Pale Creation

Pale Creation's Twilight Haunt hasn't really seen the light of day since its original release in 1999, so A389's reissue is a welcome move for fans. It's also a welcome treat for anyone who might be titillated by something that can be described as a fusion of dark, brooding hardcore and pseudo-black metal. Rest assured, there's nothing pale about this ― the cover art alone pretty much sums up this release, with a haunting, Francis Bacon-esque figure, distorted out of all recognizable humanity. The album reaches new vistas of bleak, an overachievement of alienation bordering on the baroque. To read the track list is to get an idea of Pale Creation's emotional state while writing this: "Bleed the Soil," "Rage Contained," "Trade a Soul" and "Grief" are just some of the tracks creating an undertow to the abyss. Does this sound kind of depressing? It's actually not. Twilight Haunt is atmospheric and cavernous, but it's also totally badass and unlike anything else in the hardcore scene. The Twilight Haunt reissue is limited to a 250 copies, but can be purchased in digital format.