The ten-song album clocks in at just under an hour and, as expected, it is one that takes a few listens to fully appreciate. The band's sound is as dense as ever here, but there remain plenty of hooks thanks to Gilbert's stunning vocals. She even handles most of the harsh vocals this time, something which had previously been done by former band members, and there are more instances of such when compared to the previous albums. This album gets underway with its powerful title track, then, which opens with some mournful clean guitar melodies - over which Beverly's doomy drums soon add some punch. The opening very much feels like the meeting of the two sounds described earlier, with clean guitars continuing to add some melancholy underneath the heavier guitars once Gilbert starts to sing - whilst the later chorus sees clean and harsh vocals mixing together whilst Beverly's fast double bass drumming contrasts with the slower moving riffs. Gilbert's harsh vocals may not be the best in class, but her surprisingly deep growls are evocative and add to the album's doomy vibe nicely - whilst her more traditional soulful clean delivery sounds as good as ever, with the chorus a real hooky and bluesy moment which then explodes into a pretty muscular and old-school guitar riff. As is typical of the band's sound, though, the song progresses and expands as it moves along. Clean guitar melodies similar to the intro appear during some slower sections, and one such moment gives way to a slow-burning and heartfelt guitar solo, whilst keyboards are used elsewhere to double some of the bigger riffs - as well as to provide a denser sound as the song progresses. It might not be the most adventurous song arrangement-wise but all of the song's parts are memorable and it is a perfect way to reintroduce heaviness to the band's sound again following the calm of Starlight and Ash. Run from the Light feels a bit more urgent by comparison and the relatively shorter piece opens with a juddering riff which sits against a slightly off-kilter drum groove - over which Gilbert soon starts to sing. Despite the shorter length, though, the song remains extremely dynamic. This opening section soon gives way to a fast-paced chugging section - which introduces the voice of Fernando Ribeiro (Moonspell) who sings alongside Gilbert throughout. This chugging section features his trademark barked vocal style, whilst a later slower section sees the two harmonising together in a much more gothic manner. Gilbert also sings against some of the heavy sections, unleashing a few higher notes which is different from her normal approach, but generally she adds her usual bluesy edge to the band's heaviness - with the riffing from Davis and Kritikos pretty varied throughout. Throw in a shredded guitar solo and the track is a proper doomy prog metal anthem - and one of the best cuts here.
The album's longest track, Don't Come Back from Hell Empty-Handed, follows and it slows things down quite considerably - at least early on. The opening section of the song, with its warm clean guitars and shimmering keyboards could have easily sat on the last album - and Gilbert sounds really at home against this organic backing. I actually would not have minded another album in the vein of Starlight and Ash in truth, but it is fitting that the band have returned to heavier territories as they are not ones to stand still - and they have clearly brought the lessons from Starlight and Ash into this latest era. This is evident when the song gets heavier, as the organic sounds remain - with the metallic guitars and the warm keyboards contrasting perfectly to create a wholesome sound unlike anything else. Perhaps the moment here which really showcases the band's mix of sounds is a section which features blast beats and shredded guitar leads - over which Gilbert sings in the most soulful manner possible. A minute or so later she is singing against Beverly's delicate piano runs, too, but everything hangs together nicely - showcasing the real creativity of the band. Later on, too, they opt for strident and in-your-face guitar riffs against an anthemic rhythm section - but these movements all feel like natural bedfellows at this point given the band's history. Following the behemoth of the previous song, then, is the shorter and beautiful Wish - a much more overtly-melodic piece that reins in all of the band's usual progressive tendencies to deliver a hooky and somewhat poppy rocker which mixes a strong, heavier chorus with verses that see Gilbert sounding more ethereal than usual against a backdrop of chiming clean guitars. The chorus still rocks, but it is less riffy than anything else here up to this point - and it reminds me of some of the more restrained symphonic metal bands arrangement-wise, albeit with the band's usual organic approach retained. Again, there are shades of the previous album given the simpler arrangement - but it rocks harder than anything on Starlight and Ash. As such, the song is a bit of melodic respite hidden amongst the lengthier and more melancholic ones. Poem of Ecstasy opens with some distant piano melodies, which form the basis of the early part of the track - even as a prominent drum groove takes hold, which Gilbert perfectly weaves her vocals around. Chiming yet darker-sounding clean guitars also join in after a short while - and the mix of an old-school drum groove, the piano, and the effects-heavy guitars really hark back to the previous album. It feels like a leftover track for quite a while - but it does get heavier and doomier as it moves along thanks to an extended passage of harsh vocals and some later blast beats. The change between the cleaner and the heavier section is a bit stark but it still works and the song is another great example of the meeting of the minds this album seems to be. Fast drumming and chaotic soloing dominate the latter parts of the track then, with Gilbert regularly opting to growl, too.
The Given Dream is another shorter song but, unlike Wish, it is much more of a relative slow-burner. Pulsing synths open the track up, over which Gilbert starts to sing - and she is soon joined by a strange percussion loop, piano, and some strange sound effects. There are subtle industrial touches here, which clash with the band's usual organic approach, but the warmth the of the synths and the piano generally shine through - with Gilbert's soulful vocals rooting the song in the band's canon. Despite these industrial touches, though, the song remains on the slower side. The drum loop adds an urgency briefly, but this is countered by the general melancholy of the piece - which is built on towards the end when real drums and heavy guitars kick in to turn the last moments into a gothic, doomy chug. I Will Break the Pride of Your Will opens in a surprisingly similar way, with piano melodies and some programmed drum beats, but this only ever feels like a scene-setter for something greater - and soon a pretty hooky guitar riff kicks in and the track morphs into a mid-paced rocker with chugging guitars and a much more groove-based drum approach. Gilbert shifts back and forth between emotional clean vocals, which see her pushing herself a little more than she sometimes does to create a slightly anguished feel, and deep growls - whilst the band shift focus from this groovy approach, to a more metallic double bass-led pattern, and even return to the opening piano melodies to create a memorable bridge section later on. There is a bit more focus on riffing here, too, at least early on. The guitar playing throughout the album is varied, but Oceans of Slumber have not generally been a band to really focus on big riffs. Their songs are more soundscapes with each instrument a part of that tapestry, but there are a few more guitar-based moments here - and Beverly's drum fills are some of the most potent, as they stand out more due to the relatively more simple drum beats he utilises throughout the song. Prayer returns to something much crunchier and metallic overall - and the overall tone is somewhat similar to Run from the Light thanks to a greater sense of urgency throughout. There is another guest vocalist here, too, with Mikael Stanne (Dark Tranquillity; Grand Cadaver; The Halo Effect; Cemetery Skyline) adding both harsh and clean vocals to the track. He has become a real favourite vocalist of mine of late - so hearing him here alongside Gilbert is a real treat. His growls are potent, but it is perhaps his clean vocals that really make the song - and with him and Gilbert trading off during a memorable chorus section. Whilst Oceans of Slumber's core sound is more atmospheric and doomy, I do like it when they let rip a bit more and go for something faster and heavier. This is one such song, despite some slower and more gothic sections, and it injects some energy into the back end of the album.
The last original track here is The Impermanence of Fate, which really returns to the album's core sound in a big way. The urgency from the previous song is totally stripped away and, again, there are strong links back to the previous album - especially early on. As a few songs here have done, the track opens with piano melodies - over which Gilbert delivers her vocals in her typically emotional manner. It is a very stripped back opening, even compared to the other slower openings here, but this only helps to contrast nicely with what is to follow - which are some of the album's most metallic moments. Oceans of Slumber flirt with extreme metal pretty regularly, but there is a section during this song which is flat out death metal - and easily the heaviest the band have sounded. The lightning fast double bass drumming, the brash guitars, and Gilbert's deep growls inject pure death metal into this album - and this follows an organic doomy riff-led section which is typical of the band's core sound. As such, then, the song gets heavier in three steps - and there is even a spoken word section following the heaviest moment, which is something different for the band. The song is one that continues to evolve, then, and it really showcases the band's progressive side. There is even a moment later on which feels pretty heroic, with soaring synths and a more strident hard rock base - but the song slowly fades back down to something slower as it comes to a close. Swirling keyboards begin to dominate and Gilbert sings in a more emotional manner during the closing sections - and the track comes to a low key close thanks to these keyboard textures. The final song here, though, is a cover of Chris Isaak's Wicked Game - although those of a certain age are more likely to be more familiar with HIM's take on the song from their 1997 debut album Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666. Ocean of Slumber's version of the track is much more stripped down, though, with Gilbert singing the song in her trademark style against a simple backing of piano and acoustic guitar. It never grows from this simple basis, despite the occasional guitar lead added in, and the song works really well in this manner - with the key melodies retained and Gilbert really drawing all of the emotion out of the lyrics. Oceans of Slumber have included a slightly left-field cover on all of the albums of theirs which I have heard and each one has worked well - with the band putting their stamp on a recognised song and making it their own. Covers like that are always the best rather than ones which simply re-record the song as it was originally - and the stripped down acoustic song works well as an end to the album. The album is a varied one overall, but there is an organic sound which runs throughout - and this is culminated in the closing acoustic number. Most importantly, though, the album continues on the band's excellent run - and the quality throughout is extremely high. There is no other band truly like Oceans of Slumber, despite their many line-up changes over the years, and Where Gods Fear to Speak is another dense and varied slab of progressive music which shifts from soft to heavy in the blink of an eye.
The album was released on 13th September 2024 via Season of Mist. Below is the band's promotional video for Poem of Ecstasy.
No comments:
Post a Comment