Skrika Continues the Sci-Fi Epic with Vyeltyra Vortex
Skrika, the cinematic dark ambient project of Monty Adkins, releases the third installment to Cryo Chamber, Vyeltyra Vortex. The previous albums, Fifth Nature and The Black Stone, explored the themes of cosmic horror, ancient civilizations, and occult mysteries, while weaving a unique and high concept mystique, and this latest album, Vyeltyra Vortex, is no different, and continues the thematic storytelling.
Vyeltyra Vortex is a concept album that tells the story of the Yn, a race of beings who have fled from a dying Earth and are searching for a new home among the stars. The Yn encounter the Vyeltyrans, a secretive and powerful race that can control time - a stylized chronomancy - and have devised a series of rites of passage to test the initiates. The album follows the journey of three Yn leaders, Atom, Fiadh, and Ebba, as they undergo these rites and face the dangers and wonders of Vyeltyra-B, a planet where time is fluid and unpredictable.
The album consists of seven tracks, each corresponding to a different chamber or rite; rich in synth textures, and oblique atonal pulses, the palette of sounds range from ethereal pads and drones to pulsing sequences and glitchy effects. The music creates a vivid sonic landscape that evokes the sci-fi atmosphere and the temporal distortions of the story, furthering the feeling of this being a soundtrack to a movie playing in the imagination, and this is among my personal favorite qualities of albums on Cryo Chamber. The album also comes with a 12-page booklet with text by Monty Adkins, which provides more details and background for the narrative.
Vyeltyra Vortex is a masterful example of the merging of imaginative storytelling combining immersive sound design; a sonic creative experimentation that we do not get much of, and perhaps that is a good thing, as the sparse releases of such creativity keep the experiences fresh. Vyeltyra Vortex is available in digital and CD digipak formats from the Cryo Chamber bandcamp page.
Join Justin as he chats with actor and comedian Maggie Roswell about voicing Teegra in FIRE AND ICE, Frank Frazetta, becoming Maude Flanders in THE SIMPSONS, supernatural experiences, and more!
Join Justin as he chats with musician and artist Mina Walkure about the birth of her band Bronze, Sword and Sorcery, songwriting, and more!
Join Justin as he chats with actor and producer Justin Shenkarow about the legacy of the cult-classic TV series Eerie, Indiana, navigating his childhood as a celebrity, Hey Arnold!, and more!
Join Justin as he chats with actor Randy Havens about his psychedelic experiences, dangerous stunts, the Stranger Things craze, set etiquette, and more!
Join Justin as he chats with actor and model Patricia Velásquez about practicing Kabbalah, growing up in Venezuela, landing her role in The Mummy, charity work, her personal encounter with La Llorona, and more!
Join Justin as he chats with musician Jean-Pierre Abboud about the Canadian heavy metal scene, science fiction, writing stories, Traveler, and more!
Join Justin as he chats with actor Charles Halford about his childhood in Salty Lake City, the Constantine cancellation, punk rock, struggling with ones identify as a performer, and more!
Join Justin as he chats with director and writer Eduardo Sanchez about the birth of The Blair Witch Project, Bigfoot, exploring the unknown, anthology horror, and more!
Join Justin as he chats with director and producer Bill Lustig about the preservation of cult cinema, his uncle Jake “Raging Bull” LaMotta, jump-starting his career behind the scenes in adult films, Maniac, and more!
Join Justin as he chats with paranormal investigator Shanclen about spirits of the Navajo Nation, Skinwalker misconceptions, indigenous rituals, working with the Ghost Adventures crew, and more!
Join Justin as he chats with writer Rob Yescombe about horror, video game writing versus screen writing, hitting the Jackpot with Amazon, script advice, and more!
Join Justin as he chats with musician Riley Pinkerton about ghosts, dark fantasy, the birth of Castle Rat, creativity, and more!
Join Justin as he chats with actor and writer Ernie Hudson about haunted houses, the tragedy on the set of The Crow, Ghostbusters, and more!
Join Justin as he chats with actor and writer Thomas Jane about comics, cryptid encounters, UFOs, becoming The Punisher, Stephen King, and more!
Join Justin as he chats with actor Beth Broderick about the contrast between stage and screen, establishing her company to assist people with AIDs, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, animal spirits, and more!
Join Justin as he chats with actor and stuntman Jay Tavare about martial arts, Native American rituals, landing the role of Vega in Street Fighter: The Movie, fight scene coordination, and more!
Join Justin as he chats with actor and magician Steve Valentine about rowdy nights as a DJ, performing magic for Hollywood’s elite, breaking into the business as a character actor, Don’t Look Under the Bed, voicing Alistair, and more!
Join Justin as he chats with actor and radio personality Jon St. John about the rise of Duke Nukem, the downfall of radio, his annual cruise tour, missing time, UFOs, and more!
Join Just as he chats with actor Dan Green about becoming the Pharaoh, psychedelic experiences, crafting character voices, and more!
Join Justin as he chats with actor Jenette Goldstein about bad experiences on bad movies, the thrill of performing live, Near Dark, working with James Cameron, her new business, and more!
Join Justin as he chats with prolific actor Chris Sarandon about embracing varied roles, growing up in a Greek household, Broadway, Jerry Dandrige, Andre the Giant, and more!
Join Justin as he chats with actor Michael Gross about becoming Burt Gummer, life as a TV dad, his early years as a musician, and more!
Join Justin as he chats with actor and filmmaker Michael Ironside about growing up in poverty, living with impostor syndrome, Scanners, spiritual experiences, Sam Fisher, life after death, and more!
Join Justin as he chats with musician and artist Serj Tankian about composing for film, The Rains of Castamere, his memoir Down with the System, new music, and more!
Join Justin as he chats with actor Amos Crawley about the acting scene in Toronto in the early 90’s, Goosebumps, The Ghastly Grinner, riding the Magic School Bus, and more!
Join Justin as he chats with actor Lisa Schrage about her vast book collection, Prom Night II, becoming Mary Lou Maloney, long lost film props, her first horror conventions, and more!
Join Justin as he chats with actor, author, and sculptor Daniel Stern about ghost towns, C.H.U.D. the musical, Marv, his new book Home and Alone, and more!
Join Justin as he chats with New York Times bestseller, Bram Stoker award winner, and editor of Weird Tales Magazine Jonathan Maberry about curating Weird Tales, the myth of writer’s block, Conan, classic horror films, and more!
Join Justin as he chats with singer and songwriter Tyler Lyle about his childhood in the deep south, shedding religion for philosophy, the birth of The Midnight, nostalgia as a double-edged sword, an upcoming graphic novel from the band, new music, and more!
Join Justin as he chats with legendary comics writer Garth Ennis - they dive deep on his history with Hellblazer and the decision to give John Constantine cancer, meeting Alan Moore, the influence of Jamie Delano on his writing, Preacher, The Punisher, and more!