Three of the band’s six
members each contributing with multiple instruments, SECRETS OF THE SKY projects a unique
brand of cinematic, cerebral, atmospheric metal with a heavy persuasion towards
doom metal and even more blackened influences citing The Ocean, Opeth, Isis, Agalloch and
others.
The debut album from this
new by this sadly missed act, “To Sail Black Waters”, was recorded over
an eight month period with engineer/producer Juan Urteaga (Testament, Machine Head, Cattle
Decapitation) at Trident
Studios, the massive album boasting SECRETS OF THE SKY’s entirely modern and
unique back-bending of elements from a multitude of genres. With up to three
guitar tracks, two and three keyboards at a time and a multitude of vocal
styles — clean and epic lines against hollow and blackened battle cries and
crushing, low-end growls — the band creates huge build-ups and epic movements
as expansive as the cosmos.
Today
we’re rewinding back 4 years, with our original review of a review of SECRETS OF THE
SKY’s phenomenal
debut “To Sail Black Waters”, So if you overlooked
this band/album, be sure to remedy your error by checking out our review
and the record is streaming in full below
By: Richard Maw
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 8/10/2013
Label: Kolony Records
If you are looking for a record that is a little different with
elements of multiple sub-genres, give this album a try. Truly accomplished
stuff and, yes, mesmerisingly bleak.
“To Sail Black
Waters” CD//DD track listing :
1. Winter
2. Decline
3. Sunrise
4. Black Water
The Review:
Epic
progressive doom with blackened influences and aspects. So what do you get for
your money. You get four tracks- the shortest of which is (7.43) long. This Oakland CA six
piece know what to do with the time; each track is expansive, multi-faceted and
will hold your interest. It's bleak stuff, which does not sound very
Californian. Then again, I suspect much of Oakland isn't exactly how
you might imagine/want California to be.
“Winter” comes in over the nine minute
mark with a suitably icy sound. Screamed and low vocals trade off while the
guitars range from melodic and mellow to positively feral. The production is
pleasingly clear and bright- but still raw and grimy enough as to be
appropriate.
“Decline” is mesmerising in its
bleakness (that kind of sums the whole record, to be fair). It continues and
indeed expands on the opener. Clean vocals add a Gothic aspect (think Type O, not The Cure) that is
unique and welcome. Keyboards add another layer to the sound as the guitars
weave together expertly. This is brilliant stuff. The pace is slow but fluid
and the generous 12 minute plus length of the track allows you to really get
into this most unusual of sounds. The final 3 minutes plus are even heavier
than what goes before and features an excellent riff prior to the track
breaking down.
“Sunrise” starts with a lumbering doom
riff (backed with an interesting keyboard counterpoint) and thereafter dynamics
are used effectively with some truly unpleasant vocals too. Again, there is a
definite gothic influence here (to my ears, anyway) and I like it. The opening
riff gets returned too; this is not just progressive “throw anything in”
writing- the tracks work as pieces of music and structured songs.
“Black Waters” at (11.22) closes the
album is impressively expansive style. The intro builds things very nicely as
the crystal clear drums crash in with a well worked groove that the bass
propels along until the vocals come to the fore. Real heaviness follows with
those black metal-esque vocals ripping out of the speakers. The track then
twists and turns its way along numerous pathways before stripping away towards
the end.
If
you are looking for a record that is a little different with elements of
multiple sub-genres, give this album a try. Truly accomplished stuff and, yes,
mesmerisingly bleak.
