Release Date: November 03rd 2023. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD/Vinyl
Walls Of Light - Tracklisting
1.The Center 14:50
2.Sonder 05:30
3.TON 07:35
4.The Light 14:20
Members:
Review
Walls Of Light is the new album from Instrumental Sludge/Post-Metallers Below A Silent Sky who bring a more destructive and cold hearted style of Psychedelic aggression with steely determination that matches the raw sounding production values of the whole album. Below A Silent Sky starts off with a more pessimistic outlook in the realm of Instrumental Metal which feels inspired partially by Neurosis before ending the album with the uplifting Ambient Post-Rock textures of Post-Metal titans PELICAN.
There’s a level of FUZZ within this album I didn’t expect which allows Below A Silent Sky to become more intense within the early stages of the album, especially within the epic opening track The Center. A song that is aggressively slow-paced with a nuanced Psychedelic sound slowly creeping in with Post-Doom surroundings. Below A Silent Sky plays many different styles of sludgy and sonic based experimentation with a keen reliance on overdubbing that gives this track quite a haunting and original sound of its own.
Second track Sonder sees Below A Silent Sky having less time to play and experiment with compared to the opening track. This allows the band to strip out the more creative elements of their music and play a direct style of Sludge/Post-Metal with small snippets of Industrial based Post-Rock and Ambient driven FUZZ grooves. The end result is a heavier and more realistic sound with deafening levels of AMPLIFIER HEAVINESS that sees the band play the most muscular sounding parts of the album even when the solitary and almost semi-acoustic guitars appear. There’s a surreal flow to this track with Below A Silent Sky start blending Eastern sonic based flavours with Western sounding Sludgy grooves.
Third track TON has a slightly more Psychedelic Rock theme appearing with small traces of a JAZZY creative flow but still retaining that harsh Post-Metal experimental vibe with a jagged “stop-start” finish being the main way for the band to deliver their music. The instrumental work is impressive yet again with distorted freak-out moments being highly original and quite surreal once again.
The final track of The Light offers the most hopeful and insightful moments of the album with Below A Silent Sky first appearing to continue their instrumental journey to the darker depths of the Post-Metal abyss. The industrial and droned out noises only offer moments of harsh heaviness before the band turn the creative corner and start weaving Ambient Post-Rock solos into the mix. The whole moment of the album is cautiously slow but it’s quite breathtaking to hear which all builds upto an exciting and action-packed finish with the heaviest and intense grooves on the entire record.
Walls Of Light is a refreshingly different and bleak style of Instrumental Sludge/Post-Metal which offers moments of captivating beauty and destructive sonic based heaviness that allows Below A Silentl Sky to deliver their standout album to date.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Below A Silent Sky for the promo.
Walls Of Light is available to buy now on DD/Vinyl.
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