A singular vision, part shamanic chant, part prayer to unnamed gods hidden in Stygian darkness. A doomy, grungy melodic metal that grips you with bony fingers and rakes you with dirty fingers, but at times feels like a careful caress.
Everything sits so well in the mix. There’s good use of space, and yet it feels heavy as all hell. All the instruments have such an organic feel, executed beautifully. The vocals. though. They pierce. Going from almost religious, ancient and mournful to demonic rasp.
As recordings go the vision behind this album is to be lauded. It is well thought out, and the track order (an art in itself) is a masterstroke.
Track length is perfect. Knowing when a song is done is an art. A strength of character to say enough. The recordings are thoughtful yet unfettered by attempted perfection. Let the imperfect live. There is beauty in it.
This is an album of emotion and dark tones, but it feels transcendent. Totally recommended.
Once again, this is an album that kept surprising me. The self-titled release by Shuāilǎo 衰老 could technically considered to be progressive Doom Metal, but the impression I get from it is that this is a reflection on the artists mind that completely defies genres. Alternative Rock gets followed up with heavy, distorted Metal riffs. Occasionally, vocal melodies that I’d expect in traditional Folk end a song, only for Punk screams to open the next one.
Dark bass lines are being played just before beautiful acoustic guitars and pianos. The production is very simple and raw; it often sounds like a microphone has been placed in a room where the acoustic instruments and vocals are recorded together. The amplified instruments, mostly guitar and bass, on the other hand are clean and piercing in comparison.
The effect that all these elements have when put together is tremendously impactful. This sounds like confusion and frustration with calmer, peaceful interludes. It sounds like the artist channeled his own pain and sorrow into a musical form. Absolutely everything feels unsteady, drifting freely between emotional states. Quite frankly, it sounds like how my brain feels like during a depressive episode.
I think this is music that is as emotionally raw and honest as you can get, while still producing something that is easy to listen to. If the listener engages with it, this has a lot of beauty to it, even if it is the kind of beauty that can make you feel very uncomfortable. This feels like a piece of the artists soul and if you let it, it can take you on a wild journey. One that I highly recommend people to go on.
@florgoth.bsky.socialalready said, it’s not easy to pick a favorite track from this week’s #FeatureFriday album, so I’m going with “Full Bloom,” as an example of the excellent riff making that occurs throughout the whole album. Great work,!
Previously
The Nirvana Fallacy (or, Mania and Her Sophomore Slump) – Saint Louie
- Shuāilǎo 衰老 by Shuāilǎo 衰老 – #FeatureFriday
- #FeatureFriday Bandcamp Friday Special
- Bleak Magician – No Fireball Show
- I Am Legend: A Soundtrack by Eoin Mac Ionmhain
- They’re Everywhere by Jim’s Big Ego
- Smile, We’re All Gonna Die by The Cancellations
- Void by Vanessa Funke
- Rides Out by Hot Donkey #FeatureFriday
- #Feature Friday – Trauma Stew by Cynful Ukes
- Quartered: Songs of Palimpsest by S. J. Tucker
- Shapeshifer by Oblee #FeatureFriday
- Rayguns of Love by The Striped Bananas
- Mean Bone by Buzzard
- Aldona’s Daughter by Stunt Lover
- #FeatureFriday -Bandcamp Friday Issue
- #FeatureFriday – 1991 by Maisie Marra
- “Muay Thai Bag” by Foxcall
- A Place To Go When You Need To Hide by Rose Alaimo
- #FeatureFriday – And the Bones by Dr. Organ
- #FeatureFriday WIENER DEMEANOR by Cheer Captain