Review
The Haxan Cloak
Excavation

Tri Angle (2013) Bob

The Haxan Cloak – Excavation cover artwork
The Haxan Cloak – Excavation — Tri Angle, 2013

What dream like states can you imagine, and how exactly might you reach such a trance? Do you use illicit and not so illicit substances, or are you maybe touched a bit having brushed wings with delirium one too many times? Regardless of how you might enter a waking dream world, what do you enjoy to use as the soundtrack?

Ever since the second full length from The Haxan Cloak was released, my dreams (both waking and others) have at times been dominated by the creeped out beauty that permeates from my speakers and headphones whenever Excavation spins on my turntable; and trust me when I tell you that this is one of those releases where people listen and view the record in a haze of critical kudos and maintain that the album really is as good as people say it is.

There is a general tension and feeling of unease that subtly attacks your senses when Excavation circles the turntable would be virtually palpable if the album was not so completely mesmerizing, and while it has been a challenge to impart any kind of description for individual songs (simply because I zone out all the time whenever I put on the record), there some awesome moments when you can focus on what is playing. Songs like “Excavation (Part 1)”, “Excavation (Part 2)” (this one simply kills with a nice sub woofer), and “The Drop” are more ambient mood pieces, whereas songs like “Mara” and “Miste” sounds as though they could be a soundtrack to a thriller movie or something like The Shining due in no small part to how creepy and effective the tension building is; and yet there is more as “The Mirror Reflecting (Part 1)”, “The Mirror Reflecting (Part 2)”, and “Dieu” sound less like ambient pieces and more like esoteric nightmarish soundscapes.

For quite a while, I considered Excavation to be a good record where I could consistently pop it on my stereo and enjoy listening whenever I wanted; but that feeling or regard for the album slowly gave way to something much more in that Excavation became an album that I found myself subconsciously drawn to popping on time and time again, and just perhaps, that is why I find myself espousing just how great this album is to other people. I cannot just call this album from The Haxan Cloak good any more and have to refer to the record as great instead as it so frequently dominates my listening habits; even when I walk away from Excavation, the compulsion to listen always returns and always has me thinking that I should pop the record on again.

8.5 / 10Bob • December 9, 2013

The Haxan Cloak – Excavation cover artwork
The Haxan Cloak – Excavation — Tri Angle, 2013

Related news

Daily line-ups for Denovali Swingfest London

Posted in Shows on February 26, 2014

Recently-posted album reviews

Ace Enders

Posture Syndrome
Pure Noise (2025)

If the name Ace Enders sounds familiar, it should. He’s been the voice behind The Early November, one of Drive-Thru Records’ cornerstone emo bands in the early 2000s. While that scene exploded, Ace carved his own path with that band, as well as solo experiments under the name I Can Make a Mess, and the occasional record as Ace Enders … Read more

Summer Blue

Self Titled EP
New Morality Zine (2025)

You may not be familiar with the band Summer Blue, but that’s your issue. If you do know the San Jose, CA based band, then you know how enjoyable they are to listen to. For some background for the newcomers, the band started in 2022 as a side project between friends already orbiting the Bay Area DIY and indie scenes. … Read more

Relay For Death

Mutual Consuming
Helen Scarsdale Agency (2025)

At a time when experimental artists are constantly churning out new music, it is curious to find some that take their time. Rachel and Roxann Spikula might not be the most prolific creatives, but when they make an appearance, it is worth paying attention. The twin sisters have performed in Towering Heroic Dudes and Boyzone, but it is their own … Read more