Album
Type: Full-Length
Date
Released: 16/3/2015
Label:
Ritual
Productions
’Of
Ruin’ CD//DD//LP track listing:
1). Saw The Falling
2). Partaken Incarnate
3). All Eyes Broke
4). Pursed
5). Odic Force
6). Rid The Gleam
Ghold
is:
Paul Antony
Alex Wilson
Review:
’Of Ruin’ opens up quite harmlessly with a
quiet, reflective bass intro leading you into the fold. The duo themselves have
said in interviews that they are most interested in exploring dynamics and this
opening passage on ’Saw The Falling’ is the first hint of
it. Shifts between quiet and loud
feature throughout the album, with either whispers or throbbing bass build-ups
filling up the space between the vocal reprimands. During the more quiet parts
the bewitching voices accompany you straight out of the dungeon, often suddenly
growing to soaring heights and leading off into obliteration, going out in a
blizzard of riffs and erratic drumming. When the vocals come in on the first
track, they’re commanding of your absolute attention. Absolutely colossal in size with the throngs of bass and
onslaught of drums echoing in the background, providing suspense and seizing
you for any hypnotism they might have in store for the remainder of the record.
A sense of urgency does not leave through the whole
duration of the first two tracks. ’Partaken Incarnate’ features some downright
savage shouting straight from the battlefield that seeks to punish. On this
track the vocals seem to be somewhat of a shared duty, with some high-pitched
back-up singing provided from behind the drums that barely reaches out beyond
the principal voice but nevertheless amplifies the inflictions left on your
grey matter. During the steady chant that is reminiscent of the battle calls of
Uruk-hai the clean-sung vocals come up front for a moment, only to shift the
pace yet again. Some unearthly background noise employed at the close brings
this one to a mind-bending finish.
Most all tracks lead straight into one another,
making for one cohesive listen and never quite letting the overall pace
subside. So the chanting continues with ’All Eyes Broke’ bringing a third assault with off-kilter riffing that returns time
and again throughout the track. There’s an interlude providing time to
recuperate before the song develops into a rapid second section introducing an
especially groovy bass into the mix. The strength of ’Pursed’ instead lies in
the blitz you’ll find yourself amidst at the opening where the levels of
distortion reach abysmal levels. Odd time-signatures and quaint chord progressions
are galore on both tracks and really accentuate the ritualistic atmosphere. At
times you could almost smell the steam coming off the cauldron as the
ceremonial pummel endures.
Throughout the whole record I can’t help but
draw comparisons from the vocals to fellow Englishmen of Conan, both sounding
consistently gargantuan, largely undecipherable and in imposing form for
battle. Ghold undeniably have a distinct blend of their own though and by the
end of the album there’s a lot of fresh ingredients brought into the brew, as
the band never seems to stay still for long.
Befittingly, the second to last track wears the
title ’Odic Force’, which is indeed what they’ve employed throughout the
record. By the accordingly titled track, Ghold’s signature brand of plodding
agility is fully embodied. The tempo
has slowed to a ridiculous dizziness-inducing slog as if the mighty Conan (the
barbarian, that is) had picked up and ingested some curious fungus off the side
of the path on his way to meet Crom on the mount and is now stumbling on his
way up. To further entertain such a notion, the hypersonic coil that starts
winding by the end of the track might signify the expelling of the warrior’s
insides and his accompanying shrieks echoing off the side of the peak.
Rounding out the album is a towering
feedback-anthem, the weight of Ghold (pun intended) trudges forth towards the
final edge. Whereas the previous track retained some momentum with a hasty
sprint towards the end, ’Rid The Gleam’ remains stubborn to be by far the most
punishing one on the album, careening forth at a snail’s pace and seemingly
shifting to move only under the release of its own tremendous mass.
It’s really no wonder Ghold have found a home on
Ritual Productions alongside fellow sonic shamans that is Bong and its
accomplices, as ’Of Ruin’ is one concoction that conjures up some strong
imagery. With some added seasoning in the form of mastering by the
ever-proficient James Plotkin, the brilliant power and grunt duo have
themselves one entrancing and fiery brew for their sophomore effort that will
definitely have them climbing high up on the list of ’bands to watch’ coming
out of the British isles.
Words
by:
Joosep Nilk
For
more information:
