If you ever need an ultra gloomy ambient soundtrack to coincide with reading gothic novels while sitting in a building built during the gothic architecture period, than this would be the one. Dutch East India was so impressed with Kerovnian’s unsolicited demo that they signed them to a five album deal. Their ambient songs would spook even the most devoted goth with its eerie sound that seems to hang in the air like ghosts. Barely audible utterings in the “magikal” language of Kerovnian, a combination of 1000 year-old Persian and Greek, suggests Far Beyond, Before The Time is an album that sounds like it is making offerings to a demon or trying to possess your soul. Of course this would make sense seeing how Kerovnian was born from the occult, black magick and experiences of their war-torn country Croatia. The music sounds like it was made a 1000 years ago and someone unearthed it in an old tomb. But it’s not, it has been created using modern technology, they have captured this dark sound that tastes centuries old. Haunting wouldn’t even begin to describe this album. This music is terrifying! Do not play it alone, unless you are a brave soul. Perfect for coven gatherings and offerings to the Pagan gods as the music, like all good ambient doesn’t disrupt, it’s just in the shadows preparing to scare the skin pigment right out of people.
(Dutch East India)Kerovnian
Far Beyond, Before The Time
BY Matt MernaghPublished Sep 1, 1999