What The Blood Revealed

Harbour of Devils

Written by: MGA on 12/08/2012 07:21:19

Post-metal is a tricky subgenre to judge, instrumental post-metal even more so. For better or worse, all post-metal is judged against genre forbearers Isis, and all instrumental post-metal gets held to the Pelican standard, who themselves are compared to Isis. And Isis gets compared to Neurosis. See, it's all one big incestuous party of atmosphere, don't ask questions. The reason for all the comparing is because post-metal as a subgenre is a genre of debt – every modern post-metal band, no matter how many musical generations separate from the originals, is still heavily indebted to the work of the seminal acts.

Enter What the Blood Revealed, hailing from Scotland and presenting their first full length record to the musical masses in the form of "Harbour of Devils". They've chosen the vocal-less approach, a strategy that is as devil-edged a sword as any in extreme music. On one hand, there aren't any vocals to ostracize potential fans. But on the other hand, there's no voice to help distinguish and set them apart from a sea of other instrumental acts that have also done their post-metal research and know what the genre is supposed to sound like.

And yet... What the Blood Revealed does it. They distinguish themselves. They do nothing out of the ordinary, they don't really take any risks, but the final product is one where tracks one through seven are beyond sufficiently satisfying. From the sludgey riffing on "To Travel Deadly Ground" to the Pelican-esque riffs that close out "Waiting For the Storm", What the Blood Revealed have crammed several legitimately memorable riffs into an album in a genre where riffs are often secondary to atmospherics.

But perhaps the piece of music that sums of What the Blood Reaveled best, and what may be one of the most tasteful additions to the post-metal genre, comes in "The Corporation As We Know It Is Dead, Dead, Dead" in the final two minutes of understated interlude. Just simple, driving drums, throbbing bass, and a deliciously pensive riff that finally breaks into a final heavy part that hearkens back to the main riff introduced seven minutes prior.

What the Blood Revealed have crafted a solid addition to post-metal in "Harbour of Devils" that defies comparisons to Pelican in almost every way. This is instrumental music that is engaging, interesting, and fresh, and as much as is possible in this genre, it deserves to be judged on its own merits.

8

Download: To Travel Deadly Ground, The Corporation As We Know It Is Dead, Dead, Dead
For the fans of: Isis, Pelican, Cult of Luna
Listen: Facebook

Release date 22.03.2012
Field Records

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