Nathan Holly - The Suffering & The Dreamer

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Forest: Sold Out
Jul 5, 2003
5,154
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Indiana
Nathan Holly – The Suffering & The Dreamer
By Jason Jordan

The Suffering
Self-Released – 2003

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One-man band Nathan Holly hails from Wisconsin, and The Suffering is his 31-minute debut of Agalloch-like doom. In fact, “Endgame” is very similar to the softer side of the influential, Oregonian unit. Holly’s pipes parallel Haughm’s, too, but the everyman vocals are easily the weakest component of his repertoire. Though his vocal performance simply suffices, his guitar playing, drum programming, and overall songwriting excels. The leads near the end of “Desolate” are great, and even if the composition isn’t exactly utilitarian, there’s no self-indulgence to be found in this earnest piece of work. Warranting comparison to Agalloch yet again on “Am I Dreaming,” Holly briefly experiments more heavily with distortion and scattered growls, which adds some differentiation to an otherwise predictable approach. In short, it’s a nice addition. “In Death…” and “I Am Alone” are dark, tasteful numbers that bring the 6-track album to a close.

The Dreamer
Self-Released – 2007

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One should note that the production has improved from what it was on The Suffering, though both albums are far from shoddy in said department. As a matter of fact, there’s no distinguishable difference between a home studio and professional studio in the case of Nathan Holly’s work. It’s also apparent that The Dreamer is tangible evidence of a boost of confidence for Holly, and opener “The Sleeper” displays a firm grip on songwriting as the tune has more depth than any of its predecessors – the use of piano/keyboards being an especially nice touch. Still, Holly would surely benefit from vocal lessons, even if the vocals are satisfactory here. In true Antimatter acoustic doom fashion, however, the remainder of The Dreamer plays out much like Planetary Confinement, mood-wise, in the dark “Wait for Me,” melancholy “Awake,” and optimistic “Farewell.” Gone completely is the distortion and growling, which is actually positive in this case since the acoustic theme works incredibly well. Following the full, 6-track recording is “a stripped down acoustic version,” to use his words, that is only available on the CD – as opposed to free download on his site. Similar to The Suffering, this one also features Holly’s hand-drawn artwork, and in communicating with him in order to set up these reviews, it’s noticeable that he cares for his art a great deal, which shows in every respect.


Between the two, I must admit that Dreamer is superior to Suffering in nearly every way, and that’s the one I’d actually recommend. So if you adore Antimatter’s Planetary Confinement and would like something in the same vein – minus strings and female vocals – then check out the former. Or, if you’ve got a spare $10 lying around, you can pick both of ‘em up. In any case, there’s pleasure to be gleaned from each, but his sophomore installment does trump his debut for what it’s worth.

Official Nathan Holly Website