Music fulfills many needs.  It can be joyful, heart-rending, inspirational, calming, and even contemplative.  Ultimately it ends up being different things to different people.  Burton Bell and John Bechdel, both of Fear Factory and various other affiliations, and Edu Mussi (Still Life Decay), have joined together to create the ethereal Numinosum album as Ascension of the Watchers.  This band has been referred to as “…a darker, dirtier Portishead.”

Created out of a need for expression and away from the pressures of replicating a familiar sound, Numinosum is filled with surprising but brooding songs.  All tracks take on a melodic but ambient texture, with lyrics of philosophy that wander the roads of religion, and other thought-provoking philosophies.  Most are original tunes but there is an excellent, dark cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Sounds of Silence” that captures the essence of the song fantastically.  The final song, “Quintessence,” is an amazing piece of sound textures with a repetitive piano overlay.  Eventually, the song dissolves into the warm sound of a vinyl LP at its end, with clicks and pops.  While the oddly comforting clicks and pops go on for about five minutes, soon an a capella piece lasting 45 seconds arrives (around the 15.30 mark) before the end occurs. 

Numinosum is released on 13th Planet Records, a Jourgenson (Ministry) imprint.  The album is well crafted and is a soothingly intellectual piece of work.  My White Sox cap is off to Ascension of the Watchers (Bell, Mussi, Bechdel) for such a fascinating album.  For those that like something different with elements of conventionality.