Release Date: February 04th 2022. Record Label: Czar Of Crickets. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
By The Edges - Tracklisting
Above The Bloodline
Dark Brilliance
Holdun
Entering One Last Epoch
Review
Preamp Disaster is a band who have been around for fifteen years and who are about to release their fourth album with By The Edges. The band play a style of music that weaves different styles of Post-Rock, Post-Metal, Doom Metal and Psych Rock.
This is the first time I’ve encountered the band and I’m majorly impressed with By The Edges. An album that runs under thirty minutes. Maybe a little too compact for some but Preamp Disaster get straight into the action by playing Progressive Post-Rock/Post-Metal sounds.
Preamp Disaster prove their creative worth through the four songs held on the album. The music is HEAVY without being deafening and PROGRESSIVE without being condescending. There is a fine balance of LOUD GROOVES and moments of quiet CINEMATIC POST ROCK that can be heard throughout the album.
Opening song Above The Bloodline harks back to the days of early-era Pelican with gloomy undercurrent of Doom based Post-Metal with Sludgy Vibes starting to appear. The vocals are sparse but when they appear, the record moves up a few aggressive gears that the music easily matches beat for beat.
Second song Dark Brilliance opens with a lo-fi sonic ambient sound before the band add layers of street level Post-Rock/Post-Metal attitude. The song moves with the modern Psych Doom Metal times with the music blending the different atmospherics heard within this song. There’s a real sense of purpose on this track with the band playing a more forceful style of music. The vocals are brief yet again with Preamp Disaster forcing intelligent soundbytes to tell the song’s narrative.
Third song Holdun continues with the Prog Metal/Post-Metal trajectory sound of the record with the band wisely holding onto a winning creative formula. Heavy breakaways move into the Psychedelic Metal Wastelands. The song does become more progressive towards the later stages that fans of TOOL and CULT OF LUNA will surely be impressed with. The song is quite solitary with it’s cold-heart grooves that are mainly down to the fantastic vocals.
The final song Entering One Last Epoch is where Preamp Disaster truly shine by playing the standout track on the album. Running over nine minutes in length, this song sees the band playing a more subdued style of Post-Metal and Prog Metal. This is a heavy song but it’s the quieter sullen moments that impress the most. You can soak up all the different styles of music being played around you. There’s a lot to take in with this song but when things become heavier, you’ll be more appreciative of what is being played around you. The song perhaps draws influence from the later stages of Pelican and Russian Circles but still retaining Preamp Disaster’s own creative style.
By The Edges is a cold, desolate and aggressive album but one that also has a few uplifting moments contained within the record. This maybe my first experience with Preamp Disaster but I can honestly say it won’t be my last and I’m looking forward to checking out their previous releases.
Preamp Disaster have released a superbly thrilling album that will no doubt grab the minds, attention and ears of the Post-Metal, Doom Metal and Prog Metal communities.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Czar Of Crickets for the promo.
By The Edges will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Czar of Crickets from Friday 4th February 2022.
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