Night Terror “They Die”

11 Mar 2013 — Andrew Wagner

Members of the experimental prog outfit Ga’an have been making a comeback recently: first, vocalist Lindsey Powell released a lovely track as Fielded, and now member Tyson Tortensen has dropped a track from his new project, Night Terror. But while Powell exchanged Ga’an’s darkly ritualistic feel for virtuoso pop, Tortensen picks up right where Ga’an left of.

On Night Terror’s latest track, "They Die", taken from his forthcoming cassette Night Terrors, prog-textures and 80s horror soundtracks are melded and warped together into a haunting jam. Indeed, the song appears to be something of an homage to John Carpenter’s 1988 cult classic, "They Live", complete with several samples of the film’s dialogue. But Night Terror takes Carpenter and heightens the darkness and intensity, coming out with something far more massive and chilling. Over the course of its staggering 10 minutes, "They Die" relentlessly builds, going from moody, atmospheric soundscapes to its climax of dark and pulsating synth arpeggios. As such, "They Die" is a song that is at once terrifying and transcendent.

"They Die" can be streamed below, and Night Terrors will be available on Living Tapes later this month.