Growing The Soul Of The Rainbow And The Harmony Of Light
Kranky Records krank073 October 18th 2004
By Russell Garwood
Growing. That they certainly are. This American duo released their debut, The Skys Run Into The Sea only last year on Kranky records, and The Soul Of Rainbow And The Harmony Of Light shows quite some development. The music itself hasnt changed as much as my opening statement would suggest. Super slow drones begin by gently washing over you, but gradually become more intense, and far darker, eventually grinding and manhandling you into submission. What has changed, however, is the atmosphere. I find the four songs on this release (spanning fifty minutes) far less forgiving than the bands debut. The similarities with extreme doom/drone metal (Khanate, Sun O)))) seem more apparent, and while there are still differences melody, a cold, synthetic feel, and occasional warm tones the effect is very similar. With just guitars and bass, the long, long tracks tend to build up from an - often atmospheric - single drone, then become increasingly claustrophobic, doom-laden, and downright filthy. How a sustained note can be so effective is beyond me, but the darker moments on this CD will make your skin crawl. Sporadic melodies and warm, fuzzy tones are a pleasant addition, and give occasional respite from the otherwise astringent noisescapes, as do the occasional distorted guitar melodies (all, of course, at no more than 50BPM).
As you may have guessed, this release is very much an acquired taste. Yet it may find a following in those that listen to extreme doom bands, and acts as an interesting hybrid of harsh dark-ambient/industrial and experimental electronica, with some of the trappings of more extreme metal. Approach with caution, but if you like this kind of thing, youre not going to find much better.
Official Kranky website
Kranky Records krank073 October 18th 2004
By Russell Garwood
Growing. That they certainly are. This American duo released their debut, The Skys Run Into The Sea only last year on Kranky records, and The Soul Of Rainbow And The Harmony Of Light shows quite some development. The music itself hasnt changed as much as my opening statement would suggest. Super slow drones begin by gently washing over you, but gradually become more intense, and far darker, eventually grinding and manhandling you into submission. What has changed, however, is the atmosphere. I find the four songs on this release (spanning fifty minutes) far less forgiving than the bands debut. The similarities with extreme doom/drone metal (Khanate, Sun O)))) seem more apparent, and while there are still differences melody, a cold, synthetic feel, and occasional warm tones the effect is very similar. With just guitars and bass, the long, long tracks tend to build up from an - often atmospheric - single drone, then become increasingly claustrophobic, doom-laden, and downright filthy. How a sustained note can be so effective is beyond me, but the darker moments on this CD will make your skin crawl. Sporadic melodies and warm, fuzzy tones are a pleasant addition, and give occasional respite from the otherwise astringent noisescapes, as do the occasional distorted guitar melodies (all, of course, at no more than 50BPM).
As you may have guessed, this release is very much an acquired taste. Yet it may find a following in those that listen to extreme doom bands, and acts as an interesting hybrid of harsh dark-ambient/industrial and experimental electronica, with some of the trappings of more extreme metal. Approach with caution, but if you like this kind of thing, youre not going to find much better.
Official Kranky website
