BlackHolePit – Portals

Written on

August 6, 2011

You’re stranded on a decrepit planet in the cold reaches of space. The sky is black above you, the stars have been extinguished, you’re guided by a cold unfeeling light cast down from a blood red moon. Ruins of an unknown civilization are strewn about, rusted metal and crumbling concrete twisted to form grotesque and horrifying shapes. From out of the darkness comes a mournful howl of despair from some unknown being. This is roughly what experiencing BlackHolePit is akin to.

I have never happened across a project quite like this one. Industrial beats, distorted vocals, smartly used synths and samples are merged together with influences taken from extreme metal and darkwave, creating a truly unique and at times chilling sound. It shifts from having an almost cosmic quality at times to something more earthy, each track never the same as the one before. Each evokes a unique atmosphere, yet each shares the common themes that were obviously in mind when the record was produced.

In a word, this project is inspiring. It evokes truly alien imagery and is a constant source of inspiration. It’s saturated with an atmosphere that permeates every fiber of the album, creating an unforgettable journey through the cosmos of emotion and self-exploration. The tracks contained are perfect examples of dystopian hymns, anthems to wander the world during and after a silent and anticlimactic armageddon.

The project was birthed in Venezuela, a side project of Federico Agreda who is also responsible for the predominately DnB/Industrial project Zardonic. According to Agreda, BHP was an exploration of despair and negative emotion, the name chosen to reflect the music itself. Unfortunately Portals was the only album released through BlackHolePit, but the rest of the music from Zardonic has a lot in common with the influences and overall style showcased on this release.

Agreda makes all of his publicly released output available for free download and this album is no different; you can download it from either of the following links:

Archive.org. Mediafire (my own upload).