Black by Red Ankh
Red Ankh Red and Black, finally finished, together at last!
From 2023 to 2025, the Black bones born in 2006 and 2007 grew MEAT. Bloody, cognifying, feeling, throbbing MEAT. Black doesn't entirely do away with catchy hooks or gleeful melodies, but it situates them in darker atmosphere, uses them to break brooding tension, or uses them ironically against the lyrics. Warmer (as opposed to brighter) instruments bring the darkness, like western bowed strings and reeds, pipe organ, old pianos, and eerie tones like that of a music box or glass piano. Choir and operatic vox, with greater use of harsh vocals, do some of this work too. It's not just a goth album, though! There are still plenty of synths, disto kickdrums, chopped amens, weird FX, and other nonsense. Black's lyrics come out of the dark for some hopeful moments, but are largely thrashing with the problems. Maybe one should listen to Red second. Darkness is the theme, but can be expressed in many ways; no two songs on this album are alike.
Tracklist
| 1. | Bludhae Riovine Estchveld | 3:31 |
| 2. | Shaaquo | 8:06 |
| 3. | Bronze | 9:09 |
| 4. | Drekvirshanten | 4:00 |
| 5. | Gloricia II | 5:27 |
| 6. | Rainfall | 4:39 |
| 7. | Brorghor | 9:50 |
| 8. | Destoritalt | 5:39 |
| 9. | Rolesque | 7:33 |
| 10. | Someone I Used to Know | 7:25 |
| 11. | Still Searching for Humans | 7:26 |
| 12. | Teterumtyagorah | 17:59 |
| 13. | Eaquazilphorl Rytchdry | 26:47 |
Credits
Keys, Double Bass Trombone, Vox - Shyft Trakia-Vorga VahtiDahl
Lead Guitar, Violin, Sitar, Tenor Trombone, Oboe, Pan Pipes, Vox - Stars
Rhythm Guitar, Vox - Bourac Druduk Atai
Viola, Trumpets, Soprano Sax, Flutes, Oboe, Bassoon, Contrassoon, Alto Trombone, Pan Drums, Extra Keys, Vox - Caelsic Eroshim Valektyntez
Drums, Iron Machine, Vox - Erizmak Ux Tutter
Bass Guitar, Upright Bass, Cello, Synth Bass, Bassoon, Vox - Jinzin Mimkif Alaj
Choral Vox, Additional Brass, String, Reeds - Aufaust D.C.V. Eveyzr Dergahn
Lyrics - Shyft Trakia-Vorga VahtiDahl, Stars, Caelsic Eroshim Valektyntez
Programming, Mixing, Mastering - Jinzin Mimkif Alaj
Artwork - MidJourney v5.1
Stars, Bourac, Caelsic, Erizmak, Jinzin, Aufaust - Shyft Trakia-Vorga VahtiDahl
Legal/GenAI: Beyond Shyft's vox and Stars's harsh vox, SynthV was used to craft vocals. Red Ankh Black utilizes the following SynthV banks: Felicia, Mai, Natalie, Ninezero, Sheena, Weina, Xuan Yu, Asterian, Galenaia, Hxvoc, Solaria. The current version of SynthV utilizes generative AI to suggest subtle details such as vibrato and legato curves, and Black was mastered starting with genAI templates, but no other aspects of this album utilized generative AI. We love the creative processes of synthesis, mixing, and composition too much to give it away to some techbro oligarch's fantasy.
License
CC BY-NC-ND 3.0. See the Creative Commons website for details.Tags
Red Ankh is about fantastic emotions and wild ideas, with an industrial folk prog metal core touching on elements of black metal, chiptune, dance, death metal, gothic, hardcore techno, power metal, symphonic metal, groove metal, and trance.
Early works were mostly instrumental. Then Bronze happened. The goal of the project is to break down genre boundaries, keep music inventive, and inspire.