Album Review: Post Death Soundtrack – In All My Nightmares I am Alone

The name of the artist and the album title straightforwardly telegraph what’s in store here. Deeply atmospheric music with a dramatically dark and sinister edge characterizes this release, the latest from this Calgary duo. Industrial textures dominate, but the harshness is leavened with the use of some spectacularly churchy organ sounds. The “soundtrack” of the duo’s name is truth in labeling: while the music stands on its own, there’s a lushly cinematic character to the tracks. Some are soundscapes, while others are through-composed pieces with hypnotic beats, thundering rhythm and distinct melody. The seething, whispered vocals certainly add to the ominous feel of the music, and the lyrics double down on those qualities. Even when the singer intones, “Do you wanna dance?” the listener can be sure that we’re not talking about the Twist here.

The ironically-titled “Good Time Slow Jam” is indeed slow, unfurling its malevolent qualities with scalpel-like precision, but whether it qualifies as a “good time” will have much to do with the listener’s musical proclivities. The squalling, bleating guitar figure that caps the track is certainly memorable. Instrumentation is inventive throughout, making full use of a variety of keyboard and guitar textures in a way that renders their sources unidentifiable. And the music occasionally takes a turn toward the – if not upbeat – then at least uptempo. “A Monolith of Alarms” channels all of Post Death Soundtrack’s assets into a catchy (if unrelentingly chilling) context. A dense sonic tapestry, In all My Nightmares I am Alone delivers quantity along with quantity: the album serves up more than two dozen fully-formed tracks.