Houses of Worship – Herkules Schallwelle

Houses of Worship is a Montreal duo that specialises in Dark Ambient, tinged with discreet post-Fripp/Eno drone. Eric Quach (thisquietarmy) and Jim Demos (Hellenica) stopped in a church in Germany, the Christuskirche in Bochum to be precise, and delivered a mesmerising set sometime in 2023. Immediately, we’re plunged into a world somewhere between Tron and Blade Runner. The highly cinematic Herkules Schallwelle (Hercules Sound Wave) suggests images of the inside of the church in question (or any other, really), lit by the bright lightning that cracks the sky in the background, through the imposing stained glass windows dripping with rain. A crowd is gathered, quiet, waiting for the natural wrath to pass.

If the previous Spiegelpunkte released in 2024 remains, in my opinion, the undisputed masterpiece of the duo, this live album in a temple of symbolism and spirituality has what it takes to rival in terms of emotional impact and aesthetic quality.

Enter it without hesitation.