Review of the Underliving by HEATHEN HARVEST

Priscilla Hernandez (Spain) is a solo recording artist whom is working under her own compositions, artwork, and even label.  With that said however, unlike so many other recording artists in this spectrum of music, this isn’t a simple home-made effort.  When one thinks about the “completeness” of a work by an artist, the details are often lost in the overall story and recordings.  Usually artistic direction is left up to the label, and even if it isn’t it’s typically art from another source.  While there obviously isn’t anything wrong with this kind of home-made or simplistic production as it makes up the overwhelming majority of what is involved in the neoclassical/dark folk/post-industrial underground, a vast amount of it is often sub-par in design/production and in that respect “The Underliving” brings with it a kind of professionalism that is rarely seen around this realm.  This album incorporates a 52-page booklet full of Priscilla’s illustrations (which are every bit as impressive as the music) in an oversized digipak.  These illustrations also carry with them the writings involved with the album, both lyrically and in telling the story behind the music.

The music that Hernandez offers up with “The Underliving” largely incorporates the neoclassic realm of music with some fairly traditional folk instrumentation, a minimal electronic presence, and a bombastic percussive approach that pushes the story along, marching forth endlessly.  Musically, “The Underliving” sounds equal parts Dead Can Dance, Medieval Baebes, Daemonia Nymphe, Louisa John Krol, and other Prikosnovenie-style recording artists.  The style vocally is more of a ‘pop’ production / performance than some may be used to, but it is performed in a manner that is in line with the dark textures of the music and comes across as a strong emotional effort.  Long, flowing notes are often accompanied by swelling vocal glissandos, fervid fluttering and gentle otherworldly whispers, all of which work together to give life to the world that Priscilla has created with “The Underliving”.  This isn’t to say that Hernandez is afraid to belt out a line or two as there are impressive moments found throughout the album that would even make the likes of Maynard James Keenan blush.  Accompanying the vocals are lulling string arrangements that flow in the background creating an exquisite backdrop to most of the tracks.  Of course, in the more folk-oriented tracks like “In my Mind’s Eye”, the fiddle can expectedly take center stage just behind the vocals.  The mentioned electronic presence is often only audible as a percussive accentuation when the more bombastic attack of some of the tracks would be too much for the delicate nature of others like “Don’t be Sad”.  Tracks can range from sprawling countryside expanses that sound open and incorporate folk elements to paint the landscapes, but can also descend into extremely dark territory with tracks like the primary single off the record “Off the Lane” which speaks of the dangers, both literally and metaphorically, of taking shortcuts in life, and aurally paints images of skeletal trees lining an arbor deep in the forest, with a woman becoming one with nature (in this case, in a most unfortunate way) through the caress and cloaking of dark spirits.

Thematically, “The Underliving” crosses many borders from surreal dreams and haunting nightmares into the realities that Hernandez paints so elegantly in her ancient landscapes and spiritual awakenings.  There are some “new age” ideals to be found in “The Underliving” but they are modest and reserved.  Largely represented are themes that involve the spirit realm and ghostly visions.  These are represented both through the surreal dark forest imagery found throughout the album and in the dark textures of the music itself — something that doesn’t quite hit home hard enough until the very last “Bonus” track, an untitled dark ambient effort that is actually surprisingly well placed and moody if not modestly frightening.  The Underliving is described as a world that is close to the living but inhabited by creatures that never lived nor will live but their presence is shaped in our reality.  This world is best represented through the wood-like creatures in her illustrations, mischievous dieities that are cloaked from our sight but surround us in mystery.

Visually, Priscilla’s artistic style is stunning as it showcases her story-telling abilities through her illustrations along every page of the vast 52-page booklet.  Often more than one image is used to progress through a single track, taking several pages in the more important sections to get through one song.  Most impressive about her style is that it fluctuates, some works so different in both perspective and approach that one would imagine they were from other artists.  While looking through the booklet, the most obvious influence that comes to mind is the well-known faerie artist Amy Brown, but I can’t help but feel that other popular fantasy artists like Brom have had at least a minimal effect on the more detailed images found in “The Underliving”.  Other modern artists including Selina Fenech resemble her work though may not necessarily influence it.  Included in the booklet are two poems and illustrations (represented on the album as bonus tracks) that are dedicated to two of Priscilla’s lost pets/family members (depending on how you see them), Totnika Nova and Kira — a humbling view into her personal world and another reference to her love and ties for the natural world, a realization that should have been long solidified by the folk elements found in the music.

It’s hard, if not impossible to fault an album like this.  The packaging is perfect, the production is polished in a way that rivals the incredible solo artist Phanatos, the compositions are impressively complex and the performance is solid.  Many albums may get a perfect score, but this is the type of release that makes me look back and question some of those decisions.  Excellence, flawless, only a few of the words that accurately describe “The Underliving”.

Track List:

01) In the Mist
02) The Underliving
03) Feel the Thrill
04) Through the Long Way
05) Don’t be Sad
06) In my Mind’s Eye
07) Off the Lane
08) Storm
09) The Aftermath
10) The Wind Song
11) Ode to the Silence
12) Northern Lights
13) Morning Light
14) At the Dream’s Door
15) One Last Hope

Rating: 5/5
Written by: Sage
Label: Yidneth (Spain) / YID2 / Oversized Digi-CD
Neoclassical / Ethereal / Gothic / Dark Folk