About the artist:
Drawing on The Golden Bough by James Frazer, the Laws of Contagion and Similarity suggest that contact or resemblance creates lasting, almost magical bonds. Music can act as such a conduit—an emotional thread linking artist and listener.
Stygian Bough Volume II, a collaboration between Bell Witch (Dylan Desmond, Jesse Shreibman) and Aerial Ruin, embodies this idea. Across four tracks, the album forms a distinct entity while retaining ties to both artists’ roots. It explores cycles of worship—how awe can empower, consume, and transform.
The opening track, “Waves Became The Sky,” expands on themes from Bell Witch’s earlier work, contrasting scientific and superstitious thinking through layered harmonies and immersive sound. “King of the Wood” delves into scale and perception, shifting between crushing doom and cosmic atmospheres. “From Dominion” blends dark folk and soaring melodies, while the 19-minute closer, “Told and Leadened,” reflects on cycles of power through rising and falling intensity.
Recorded by Billy Anderson, a longtime collaborator, the album benefits from both creative familiarity and outside perspective. More structured than past work yet still fluid, it emphasizes polyphony and dynamic interplay.
The result is a cohesive, mystical work examining the cultural and emotional threads that bind human experience, visually complemented by artwork from Denis Forkas.
