Brotherhood of Sleep – Devotional Hymns to a Brilliant Flaming Sun
Artist: Brotherhood of Sleep
Title: Devotional Hymns to a Brilliant Flaming Sun
Label: Winter-Light
Release date: October 18th, 2024
Country: Belgium
Format reviewed: High-quality digital recording
Brotherhood of Sleep’s debut album, “Devotional Hymns to a Brilliant Flaming Sun”, is a five-track EP by Belgian artist Bart Piette. As the title suggests, the album centers on the sun as the primary divine power. The cover art reflects this theme with a massive radiant sun resembling an eye, with a bright white center, located at the top of everything. This symbolizes life, energy, and renewal. While white often signifies beginnings, perfection, and purity, in some Asian cultures, it represents death. The contrasting black background evokes depth and infinity which belongs to the other world.
If we interpret the sun’s shape as an eye, it becomes a gateway to the soul, symbolizing truth, light, and moral consciousness. Below it lies a landscape of distant mountains and clouds, representing absolute consciousness, spiritual enlightenment, and transcendence. Another key element on the cover is a temple with a dome, symbolizing a bridge between the earthly and celestial realms, connecting with divine power. The skulls surrounding the temple suggest themes of human sacrifice.
The album opens with “Filling the Dome with Astral Light”, featuring the resonant sound of a gong, setting a mystical tone. The repeated gong strikes seem to announce the start of a ritual, culminating in Gregorian chant. The track also incorporates the sound of a small hand-held bell, which is heard again at the end. This evokes a sense of both beginnings and endings, a beckoning from another world, and a call to divinity. In this context, astral light symbolizes the life force that permeates all space and living beings.
The second track, “The Great Alignment”, opens with a blend of sounds that evoke a mysterious atmosphere, reminiscent of the black background on the cover art. The term alignment appears to signify a harmony or connection between this world and another, possibly a higher, cosmic realm. “Devotional Hymns to a Brilliant Flaming Sun”, is the longest on the album. It begins softly, as if preparing the listener for a sacred ritual, but gradually builds in intensity, accompanied by haunting Gregorian chants. The progression suggests a holy ritual involving human sacrifice, with the skulls around the temple on the cover perhaps symbolizing this act of devotion. In the background, a constant droning sound creates a sense of the void, culminating in a thunderstorm that signifies rebirth and new beginnings.
In “Activation of the Portal of Singing Skulls”, the opening sets a distinct tone, suggesting that something momentous is about to occur. A cryptic sound emerges, resembling the initiation of a mysterious operation, followed by eerie, otherworldly voices that could be interpreted as the skulls singing. This track creates a tense and unsettling atmosphere, evoking a sense of unease and apprehension that is unique compared to the other tracks. Finally, the album concludes with “Infinity,” which with its dark and enigmatic intro, mirrors the black background of the cover art, evoking a profound sense of boundlessness. As it goes forward, it feels like the final step on the bridge to the celestial realm, connecting with divine power and ultimately dissolving into infinity.
To sum up, this album feels like narrating a ritual from beginning to end. Every sound conveys profound concepts of consciousness, divine power, and infinity, weaving a cohesive and immersive journey. 7.5/10 by Pegah
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