Album Review: That Rotting Ambition That Extinguished Hope by Earthenwomb
Released in 2013, Earthenwomb's That Rotting Ambition That Extinguished Hope is a raw and uncompromising dive into the chaotic depths of noise-driven electronic music. Self-released under Not On Label (Earthenwomb Self-Released) with support from Glossolalia Records, this album doesn’t hold back—it slams you into its abrasive sonic world without so much as a warning. If you’re looking for something easy or radio-friendly, this ain’t it. But if you crave an experience that challenges your ears and rattles your brain, you might just find yourself hooked.
The titular track, “That Rotting Ambition, That Extinguished Hope,” hits like a sledgehammer wrapped in barbed wire. It’s not just noise for noise’s sake; there’s structure here, buried beneath layers of distortion and feedback. The track builds slowly—well, as slowly as anything can when it feels like auditory chaos—but once it kicks into full gear, it grabs hold of you and refuses to let go. What sticks with me most is how the track oscillates between moments of near-silence and overwhelming bursts of sound. It’s unpredictable, sure, but also strangely hypnotic, like staring at a storm while knowing you're perfectly safe indoors. Or are you?
Another standout is the shorter but equally intense “Static Veins.” This one clocks in at just over four minutes, but it packs a punch that lingers long after the final note fades. There’s something about the way the high-pitched tones clash against low-frequency drones—it creates this unsettling tension, almost like walking through an abandoned building where every creak makes you wonder what’s lurking around the corner. You don’t expect to hum along to this stuff, but weirdly enough, I caught myself mimicking some of the rhythms later on. Maybe that says more about me than the music, though.
What sets Earthenwomb apart isn’t just their ability to make noise—it’s the emotional weight they manage to inject into it. Listening to this album feels like peeling back layers of decay, revealing both beauty and despair underneath. Sure, it’s harsh, but there’s a strange catharsis in that harshness. It’s like screaming into a void and realizing the void screams back—not because it hates you, but because it understands.
In a genre often dismissed as inaccessible, That Rotting Ambition That Extinguished Hope dares to demand your attention. And honestly? It deserves it. Just don’t say I didn’t warn ya—it’s not exactly dinner-party material. Oddly enough, the last thing I thought about after listening was how much this album would pair well with a thunderstorm. Lightning flashing, rain pounding, and Earthenwomb blasting through the speakers? Yeah, that’d be one hell of a night.
