This Australian duo comprising of Desolate and Sorrow seem to be a fairly new entity forming in just 2007. However they are already on their second full length album and have done a couple of splits, one of which was with UK band Lyrinx. The pair of them also seem to be incredibly busy with a wide array of other projects such as Ilium, Nazxul and Paindivision.
This album seems at first to be one that is easily tagged but as the six numbers unfold over 54 minutes extra unexpected dimensions are added. After a cursory intro we are pitched into the barren dimensions of ‘To Fade With The Dusk,’ musically one that is quite complex but bleak and as suggested depressive in tone. The vocals which accompany this are full throated howls, really designed to set the teeth on edge and almost alien and vampiric as they shriek above the music. One could easily mention the flow of Xasthur and Burzum especially with the almost outraged screams and you are overcome by a feeling of utter despondency on listening to this, although the instrumentation is far from monotonous or minimalistic (that is to come later). This is the style that I pretty much settled myself into for the duration but all of a sudden there is a change of mood as ‘This Dreadful Emptiness’ having been doing exactly as described suddenly lightens and vocals go from primitive cries of disgust into clean vocal harmonies. It is like the sun suddenly appearing from the aftermath of a violent storm, and a highly effective juxtaposition to the whole album.
On the whole this is nothing particularly new apart from the odd quirks such as the fact that the group are playing depressive black metal from a country we assume is always nice and hot and far removed from the icy realms of Scandinavia. Depression is a universal theme that can be replicated musically from wherever you dwell and this duo from the Southern hemisphere do a great job representing it in their musical landscape. Still they have more tricks, 6 minutes into ‘To Lay Like Old Ashes’ the vocals change and mood uplifts and we are in a place reminiscent of say Falkenbach or even Hawkwind for a minute before the primeval howls rip back in. This mix is further explored on ‘Just For A Moment…’ a song that sounds like it is marrying together post rock elements with blackened structures although the clean tones are more pronounced and it would be interesting to see if they wholly employ this style in the future.
Still not done shape-shifting we have the final 21 minute number ‘Coma II’ which revolves around one minimal guitar strum over and over again. This is mesmerising and if you listen there are distant guitar flurries quietly in the background which really remind me of Negura Bunget. This is a totally meditative, medicated place to find yourself in and as it finishes to the sound of rain it has been a remarkably atmospheric listen for anyone who has stayed the distance.
http://www.myspace.com/bandaustere
http://www.eisenton.de
