David Galas - The Cataclysm
Vendlus Records - Vend016 - March 14th, 2007
By Michael Koger
It has been a long seven years since the music community last heard from David Galas. After the breakup of seminal dark wave band, Lycia, in 1999, David Galas began writing material for what would become his solo album. He spent the next six years writing songs and fine tuning ideas. The end result is nothing short of amazing.
Clocking in at over 70 minutes and with 19 tracks, The Cataclysm is a massive record by every stretch of the imagination. The music, for the most part, is slow, brooding, and melancholy. There are a few more upbeat numbers (even moments of double bass drumming), but the majority of the music is slow and meticulous. This album should appeal to fans of dark wave, neo folk, ambient and even doom metal. The album starts with Asleep In The Field which leads straight into The Harvest. The remaining seventeen tracks are captivating and spellbinding as they weave in and out of each other. They have a very epic feel to them. It is almost like you are driving through a vast wasteland, passing ruined buildings and other structures in various forms of decay. Or perhaps if you are laying on a rock face watching the gray sky pass over. Those are the images I get when listening to the record: Rust, decay and ruin.
You can definitely hear influences from Swans, Death In June, Dead Can Dance, and, obviously, Lycia. David Galas vocals are deep and mournful. The music is not flashy, but the musicianship is very talented. The songs are very hypnotic and trance inducing. Minimalism and introversion is key here. If you have a short attention span and need five hundred riffs a minute, this may not be your cup of tea. The percussion is deep, and the bass is very resonant. Various keyboards, strings and electronics are dropped here and there throughout The Cataclysm to add nice touches, but they never dominate the music. All of the instruments and Davids vocals come together to weave an intricate and deeply layered piece of work.
The individual songs easily stand on their own, but the album works best when listened to as a whole. Since the recording of this album in 2006, Lycia has reformed, and there are even rumors about a possible Lycia/David Galas tour. The album may not appeal to every listener, but those who are interested will be rewarded with an extremely amazing record. If you are looking for a out of mind and out of body listening experience, David Galas The Cataclysm may be the record you are looking for.
Official David Galas Website
Official Vendlus Records Website
Vendlus Records - Vend016 - March 14th, 2007
By Michael Koger
It has been a long seven years since the music community last heard from David Galas. After the breakup of seminal dark wave band, Lycia, in 1999, David Galas began writing material for what would become his solo album. He spent the next six years writing songs and fine tuning ideas. The end result is nothing short of amazing.
Clocking in at over 70 minutes and with 19 tracks, The Cataclysm is a massive record by every stretch of the imagination. The music, for the most part, is slow, brooding, and melancholy. There are a few more upbeat numbers (even moments of double bass drumming), but the majority of the music is slow and meticulous. This album should appeal to fans of dark wave, neo folk, ambient and even doom metal. The album starts with Asleep In The Field which leads straight into The Harvest. The remaining seventeen tracks are captivating and spellbinding as they weave in and out of each other. They have a very epic feel to them. It is almost like you are driving through a vast wasteland, passing ruined buildings and other structures in various forms of decay. Or perhaps if you are laying on a rock face watching the gray sky pass over. Those are the images I get when listening to the record: Rust, decay and ruin.
You can definitely hear influences from Swans, Death In June, Dead Can Dance, and, obviously, Lycia. David Galas vocals are deep and mournful. The music is not flashy, but the musicianship is very talented. The songs are very hypnotic and trance inducing. Minimalism and introversion is key here. If you have a short attention span and need five hundred riffs a minute, this may not be your cup of tea. The percussion is deep, and the bass is very resonant. Various keyboards, strings and electronics are dropped here and there throughout The Cataclysm to add nice touches, but they never dominate the music. All of the instruments and Davids vocals come together to weave an intricate and deeply layered piece of work.
The individual songs easily stand on their own, but the album works best when listened to as a whole. Since the recording of this album in 2006, Lycia has reformed, and there are even rumors about a possible Lycia/David Galas tour. The album may not appeal to every listener, but those who are interested will be rewarded with an extremely amazing record. If you are looking for a out of mind and out of body listening experience, David Galas The Cataclysm may be the record you are looking for.
Official David Galas Website
Official Vendlus Records Website
