Album Review: ATRATE – Doom Is Written On Your Brow
Artist: ATRATE
Title: Doom Is Written On Your Brow
Label: Death In Venice Productions
Release date: February 23rd, 2025
Country: Italy/Netherlands
Format reviewed: High-quality digital recording
Album Review: ATRATE – Doom Is Written On Your Brow via Death In Venice Productions by Pegah
“Doom Is Written On Your Brow” is the debut album from ATRATE, a dark ambient and ritual industrial project by Simona Dellamorte and Jeroen Visscher. This album takes listeners on a journey inspired by nature’s destructive forces and the relentless cycle of death and rebirth. The name ATRATE means “one dressed in black,” and the duo describes themselves as “mourners who seek to echo the chaos and destruction in nature and within us.” The cover art perfectly embodies the album’s themes. The stark contrast between religious iconography and the decayed animal skull forms a powerful visual representation of destruction, suffering, and lost unity. The deep red tones further enhance its intensity, symbolizing blood, sacrifice, and inevitable decay elements that define the album’s atmosphere. The skull obscuring the figure’s face suggests the erasure of identity and the inescapable weight of doom, reinforcing the album’s ominous title, “Doom Is Written On Your Brow”.
“Chaos And Caligo” begins with a repetitive, calming sound, evoking the sensation of standing alone in a vast plain, the wind gently caressing your face. As the piece unfolds and layers of sound accumulate, the atmosphere shifts serenity gives way to disorder. Suddenly, it feels as if you’ve been pulled from the open landscape and placed in the heart of a dense, chaotic neighborhood, where sounds reverberate from every direction. A sense of alienation creeps in you don’t belong here. Then, just as abruptly, everything vanishes, leaving you in darkness and silence. “Paranoiac-Critical” opens with a pulsing sound repeating and echoing like an intrusive thought trapped within the mind. The track seems to depict a paranoid state, where reality is distorted through a biased and fragmented perception. Midway, the atmosphere changes, and a haunting, humming sound emerges like distant voices reaching through time and space, blurring the line between the inner and outer world. A sudden, explosive burst like a sonic Big Bang marks the beginning of “Primal Unity”. It tells the story of a unity that once existed but has now vanished without a trace. We are left fragmented, each of us isolated, facing suffering and pain. The harsh, unforgiving soundscape embodies destruction and the loss of identity, echoing the dissolution of what was once whole.
“I Doesn’t Hurt”, the album’s longest track, opens with its title being repeated over and over almost like a mantra, as if desperately trying to convince oneself before something dreadful happens. This soft voice, according to Simona, “ is an opportunity for a temporary detachment to heal yourself”. Or maybe preparing ourselves to confrot what is about to come. As it proceeds, the echoing sounds create the sensation of being trapped in a damp, shadowy dungeon, where each reverberation lingers like a ghostly presence. The oppressive atmosphere builds, amplifying the sense of unease and impending doom. Then, among a steady sound comes a beep, which feels like either beginning or an end. “Shapeshifter” begins with the sound of rain, evoking a sense of renewal and spiritual connection perhaps suggesting that the shapeshifter arrives as a guide toward liberation and freedom. But as the rain fades, the atmosphere shifts, giving the impression of something crumbling or falling apart. Could the shapeshifter be responsible? Known as deceivers, they conceal their true nature behind ever-changing forms, leaving us to question whether their presence brings salvation or ruin.
The album’s final track, “Doom Is Written On Your Brow”, unfolds with a steady, restrained soundscape less harsh than the previous tracks, yet carrying an undeniable weight. Its consistency creates an eerie sense of inevitability, as if accepting the doom foretold. Midway through, a subtle but distinct buzzing sound emerges, growing toward the end. It lingers like an ominous whisper, a reminder of death or an unseen force looming ever closer. The track doesn’t explode into chaos; instead, it lets the weight of fate settle in, closing the album on a note of quiet but inescapable dread.
“Doom Is Written On Your Brow” is a haunting exploration of destruction, alienation, and fate. Repetition plays a crucial role throughout the album, intensifying its impact and emphasizing its themes. ATRATE’s debut leaves a lasting impression, immersing the listener in a world where doom is not just foretold it is inevitable. 8/10
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