Echoes In Black Holes by Trou Noir: A Sonic Trip That Sticks With You
Alright, so let’s talk about Echoes In Black Holes, the 2012 album from Russian band Trou Noir. If you’re into stuff that blends ambient vibes with black metal chaos and a dash of rock, this might just hit the spot for you. Released under Rigorism Production and Eerie Torture (twice, because why not?), it’s one of those albums that feels like wandering through a cosmic void while someone screams into the abyss. Pretty cool, right?
The lineup is tight: Worbid on drums, Monork shredding guitars, and Dunkel handling vocals. And honestly? They nail their roles. This isn’t your typical polished record—it’s raw, heavy, and kinda messy in all the best ways. It has moments where you feel like you're floating in space, followed by sections that punch you right in the gut. Let’s dive into two tracks that really stuck with me.
First up, "Funeral Echoes (Part I)". Man, this track sets the tone for the whole album. It starts off super moody, almost like a funeral march but with way more synths and reverb. The drumming is slow and deliberate, giving it a doom-laden vibe, and then BAM—Dunkel’s vocals come in, harsh and haunting. What I love most is how it builds tension without ever fully letting go. You can practically see the stars dying as the song progresses. It’s not flashy or anything, but damn if it doesn’t leave an impression.
Then there’s "Black Hole Reverb", which is exactly what it sounds like—a swirling, chaotic mess of sound that somehow works. The guitar work here is wild; Monork goes absolutely nuts, layering riffs over eerie electronic textures. There’s this moment halfway through where everything drops out except for these distant, distorted echoes, and it feels like falling into a black hole yourself. Like, yeah, you know you’re probably doomed, but it’s kind of beautiful anyway.
One thing worth mentioning is how cohesive the album feels despite its genre-hopping. Tracks like "Nihilistic Moon" and "March Of Leprous" keep things unpredictable, switching between crushing heaviness and dreamy ambience. Even though some songs have similar names (Defective Reflecions vs. Defective Reflections—typo alert?), they still manage to carve out their own identities.
So yeah, Echoes In Black Holes isn’t perfect, but maybe that’s the point. It’s rough around the edges, weirdly hypnotic, and unapologetically dark. Listening to it feels like exploring a forgotten corner of the universe—lonely, intense, and kinda terrifying. Honestly, I think Trou Noir nailed something special here.
Oh, and here’s a random thought to end on: If black holes could make mixtapes, this would totally be one of them. Just saying.
