RIFF REWIND (26/05/2013): Northumbria - "The Silver Forest"

Toronto based ambient metal duo Northumbria were formed in 2011 by former... Holoscene members Jim Field and Dorian Williamson. Using only guitar and bass mega amplified and recorded live, Northumbria create a wall of improvised drones that take the listener on a sonic journey through a dystopian landscape. 

With seven releases to their name in the last 6 years, today we’re rewinding back 4 years to the day, with a review of Northumbria’s second release “The Silver Forest”. So join us, as we continue on our quest to trawl through The Sludgelord archives to present the best albums you may have missed.  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: Matt Fitton

Album Type: EP

Date Released: 17/05/2013

Label: Independent

These movements of music blend  seamlessly within each other and are hauntingly potent. Subtle fades, stirring melodic parts, and sometimes a heartbreaking weight. All of this creates real emotions, and real responses, from this very real music. The very best drone is often light as a feather, but in soulful terms heavy as hell.

“The Silver Forest” track listing:

1). Motion of Clouds

2). The Sun Also Rises

3). Silver Forest

The Review:

Based in Toronto, Northumbria are an ambient drone duo that records live and only uses bass and guitar to weave their lush brand of sonic tapestry. They make music of desolation, serenity and great beauty, completely amplified (quite literally) to the nines. They've also just made a new piece of music available, the extremely impressive 'The Silver Forest'.

I was discussing this with my editor earlier, and we both touched upon the fact that what we love about drone is the innate ability that the true masters of the craft have to transport a listener to a place of complete solitude. And that is exactly what this new offering manages to accomplish in spades.

'The Silver Forest' is very much escapist music. Sounds to attempt introspection from, to search within yourself and your surroundings. Human contact and complexity is all very well and good, but we all need to slow not just ourselves, but our minds down sometimes too. Maybe to a pace of a long past way of life, or thinking. Northumbria construct soundscapes that will genuinely help you on that voyage.

The piece is composed as just one track, but listed in three distinct parts: 'Motion of Clouds', followed by 'The Sun Also Rises', and concluding with 'Silver Forest'. All blend seamlessly within each other and are hauntingly potent. Subtle fades, stirring melodic parts, and sometimes a heartbreaking weight. All of this creates real emotions, and real responses, from this very real music. The very best drone is often light as a feather, but in soulful terms heavy as hell.

Before this review I was completely unaware of Northumbria, but they have been covered on the blog before. Please delve back in time and discover those articles, as I have, and treat yourself to some incredible experiences. And check out 'The Silver Forest' right now, and ease your mind for just a moment. Let Northumbria move you somewhere else, somewhere desolate, somewhere calm and yet euphoric.

“The Silver Forest” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

Northumbria - Bring Down The Sky (Album Review)

Album Type: Album

Date Released: 21^st November 2014

Label: ConSouling Sounds

Bring Down The Sky – Track Listing

1.Transcendence 04:22

2.The Ocean Calls us Home 07:55

3.Ostara 10:25

4.The Silver Forest 09:00

5.Bring Down the Sky 11:14

Bio

Forming in 2011 from the ashes of Holoscene, Toronto/Northumberland based musicians Jim Field and Dorian Williamson came together to create Northumbria and in turn craft sweeping, improvised drones which combine their personal influences and individual soundscapes in order to manifest an aural journey into a dystopian wasteland.

Utilising only guitar and bass and recording their work completely live, Northumbria released their debut in 2012 on Montreal’s TQA Records, which began their sonic expanse into the consciousness of the music appreciating public.

Northumbria was recorded in the sanctuary of a 19th century church in Northumberland County and the resulting compositions are imbued with the ambience of the setting as well as a stately grace, something that permeates all their following work.

2013 saw Northumbria issue a remix project – All Days Begin as Night – on Altar of Waste Records, which featured new takes on original pieces and was contributed to by peers - Theologian and Aidan Baker among them.

A split with North Atlantic Drift followed as well as a wonderfully received video for the track Black Sea of Trees. Northumbria have also featured on a number of online mixtapes and have curated their own for CVLT Nation. Recently the band performed a live set for Darkfloor Radio and the future looks to be both busy and bright.

Northumbria will be releasing 3” CD-R on Cathedral Transmissions soon and the new full length – entitled Bring Down The Sky –will be issued this coming November via ConSouling Sounds.

Members

Jim Field: Guitar

Dorian Williamson: Bass guitar

Review:

Ambient/Post-Rock/Drone Metal Duo – Nothumbria – return with their eagerly awaited new album – Bring Down The Sky – being released on Consouling Records.

Opening track – Transcendence – starts the album at a slow leisurely pace with streams of Drone/Post Rock chimes slowly coming to life with each passing second. It's a tranquil feeling that gives you the impression that everything is calm within the world around you. Layers of Drone based noises and sonic riffs add a soothing post-rock melody that hides a tragic understanding of loss and human emotion. It maybe the shortest track here but it's the perfect opening for Northumbria to welcome into their dark world.

Second track – The Ocean Calls Us Home – sees a lengthy drone based guitar riff slowly playing a hollow note before elements of Drone based noises become louder with each passing second. Northumbria start adding different layers of musical instruments with the emphasis firmly on the Drone/Post-Rock aspect. It has a progressive rock/jazz feel which only heightens the emotional impact of the song. It feels you are actually drifting in the ocean itself where you're a million miles away from humanity. You can sense danger lurking as Northumbria draw you in with stunning atmospherics. The mood and atmosphere becomes ever more violent and distant to show you that Northumbria can turn into a more dangerous unit. Though it's all beautifully put together with every note, sound and riff, all having a purpose to show you what Northumbria are all about.

Third track – Ostara – carries on the sense of pain and loss told through Northumbria's majestic vision. The song has a serene and almost hypnotic feel with Northumbria exploring the Post Rock and Drone elements of their music to the maximum level. Noises and ambient sounds are played together for an almost out-of-body experience. I know Drone Music in general is not the most appreciative of genres but I always admire people and artists who create music such as this. As they put their entire souls into the creative process. You can feel with this with Northumbria's latest opus. Ostara is a highly captivating and even thought provoking song that will speak volumes to you.

Fourth Track – The Silver Forest – is probably the more experimental track on the album as it sees Jim and Dorian venturing into the world of electronica. It's a more harsher and colder song compared to the other tracks but it still has the familiar Drone/Post-Rock vibes that came before for it. I felt at times I was listening to the classic Blade Runner soundtrack. I mean that as a huge compliment to Northumbria. The 2^nd half of the song sees Northumbria venturing further into their Drone identity as the environment around you becomes ever so louder and more disturbing at the same time.

That leads us onto the last track – Bring Down The Sky – which finally sees Northumbria unleashing some Drone based loud as hell Post-Metal atmospherics to make this the albums stand-out track. I do wish Northumbria added some heavier guitar parts in some of the songs as they do here. As it's where the album fully comes to life and you're more grateful for experiencing the whole album.

Bring Down The Sky is a haunting, disturbing and brooding musical odyssey which you won't easily forget. This is a massive sounding album. If you're a fan of Post-Rock/Ambient/Drone music then you cannot ignore this album. It's a work of art. An outstanding album.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Dorian, ConSouling Sounds Viral Propaganda PR for sending a promo to review. Bringing Down The Sky is available to buy on DD via BandCamp and CD via ConSouling Sounds.

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NORTHUMBRIA - ALL DAYS BEGIN AS NIGHT

Northumbria is an Experimental Ambient Drone Metal Band from Toronto, Canada

The members are: Jim Field and Dorian Williamson

NORTHUMBRIA - ALL DAYS BEGIN AS NIGHT

This year has been very good to me musically. I started writing these reviews and the 'Lord most graciously keeps posting them. The boys have continuously exposed my ears to great new sounds and acts, the type of which are the bread and butter of underground music blogs. One of my most treasured musical discoveries of the year is Northumbria. I was lucky enough to be assigned their last great release (go check out 'The Silver Forest' now if you already haven't), and I'm also lucky enough to have been assigned their latest effort. It's another stark yet pristine piece of drone wonder called 'All Days Begin As Night'. It also features some great guest collabs / remixes of other material, which I'll focus on first.

'The Sanguine Moon (Lux Lunae)' is remixed here by Theologian, who you will be hearing more about from me at a point in the not too distant future (stay tuned). Somewhat heavier in the old atmospheric department, it sounds like a mating ritual between the human spirit and a mechanical snake. It hisses and intensifies, like it's powered by steam, or menace. Just as desolate as your standard Northumbria brand desolation, but lacking the lighter-than-air resolution that comes with that. It's a great reworking, and a standout.

My other choice remix cut here is the Famine overdo of 'Threnody'. Full of glitch electronics and though processes, it beeps and chirps an lasers without losing any of the elegance that went into the original recording. What should be harsh noises if they were just isolated come together and merge gracefully within the framework that Northumbria set up originally.

And so we arrive at the main event and title track, a new piece from the band themselves. Again, they have managed to capture pure isolation in audio form, the soundtrack to being stranded in a cold landscape. It's a figure in the distance, it's succumbing to the elements. It's the spirit leaving the body. It's all of these thing and so much more. There's a picture on the group's facebook page of their current guitar rig, awash with a sea of effects pedals. There is guitar in their music somewhere, but it's always refined to a non-recognisable point where it becomes something else entirely. When they wail, it speaks to you. Outstanding.

This follow up to 'The Silver Forest' is absolutely on par with that excellent cut. More beautiful drone to contemplate to, maybe more dark in stature this time around, but no less absorbing. I'm starting to learn that you don't ever actually listen to Northumbria.

You experience them.

Written By Matt Fitton

I agree with every word that Matt has written here. This is another outstanding release from Northumbria. And long may it continue!!!

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