DR & Vaiya - Cast

So something else from Australia, not surprisingly, a split comprised of two side-projects of members of Encircling Sea.

 

Vaiya (Q, pron. [ˈvaɪja]), or Vaia (pron. [ˈvaɪ.a]) or Waia (pron. [ˈwaɪ.a]), also called Ekkaia, Eccaia or the Encircling Sea, is the dark sea that surrounds the world of Arda before the cataclysm at the end of the Second Age. Vaiya flows completely around the world, forming a sea below it and a form of air above it. Arda is described as floating on Vaiya, like a ship on a sea.
Ulmo the Lord of Waters dwells in Vaiya, below the roots of Arda. Vaiya is described as extremely cold: where its waters meet the waters of Belegaer in the northwest of Middle-earth a chasm of ice is formed, the Helcaraxë. Vaiya cannot support any ships except the boats of Ulmo: the ships of the Númenóreans that tried to sail on it sank, drowning the sailors.
The Sun passes through Vaiya on its way around the world, warming it as it passes. The next layer of "air", inside Vaiya, is Ilmen, and the last layer, closest to the surface, is Vista.
After Arda was made round Vaiya apparently disappeared, although it may have been changed into the upper atmosphere of the spherical world.

- Quote tolkiengateway.net ("Vaiya")



Vaiya is described as "Ritualistic Ambient Black Metal", and DR as "Nightmarish, Dark Ambient Soundscapes" (at the Encircling Sea website). On the RABM forums, the user behind the project Vaiya says this:

Vaiya is a solo project of ritualistic ambient black metal delving into the disconnection and sorrow of so called civilized living. 

It's very exciting to have some more BM projects like this springing up In Australia, to compliment the already established Encircling Sea. Still quite different in sound/recording, especially given these two acts are not bands in the same way Encircling Sea is.

I dig this stuff, especially Vaiya. The intro to Merkstave is this beautiful acoustic piece, making me think of the folk elements of Panopticon and Petrychor. Then it leads into ambient BM, with slightly raw-type vocals. Right up there with Encircling Sea.

Definitely worth checking out for any Cascadian (inspired) BM fan.


Bandcamp Official Website (Free download available)
Buy the split here

Album Name: Cast
Band: DR/Vaiya
Genre: Dark Ambient/Ambient Black Metal
Year: 2010
Country:
Track Listing:

DR
1.	The death of innocence, the birth of hatred for all God's creatures	13:56
Vaiya
2.	Merkstave	18:39
Total playing time		32:35

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