BELL WITCH MIRROR REAPER Profound Lore Records Funeral Doom Metal Listening Format: CD Before I begin... LOOK AT THAT ALBUM COVER!!! GOD DAMN THAT IS FREAKIN' EPIC!!! I WANT THAT ON MY BEDTIME QUILT!!! COME ON RED BUBBLE, QUILT ME UP!!!
Sorry... 'Mirror Reaper' is the 4th full length album (and boy is it full length alright) by Seattle, Washington formed duo Bell Witch. Funeral Doom Metal is a pretty niche and cult subgenre that even some hardcore Metal fans aren't really aware of, but it has produced some absolutely fantastic bands over the decades. To sum it up, it takes Doom Metal to it's most logical extreme before it becomes pure Drone. 50bpm super slow, glacial riffs, massively downtuned guitars with super low vocals, big running times and lots of atmospheric qualities. But I digress. Depending on which format you listen to 'Mirror Reaper', we essentially have an 83 minute long song. Your average Metallica fan will probably scream in sheer terror at the thought, but for those well versed in Funeral Doom Metal, you'll probably be thinking "Meh, is that all?" The album is presented differently depending on which format you listen to. If you have the Digital version, it's a full 83 minute piece named "As Above So Below". The CD cuts the piece in half spread over 2 discs "As Above" and "So Below", whilst the vinyl edition has to cater to 3 side breaks, "As", "Above", "So, "Below". I went for the middle ground. As a fan of physical music I'd say this is a rare case where the Digital format reigns superior, but if you buy the vinyl edition you'll get that GOD DAMN BEAUTIFUL GATEFOLD ARTWORK!!! I WANT TO WRAP IT OVER MY NAKED BODY AS MY DREAMS TRANSPORT ME TO THE MIRROR WORLD!!! RED BUBBLE!!! TAKE ME TO MY SLUMBER!!!... Sorry... But even the presentation of this album is quite forward thinking. You will genuinely get a different listening experience from each version of the album you choose to hear it on. I like that.
What makes 'Mirror Reaper' even more ambitious is it's concept. Bell Witch drummer and vocalist Adrian Guerra tragically passed away last year at just 36 years old. Bell Witch decided to continue with new drummer and vocalist Jesse Shreibman, but wrote 'Mirror Reaper' as an epitaph to Guerra. I believe that Guerra was actually present in the early stages of making this album anyway, as some of his own vocal recordings have been implemented into the album. He appears on this album more than just in spirit, and that adds a beautiful and emotional context to the music and lyrics. 'Mirror Reaper' is a very challenging listen even for well versed Funeral Doom fans. The album is very slow, sparse and repetitive. Even though the song runs at 83 minutes, don't expect much in the way of progression or variety. It's so slow that it rarely reaches a potential to progress into something. The pacing of the album ranges from standing still to lumbering incredibly slowly through quick sand. The same riff cycle might be padded out for minutes. But fortunately, what makes this song so captivating is it's strong and haunting atmosphere. Technically this is a deceptively simple and sparse album. Just 6 string bass, drums, vocals and some very subtle bassy organ notes that essentially create a low pitched ambient hum. But it is this bareness that actually speaks volumes. The way Bell Witch are able to hold on certain notes creates this teasing tension. Every riff moves like a crashing wave against the jagged rocks, holding a mesmerising power. If you've listened to the likes of Esoteric or even previous Bell Witch releases, the first half of this song isn't worlds away from what you would expect from them, only the riffs sound more drawn out and spacious. This is actually their most melodic release, with stunning use of clean vocals that almost have this ritualistic ghostly choir feel to them, made indecipherable through all of the reverb. It is the second half (or second disc) that really tipping me over the edge. The last 35 minute chunk of this behemoth almost leaves the Metal realm entirely. Things slow down almost to a complete halt and there are long stretches with no percussion at all. Instead gorgeous melodic bass tapping escalates every so slightly into this incredibly moving and melodic cyclic mantra that reminded me quite a lot of Boris' 'Flood' album (also one giant song). I found myself approaching 'Mirror Reaper' more like an Ambient or possibly Post Rock album (think early Sigur Ros kinds of slow). It's not too often where I go into an Extreme Metal album and come away impressed even more by the non-Metal sections of the music! If you've had no desire to hear or enjoy Funeral Doom Metal before, 'Mirror Reaper' isn't exactly going to win you over. It still has crushing, sometimes dissonant slabs of riffs and monstrous death growling vocals, and it certainly requires extreme patience to make it through this entire album. But those up for the challenge will leave this album not only humming the melodic arpeggios heard, but feeling like you have been on an epic journey. 'Mirror Reaper' is truly a spiritual piece of music that takes Funeral Doom to it's most literal point. This music actually feels like a funeral or an epitaph, for a dear lost soul. It is packed so fiercely with sadness, heartbreak and loss, and yet is supremely life affirming rather than opting for the feel of despair and hopelessness that Funeral Doom usually delivers. 'Mirror Reaper' is not only the best Funeral Doom Metal album since Esoteric's masterpiece double album 'The Maniacal Vale', but one of the most ambitious, forward thinking and genuinely moving pieces of music you will hear in 2017. 8/10.
Shout out to my man Collier at The Decibel Addict for passionately rambling to me about how much I should hear this album. He wasn't wrong!
DYSTOPIAN FUTURE MOVIES TIME Post Rock, Atmospheric Sludge Metal, Dream Pop. Oak Island Records Listening Format: CD
Dystopian Future Movies are an Atmospheric Rock trio from Nottingham, England and this is their debut album 'Time'. Their music is written by vocalist and guitarist Caroline Cawley with apt lyrics that seem to evoke a fear of things to come. DFM have built up their own signature style of writing that combines elements of Post Rock combined with the classic loudQUIETloud formula. Though their songs tend to average the 5-6 minute mark (as opposed to Post Rock's often lengthier dirges), they often build up slowly and gradually, ebbing and flowing between soft, Ambient textured and atmospheric clean guitar passages, and loud and explosive distorted guitar sections. Whilst this is far from a new or unique approach, it is the genuine delivery and craft of this band that helps them to stand out.
'Time' has been produced by drummer Bill Fisher (who also plays in Church of the Cosmic Skull alongside Caroline), and excellently so as one of the biggest selling points of this debut full length is how lush and realised everything sounds. For just a guitar, bass, drums and vocal trio their music genuinely sounds bigger than the sum of its parts. There are many subtle textures to be heard, whether it is a guitar effect here, or a buried vocal line there, revealing themselves further with each listen. Even when the drums are playing at a steady, slow pace, they are always interesting, adding a hypnotic quality, and then booming into life with choppy fills and aggressive playing when necessary (check out the intro to 'Dulled Gilt'). Caroline Cawley's voice and guitar sound are completely inseparable. The two always play in complete harmony with each other as the songs build. Every clean guitar passage will be complimented with a hushed and fragile vocal that verges on a whisper, whilst every distorted riff that soars into Sludge Metal will be accompanied with Caroline's gnarlier screams and howls. She is clearly the real star of the band and her voice and use of melancholic chord progressions often grab the listener and are full of genuine moments of darkness as well as beauty. In particular lead single 'Pieces' sums up exactly what DFM do best all in one track. The dynamics of the song are teasing and alluring. Just as the song feels like it is going to explode into thundering riffs, the trio will suddenly pull back into soft and slow dreamy rock again. It takes a couple of builds up and crescendos before that momentum they allude to fires into life, taking the listener on that journey. 'Fortunate Ones' is another huge highlight on the album and certainly the most "Metal" song here. The track bursts into life much sooner with pounding drums and chugging riffs, whilst still holding on to that fragility that haunts their sound and writing style. But perhaps my favourite track of all is the beautiful 'Inertia'. This song has the brightest production and the most colourful sound, lead by mostly clean guitar that recalls Smashing Pumpkins 'Mayonaise'. 'Inertia' is a perfectly placed centrepiece on the album and the liveliest and prettiest track. Whilst I genuinely enjoy all seven tracks on this album, the way the album ends is a little underwhelming. 'Fugitive Minds' is a good track but just as it feels like the song is building to its climax, a misplaced fade out interrupts the song all too early. It feels like the studio engineer yelled "Time's up!" and cut them off mid song. 'Fugitive Minds' not only feels unfinished, but it leaves the album without a powerful finale that it so deserved. I feel like 'Forgotten Ones' would have served as a much better climax to the album, or at just 37 minutes, something else could have come in to close off the album. At least DFM have sent me off wanting more, in what is genuinely the only detracting moment on the record. Dystopian Future Movies have successfully built on the promise of their fantastic EPs and delivered one of the most emotive and haunting Rock/Metal album's I have heard this year. For a debut album, 'Time' is a more than solid surface to leap off and I expect DFM will go on to even greater things in the future! Recommended for fans of Chelsea Wolfe, Slint, True Widow and Esben & the Witch. 8/10.
SOLSTAFIR BERDREYMINN Post Rock, Hard Rock, Progressive Rock. Seasons of Mist. Listening Format: CD & Digital.
Solstafir are an Icelandic Rock band who have been active for over 20 years but only put out their first full length in 2002. Originally conceived as a Black Metal band, Solstafir have always created very atmospheric and melancholic music. Over the course of six full length albums, their music has really changed up a lot and continued to evolve to the point where they can barely be labelled a Metal band these days. 'Berdreyminn' is their sixth full length release and it's not an easy album to pigeonhole (which I like), with elements of Post Rock, Hard Rock and Prog.
The album opens with a kind of Ennio Morricone Spaghetti Western inspired intro before (and I kid you not) launching into a main riff that sounds like classic Muse (honestly it really does)! Once this track gets going though, it becomes really interesting with a triumphant feel, stomping drums and these soaring yelling vocals. Second track 'Isafold' has this unashamed 70s Rock stomp that sounds like classic ZZ Top. This thing even has what sounds like a slap bass interlude and cheesy guitar licks. I have to say I'm loving this track, although the vocals are mixed a little too high and sometimes when Tyrggvason goes slightly off pitch it is a bit unpleasant on the ears. The album takes an even stronger leap forward with a song that has a completely different tone. 'Hula' is Solstafir coming out in their true form. It sounds dark, mysterious, brooding and epic as you would probably expect. There are some absolutely beautiful touches of strings and female backing vocals on this track, and the clean lead vocals are far more muted and lowered in the mix compared to the yelling vocals on the first two tracks. This is easily the strongest track on the album that could be described as a Post Rock or atmospheric Rock song, for lack of a better term.
As the album starts to venture into its second half things keep changing up from there. In fact 'Naros' has a very dynamic change just within the same song. It begins as slow and ghostly as 'Hula' before it, but around the half way mark suddenly bursts into a colourful array of Punky power chord lead guitars and brilliant sounding yelling vocals. Although I can't understand the lyrics (presumably in Icelandic), I can still hear so much passion in the vocals, so whatever he is shouting about, I can tell he really means it. Another strong album highlight, but mostly just the second half of this track.
As the album continues its journey, it seems to keep switching back and forth between simplistic and energetic Hard Rock, and melancholic and very dramatic songs. 'Dyrafjordur' near the end of the album piles on the strings and hammering piano arpeggios to create a song that could easily soundtrack a main character's last dying breath at the climax of a hard hitting drama. If you compare this track to the ZZ Top stomp of 'Isafold' earlier in the album, it is hard to believe these two songs can possibly coexist on the same record! I guess this is the album's biggest strength and biggest weakness at the same time. 'Berdreyminn' is a vastly eclectic album with a wide musical pallet. Sometimes it sounds simplistic and catchy as hell, sometimes it sounds very complex, layered and serious. Rarely is the album boring because Solstafir pull off all their ambitions well, with solid, heartfelt performances, and detailed, nostalgic production. But tonally this record is all over the place. I think if you do pretend it is a soundtrack, then it makes more sense. Soundtracks are allowed to be all over the place. Listening all the way through there are mostly very bold and engaging moments all over this record. But there are also some irksome parts too, whether it is a guitar lead or yelped vocal sounding a bit too cheesy and over the top, or a change in the album's mood and pacing being too drastic a shift. As a whole though, I'm really enjoying this record. It is certainly a unique and thoroughly engaging experience, and it doesn't really sound like anything else I've heard this year, which is very refreshing indeed. 7/10.
