By: Richard Maw
Album Type: Full
Length
Date Released:
5/11/2012
Label:
Prosthetic Records
‘Widowmaker’ reveals itself
as a very different record to ‘Hatred
for Mankind’ from the first listen. What takes time is the depth of
what is on offer therein to reveal itself. From the first ominous twang of a
clean yet eerie guitar the sound is bleak and sets a mood that is unrelenting-
even when the music employs dynamic shifts and all kinds of instrumentation.
‘Widowmaker’
CD//DD track listing
1)
Widowmaker (39:50)
The Review:
In
a time when everything is known about everyone and there is no sense of mystery
about anything, Dragged
into Sunlight are a dynamic blast of fresh/fetid air. Indeed,
nothing is really known about the band- what is mentioned is mostly conjecture.
Let it be said: this is a good thing. The band retains anonymity and lets the
music speak for itself. When first
reading about the new piece of music from Dragged into Sunlight some time ago it was
described as a single track lasting 40mins plus. Indeed, the promo copy I have
had on rotation is in this format. Research on Amazon indicates three tracks of
14.51, 11.47 and 13.10 in length respectively.
I have found that the record works best when viewed as a single track-
40 minutes of tortured paranoid hate and despair. If that sounds like your kind
of thing... Welcome aboard!
‘Widowmaker’ reveals
itself as a very different record to ‘Hatred for Mankind’ from the
first listen. What takes time is the depth of what is on offer therein to
reveal itself. From the first ominous twang of a clean yet eerie guitar the
sound is bleak and sets a mood that is unrelenting- even when the music employs
dynamic shifts and all kinds of instrumentation. Four to five minutes in there are two guitar
tracks building up an atmosphere that is the aural equivalent to watching the
first series of Lynch's Twin Peaks. There is even a piano
around the six minute mark. The first sign of any distortion comes at 8mins
20secs. An almost folk feel is created by cymbals and violin- and by that I do
mean the good kind of folk. Think the feel of the seminal film The
Wicker Man and you have the right idea. The samples of the
first record are echoed over the first fifteen minutes but that is the only
real comparison I can draw.
It
may sound strange, but the first fifteen minutes fly past- the atmosphere,
tension and feel of the record is introduced leads the way to what could be
termed the second part of the album. A monolithic riff and the first scream
herald in the next movement. The familiar horrific vocals over the music create
a cacophony that is in stark contrast to the almost ambient first part of the
record. A low death growl is introduced after more samples, creating another
aspect and tonality for the listener. Just after twenty minutes an ascending/descending
riff is introduced with other instruments buried low in the mix. The pounding
double kick drums that were a great feature of their debut for me are back
here. On headphones the whole thing
sounds masterful and suffocatingly dense. There is even an almost stoner rock, Karma to Burn-esque
feel around the twenty three minute mark. It doesn't last long, though, and
instead gives way to a groove which in itself abruptly twists into doomy
sludge, heralding in the third and final part of the record.
‘Part III’,
beginning as it does with very slow sludge, is different again to the previous
two parts. The bass, ringing out alone around thirty minutes in, offers up a
kind of distorted mirror of ‘Part I's
atmospherics, indeed the record almost feels as if it doubles back on itself.
The band take us back to cleaner guitar tones but five minutes from the
conclusion the riffs, distortion and crashing chords are back. The samples
reach an apex for me as thirty eight minutes rolls past- you'll have to listen
to it for yourself to find out what is said! After some frantic playing and
vocals the whole thing dissolves into howling feedback and there the journey
ends.
It
is rare that a record of forty minutes feels this short. I can only conclude
that a lot of work went into making this piece of music- the pacing, peaks and
dynamics are all very well judged. It is an expertly paced soundscape that
should be viewed as a whole. If you do this and invest the time in it you will
be glad you did- the rewards are rich indeed!
‘Widowmaker’ is available here
