Drone/Noise: A Death Cinematic - Singles and Compilations (2008)

69 / 100

A niche drone/noise appeal, worth a listen if you’re into Sunn O))), Boris or ISON type atmospherics, but not essential outside that circle.

If Beautiful Death leans acoustic, then A Death Cinematic is the electric version. This project’s origins are largely unknown—no clear formation date, no real name given—only that it’s based in Michigan, according to the Bandcamp profile. Still, with the first release arriving in December 2008, ADC can already be considered a veteran.

ADC’s debut was this compilation, Singles and Compilations, containing five tracks totaling 42 minutes. It explores several styles: beginning with post-rock, then shifting toward space/drone on the final track—the only exclusive single not included in other compilations, unlike the rest.

The music seems built from two or three or even more layers of guitar: one for the foundational drone-like background, while the others play riffs. The opener is dominated by clean strumming, followed by distorted melodic work in the second track. Unfortunately, I wasn’t fond of the distortion, as it overshadowed the beauty of the clean guitar, which only re-emerges around the fifth minute until the end. The third track features a higher drone/noise background colored with space/psychedelic effects, but when combined with the soft picking guitar, it actually works better than expected. The fourth track tones the noise down, replacing it with gentler drone textures, though still building to a climax. Here, guitar lines seem enhanced with hammer-ons/pull-offs and sustain effects. The final track, the longest, goes slightly wild—starting with psychedelic/space rock before collapsing into noise/drone from 4:15 until its 12-minute conclusion.

From this light analysis, I didn’t feel compelled to add any tracks to my playlist. Still, if I had to pick the best, the first and second tracks, "no longer do i impede this darkness" and "the orange glow of the cities beneath the billowing skies would take priority", followed by the fourth, "i feel your homes burning down". A Death Cinematic is better suited for fans of drone/noise like Sunn O))), Boris, or ISON, though perhaps less heavy. Or maybe also closer to Godspeed You, Black Emperor!.