, hopelessness and condemnation. And again, the contrasting calmness of the ambient melody is more attractive the more gloomy the lyrics are.

Tender and sad piano playing of “Sanctuary” paints pictures of a black and white world immersed in eternal fog, where everything seems to be a monologue of the soul with itself in an endless prayer for requiem.

“River Of Red” stands out because it sounds like a Tarantino film soundtrack, if only Tarantino had shot in the vein of Lynch and von Trier. This theme is the very dance of death against the background of destruction and apocalypse.

“Emerald Death” is perhaps the only theme from the album that seems too monotonous and melodically drawn-out. The lyrics are still great, however, once again immersing the listener in the atmosphere of a dark and cruel narrative with no losers or winners – because in the end the final point of everything will be death and decay. 

The interlude “Toll”, despite its brevity, resonates very emotionally, as it is literally a mourning church bell ringing, announcing death. And the piercing tragedy of the final track is felt even more strongly after it. If “As Within” is the alpha, then “So Without” is the omega, the culmination of death, in front of which everyone is equal, its impartiality and inexorability. “As above, so below, as within, so without, as the universe, so the soul.” The eerie keyboard parts, mournful and ethereal, continue the same musical pattern as in the second theme, “A Mare Called Night”, while the lyrics are the English translation of the poem from the opening theme.

An album stunning in its darkness and eternal serenity, a realistic journey to the dark side of life. The sense of walking through an ancient cemetery, with catacombs, mausoleums and crypts, does not leave long after the last note has ceased to sound.

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