The new album by Huremic (the alter ego of Parannoul, a key figure in contemporary South Korean shoegaze) is one of the most mysterious and radical releases of the year. The emotional climaxes and post-emo structures of his previous works are here replaced by a dark and abrasive sound, with a flowing structure in which monolithic tracks bleed seamlessly into one another.

Every sequence of this album is an alien space to sink into: in this sense, it may disorient anyone who tries to follow the music at all costs but isn’t able to simply undergo it.

The flow of this work inevitably recalls other immersive musical experiences, such as the hypnotic mantras and disturbing crescendos of Swans, the tribal vortexes of Boredoms, the cosmic rituals of Natural Snow Buildings, and the warped drone-metal of Boris.

The first movement is a masterpiece of sonic layering: a desolate landscape dominated by a hypnotic bass riff gradually fills with darkness, led by the repeated mantra “I’m seeking darkness,” which sounds like a true statement of intent. From this very first track, we can see how the narrative aspect is almost entirely relegated to the sonic texture (at the expense of the lyrics): clearly, words are not enough to describe such penetrating and disturbing darkness.

The second track is more obsessive and feels like an alien version of Swans’ Oxygen, with erratic guitar climbs and piercing high notes in the background, ultimately exploding into a hallucinogenic finale.

The third movement initially takes us into more folk-like territory, with percussion and acoustic guitar. The track grows slowly and, even at its noisy peak, maintains a languid rhythm, before giving way to a beautiful celestial atmosphere, mainly built from dreamy guitars.

However, my favorite might be the fourth movement, with bass riffs, distorted guitars, and drum patterns chasing each other in an epic gallop, which at its climax recalls the best instrumental moments of Rush, then dissolves into a rarefied ending à la Bark Psychosis.

The album closes with Pt. 5, featuring doom metal guitar riffs and a powerful epilogue with piano accompaniment, which partly brings us back to the sound of Parannoul’s previous albums.

Seeking Darkness is not an album that easily reveals itself, nor does it try to please. It’s a work that demands time, surrender, and above all a willingness to be transformed by sound.
It’s not an album for everyone, but it’s certainly one of my favorites of 2025.

May the Music be with you!

Listen here: https://youtu.be/3ekK8S6Lr4k?si=GNNQNZsO7TbooBdx

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