US dark ambient/drone/industrial/noise duo Diminishing have offered the first glimpse into their impending EP, The Outcome, with the unveiling of the track "Part II". The EP is due for release on 29 May through Anti‑Corp Music.

Formed in 2019 by Texas‑based Lane Oliver (ex‑Yatsu, Feel Happiness) and New York‑based David Brenner (Gridfailure), Diminishing issued their demoralising debut album The Unnamable in 2023. Tense, abrasive, and emotionally devastating, the album traversed a spectrum of semi‑improvisational post‑industrial, dark ambient, drone, and noise — marked by decimating riffwork, immersive tension, haunting atmospherics, mechanical rhythms, and an aura of pure loss. Thematically, it delved into existential crises, fear of the unknown, and personal failings, laying the foundation for the project's ongoing descent into tormented sound.

Three years on, Diminishing now present The Outcome, a twenty‑four‑minute movement that sees the duo exploring even bleaker depths, pushing their sound further into the personal abyss. Built around a stark, grating dual‑guitar improv drone recorded while The Unnamable was still taking shape, the pair expanded this raw material into a conceptual piece examining the darker corners of the human psyche within the family construct.

With Brenner contributing vocals, guitar, bass, synths/keys, and effects, and Oliver providing lyrics, vocals, guitar, synth, effects, and the final mix, The Outcome was brought to completion. Mastering was handled by Anti‑Corp Music/Black Matter Mastering's Dan Emery (Kool Keith, Thetan, Krieg), with visual and graphic design by Brenner.

Lane Oliver explains: "The meat of The Outcome is a 24-minute-long, dual improv guitar session I recorded on a whim back in February 2021. I had no intention of using it for anything; it was just an itch I had to scratch. I shared it with Dave, who responded enthusiastically and urged that it be used for Diminishing in some form. For the next five years, we worked on it intermittently, adding new layers of instrumentation when our lives allowed us to do so. Elements of doom, post-rock, dark ambient, and noise began to colour the track as we fed it through the Diminishing filter. When it finally became as morose as it possibly could get, we called it done. This single track/EP marks a new step in the unpredictable evolution of this project, and I am excited to share it".

He continues: "The lyrics/theme of The Outcome deal with anticipatory grief and our negative reactions to it. When faced with the impending passing of a loved one, one may unreasonably blame oneself or lash out at others. Some may lament that they could have done more. Some may chastise family members for not doing enough. People tend to put unrealistic expectations on themselves and those around them when faced with such an incredibly stressful and heartrending situation. These are things that I and those close to me have seen and experienced the last few years, so it felt appropriate to write about".

If your listening habits include Godflesh, Nurse With Wound, Ramleh, Lustmord, Khanate, Nine Inch Nails, Swans, Sunn O))), Locrian, or Halo, Diminishing should not be overlooked. Link