Release Date: March 04th 2022. Record Label: Tentacles Industries. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
Low In The Glow - Tracklisting
1.Phantomatic 02:39
2.Blue No.19 04:10
3.Low in the Glow 03:10
4.Lone Wolf (Edge of Town) 03:36
5.Elevators 03:42
6.Rites 03:58
7.Spells 03:38
8.Grain Ark 05:24
Review
Low In The Glow is the new album from Rochester, New York Heavy Post-Doom/Noise/Sludge/Stoner Metal collective CHRMR and it continues their abrasive and aggressive style of music heard on their last few releases. This album has a more potent threat to it all as the band play a sound that is more fitting for today’s modern, heavy and ultra aggressive style of “Post-Whatever” sounds
CHRMR consists of former and current members of Sulaco, Contrarian and Burn Everything and with that kind of pedigree you’re going to expect something different.
Throw in pockets of Post-Doom, Industrial Rock and flashy Noise Rock grooves then CHRMR flirt between 90s Alternative Metal atmospherics with a “RELAPSE RECORDS '' style showmanship. The songs are all wholly contained in their own sound with CHRMR playing multiple styles of modern day hard rock and metal but all foretold within the powers of Sludge/Stoner Metal.
The band aims for a solitary feel on this album especially on the first few songs with Phantomatic, Blue No 19 and Low In The Glow quite surprisingly quickly building up an almost “world building” feel with each song. The songs are aggressive, socially aware and downright catchy in places thanks to the barnstorming use of different styles of music with perhaps an overconfident style of Psych Rock/Metal being the main focus here. The Industrial/Noise Rock aesthetic has been heard on previous CHRMR releases but this is where it feels fully realised with stunning vocals and lyrics to match.
The grooves are muscular but with real intelligence and if CHRMR were around in the glory days of mid-90s/early 00’s Alternative Metal then they would have been a big deal but maybe the added inclusion of the Sludge/Stoner Metal elements make CHRMR perhaps something of an oddity for today’s listeners of the scene we know, love and support.
However, CHRMR is a wonderful creative oddity within the scene. As they’re a band who take ideas from other areas of Hard Rock/Metal that shouldn’t really work here but they do. Especially when they fuse fast-paced Sludge/Stoner Metal violent grooves with similar themes from bands such as NIN and System Of A Down. Check out the excellent two-punch combo of Lone Wolf (Edge Of Town) and Elevators for evidence of this. The music contained here on these two tracks are the best part of this album that should allow CHRMR to endear themselves to the Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal Community.
The final few songs on the album sees CHRMR expand their creative prowess yet again with the band adopting a more “Progressive” edge or angle to their music and the inclusion of almost extreme based “breakdowns” to their music is an added bonus for the overall enjoyment of the album.
The production is excellent as always and allows this album to be another wonderfully epic sounding release from CHRMR.
Get on this release when you can. Overall, Low In The Glow is a stunning release.
Words by Steve Howe
Low In The Glow is available for pre-order soon on CD/Vinyl via Tentacles Industries
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