Dream Into Dust - The Lathe of Heaven

The Lathe of Heaven is the latest release from Dream Into Dust, the US project led by Derek Rush. The Lathe of Heaven borrows from industrial, dark folk, and experimental music but it does retain something of a pop sensibility. Immediate comparisons would be Nine Inch Nails and - dare I say it - Radiohead, as they share a predilection for gloomy melodies, mixed with an eagerness to explore more experimental territories. On The Lathe of Heaven Dream Into Dust achieve this by entwining doom melodies with textured soundscapes and neo-classical string segments. It is a very heavily processed and complex piece of work, to the extent that the acoustic strains of 'How The Roses Burned' are drenched in effects, and varied textures. Bryin Dall of (Thee Majesty, 4th Sign of the Apocalypse, Lorettas Doll) lends his undefined guitar sound to this, and there's beautiful use of viola throughout from Eddy Malave. The end section to 'No World Outside' is particularly effective. Rush's arrangement skills are amply illustrated on 'Internal Return' as it slips from sparse guitar, to orchestrated sounds and treated electronics while the vocals retain a melancholic edge.

It's a competent, coherent and mature release that displays a keen sense of progression from their previous releases on Athanor, Misanthropy and their own Chthonic Streams label. There's no point in denying the talent of Dream Into Dust but in my opinion they are most likely to find favour with those from a more rock background seeking something stranger.

The Lathe of Heaven also features some striking visuals that appear to be a cross fertilization of HR Giger and Joel Peter Witkin creations. For more information go to www.chthonicstreams.com