SOL

The Storm Bells Chime

Written by: PP on 18/10/2016 22:36:56

Erh. How exactly to approach the avant-garde experimentalism on "The Storm Bells Chime", the sixth (!) release by the Århus based doom metallers SOL. The record is so abstract that it's best characterized as a metaphysical listening experience, but in the real world, a good comparison is probably impressionistic art. Basically, it's 34 minutes of ceremonial drone/doom that essentially sounds like you're listening to a ritualistic cult immersed in some satanic dissection of an animal while all wearing full-body robes.

The essence of the record finds itself within doom, but its droning nature and minimalistic instrumentation push it far and away into the world of nonsensical experimentalism that it unfortunately never recovers from. The pitch-black atmospheres may create a constant effect of a foreshadowing atmosphere where it feels doom is impending any second now, but the lunatic piano echoing on the background and the horrific yells do the record absolutely no favors. Adding in nonstop ambiance and darkwave results in nagging parallels to the awful Italian darkwave acts Colloquio and Neronoia that once equally puzzled me for the same reasons: why what exactly is the point of this, err, music? Anyone could yell into the distance and play random chords every few minutes or so and achieve the same.

But I digress. Maybe it's just me who doesn't get it. And you know what? I'm fine not getting it. This is awful.

2

Download: Greet The Dawn (for F)
For the fans of: Swans, Colloquio, Neronoia
Listen: Facebook

Release date 11.01.2016
Avantgarde Music

Related Items | How we score?
Comments
comments powered by Disqus

Legal

© Copyright MMXXIV Rockfreaks.net.