Verwüstung is a solo project belonging to one half of a most excellent band called Airs (I’m going to be doing a piece on them very soon !), and this is his most recent release. So recent in fact, that it’s only been available for a day.
It’s a one track album, and whilst most people would probably call this an EP, the creator of the music is more inclined to call it a full length. And at twenty eight minutes long, I’m not going to argue with that.
1. Beyond The Watercolour Sunset, We Feel New Life
At heart, this is a black metal record. The themes and the initial feeling is one of a black metal record. Yet this is so much more. It begins with a sample from the movie of Dolores Claiborne. This probably sounds a bit mad, but it actually fits the mood of the piece very well. It’s a movie of sadness and of revelation, and this is certainly an album that embodies those themes.
Then we hear the vocal. Whilst they aren’t the most obvious and prominent feature of the album, you can still feel the raw emotion behind it. I believe in the thinking of “it’s not how you say it, it’s what you actually say” and the passion you bring to it.
The sound is lo-fi, the guitars a little bit fuzzy. It’s like you’re trapped in a dream where all noise is distorted. It’s really quite beautiful. And we’re still only half way through !
We’re taken to a more stripped down sound, fading into an acoustic piece and filling you with a sense of despondency. If you listen via headphones you can even hear a sigh. I can’t tell you the amount of times I listen to certain songs and sigh out loud at the way the music is making me feel. I felt this was an extremely personal touch, whether intentional or not, it’s a perfect addition.
The moment the heavier guitar and vocal kicks back in is extraordinary. To go from a moment of such quiet and then thrown into a maelstrom of sound is jarring but in this case it makes absolute sense. This a track that seems to be telling a story. And, as with life, each part of the story has a different mood and sound.
It still utterly astounds me that a piece of music of this length can do so much. That never a second passes where you feel bored by what is happening. Each new “part” of the track brings something different yet everything flows together and fits wonderfully.
I cannot recommend this enough. So much so that I’m linking to the bandcamp page for the band. Treat yourself.
Bleak Metal 