SIMM - Visitor (2013) Lossless

It has been 16 years since Eraldo Bernocchi last released under the SIMM moniker, and his return to producing sleek, dark, horror inspired downtempo/dubstep/slow BPM music is nothing short of fantastic. "The Visitor" is a powerful, masterfully crafted soundtrack of vengeance and reprisal – emerging from darkness to strike unseen, a force unrecognizable to its enemies. For those who enjoy Scorn and Balkansky, SIMM is the more suave and sophisticated take on the low tempo, bass heavy paradigm. Bernocchi's constructed horror atmospheres and deformed samples alongside his trademark treated guitars align mesmerisingly over futuristic downtempo beats and silk smooth bass.

From the dismal bounce of "Leatherface" to the harsh, house burning declaritive in the title track, the use of voice conjures a brooding evil to open the album. "The Wind is Blowing" provides a small glimpse of hope, but into the "Crematorium" we head, slower, burning piece by piece as we enter. The heart of the album ("Revenge is Faith") reminds us that an eye for an eye is standard in the world of SIMM, and "The Sadness of Things" displays the melancholy piano and negative space that is signature Bernocchi. "Herezie" lopes playfully while "Retribution" steamrolls forward, showing a memorable missing pieces synthesizer riff, with samples setting the tone for the final act of payback. The album concludes with the redemptive "Sky Eater", a beautiful send-off into the aether. An incredible and much anticipated return for one of the dark downtempo genre's first masters.