Album Type: Full Length
Date Released:
12/08/2016
Label: Prosthetic Records
This
album is elegantly forged from beginning to end, and has no definable weak
chinks in its armour. Overall, this is
likely to be an AOTY candidate for me, and one I have found myself returning to
again and again in a variety of moods.
“Chained to
Oblivion” CD//DD//LP track listing:
1.
Psychic Tide
2.
Marzanna
3.
Form and Force
4.
Chained To Oblivion
5.
The Hum of Our Existence
The Review:
For
a subgenre associated with minimalist compositional structure, dirge-like
chords and glacial meter, doom these days seems awfully susceptible to
disruptive innovation. Powerful incumbents like Pallbearer and Yob
are matched by the epic-level bulldozer of bands like Khemmis, whose debut “Absolution” cut deep furrows of new
fandom across metaldom in 2015. This year, I believe the star of doom has risen
anew yet again, and its name is Spirit Adrift.
To
be fair, there are few plaudits and accolades that the superlative “Chained
to Oblivion” has not already received since its August
release. And the almost universal acclaim it has received is, to my mind, well
deserved. This album is elegantly forged from beginning to end, and has no
definable weak chinks in its armour. However, one of the things I found most
surprising about this album is how emotionally moving I found certain passages
and tracks. There is a deeply melodic sorrow that underpins the motifs on the
album that fuses seamlessly with the heaviness.
Right
from opener “Psychic Tide”, the
listener is carried immediately into a slow but relentless (tidal, even)
movement which is hypnotically accented by Nate Garrett's superb vocal
harmonies. The highlight of an album of top-notch tracks is almost certainly
the title track, however. There is a feeling of hearing something timeless and
destined-to-be-classic when listening to this song; it is something that
resonates long after the track has ended. In a genre replete with embarrassing
lyrics, Nate has given us some gifted poetic observances, and ones that are
elegantly matched to the death of seasons that is Autumn. Overall, this is
likely to be an AOTY candidate for me, and one I have found myself returning to
again and again in a variety of moods.
For
anyone who enjoys this album, I strongly, strongly recommend listening to the “Behind-Beyond” EP Nate released in
February, which includes the haunting “Specter
of Ruin” and the uncharacteristically aggressive “Perpetual Passage”. While neither track fits “Chained to Oblivion” (the choice to release separately was
definitely the right one), the EP is definitely a worthy listen.
“Chained to Oblivion” is available here
FFO: Khemmis, Pallbearer, Baroness, High on Fire
