Phal:Angst - Whiteout [Noise Appeal Records 143]

Scheduled for release on January 13th, 2k23 on the Vienna-based imprint Noise Appeal Records is "Whiteout", the fifth full length album effort by the Austrian outfit Phal:Angst which has been on the circuit for a proper 16 years now. Providing a total of eight brand new cuts rolled out over the course of roughly 66 minutes total Phal:Angst explore a realm of deep and hovering, melancholia-infused piano melodies atop a nocturnal, almost romantic backdrop before heavy slow riffs and intense vocals turn the opening title track into a scenic precursor of doom, followed by the twangy, atmospheric and Industrial-leaning Gothic Blues drama of "Severance" whilst "Least Said, Soonest Mended" sees the band outfit opening up even more cinematic planes with psychedelic guitars, large scale synth backings and their trademark vocals buried deep with the mix before "What Rests Mute In Bright Corners" pairs heavy Electronica-beats, almost folksy, inward-looking guitars and Austrian Spoken Word poetry for a change. Furthermore "Unhinged" summons a slowly spiralling maelstrom of ominous darkness over all Industrial Metal dancefloors when played at midnight sharp, "What A Time To Be Alive" tackles more Spoken Word recordings alongside dreamy guitars and captivating synth build ups whereas the "Unhinged *Remix" rather could be described as an expertly crafted, extended and low end-heavy, slightly washed out Dub / Ambient Dub version than a full on remix and therefore turns out to be our favorite cut on this album before the concluding "A Tale Of Severance *Remix" fully drifts off into a PostRock-informed dream state for a closing. Good stuff this.