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░ ██ ██ Artist: Vowels ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Hooves, Leaves & The Death - As █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2012 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2012-10-07 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Black Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Sun & Moon Records ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ This surreal bunch of melancholic bastards called █
█ Vowels have just released their first album on Sun █
█ and Moon, a double EP which is entitled ôHooves, █
█ Leaves and the Death/As December Nightingalesö and █
█ consists of an EP previously released last year █
█ and what appears to be a new EP for the latter █
█ three songs. TheyÆve a hard sound to pin down, the █
█ influences are extracted from many different █
█ sources; thereÆs everything from black metal to █
█ post-rock and even Noise present but the main █
█ foundation to this release lies firmly in the █
█ conjuration of ambient soundscapes and lacing them █
█ with a dream-like reclusion culminating in █
█ something which is nigh impossible to classify. █
█ The first two tracks are the EP ôHooves, Leaves █
█ and the Deathö and the first track, æWolves Eating █
█ the SunÆ is the only track with any remote metal █
█ influence, and even at that itÆs minimal. It █
█ starts off in a subdued fashion playing a soft █
█ melody before a lone riff of tremolo picked █
█ dissonance comes in accompanied by the murky clean █
█ vocals of V.Z. It follows this same basic pattern █
█ while ascending through varying degrees of █
█ obscurity before building to a climax consisting █
█ of a huge wall of sweeping riffing, soaring vocals █
█ and an overall epic grandiosity about it which █
█ briefly recalls the best of Wolves in the Throne █
█ Room before petering out into a minute or two of █
█ ambience. █
█ The vocals really add a detached air to things, █
█ not just the previous song but the whole release █
█ in general. IÆd liken them to Urfaust or almost █
█ even a downtrodden Peter Murphy. æNot Unlike a █
█ Fallen LeafÆ is where the experimental influences █
█ really come into force; a vastly encompassing █
█ number that has that definite ominous Godspeed! █
█ You Black Emperor vibe to it enhanced by the █
█ stringwork on the cello coupled with sporadic █
█ periods of guitar distorted beyond recognition. █
█ ItÆs relaxing yet still manages to leave a █
█ lingering trace of uncertainty underneath it all. █
█ The previous track took a while to warm to and █
█ still doesnÆt really click with me fully but itÆs █
█ certainly not poor by any means. The next three █
█ were similarly difficult, but once you sink your █
█ teeth into them and sit down and pay attention you █
█ begin to hear some really fantastic and unique █
█ stuff. █
█ ItÆs very much æheadphone musicÆ, introverted, █
█ restrained and utterly submissive. æVespriÆ with █
█ its piano invokes a subtle spatial atmosphere of █
█ inner reflection and together with æAt NightÆ and █
█ its isolated acoustics, brass and deep gothy █
█ vocals and æWakeÆsÆ sultry female vocals they █
█ bring up grainy images of an otherwise empty bar █
█ in black and white New York during nightÆs █
█ twilight hours, accompanied by nothing but your █
█ inner thoughts, the smell of whiskey and a thick █
█ haze of cigarette smoke. █
█ As IÆve stated itÆs extremely hard to pin a sound █
█ down on this release, itÆs unconventional and has █
█ a myriad of different influences which early on █
█ can be a bit jarring and conflicting but its core █
█ is centred mainly on a dark minimal ambience which █
█ is flat out stylish as well as engaging. The █
█ highlights are the second half of the opener and █
█ the final three tracks, these are just brilliant █
█ and a proper album consisting of this laid-back █
█ ambience of the latter would be very welcome █
█ indeed. Just unwind, pour yourself a glass of █
█ IrelandÆs finest and sit back and soak it all in, █
█ it may take some time but itÆs worth it. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Wolves Eating the Sun 12:40 ░
░ 2. Not Unlike a Falling Leaf 7:23 ░
░ 3. Vespri 4:10 ░
░ 4. At Night 5:22 ░
░ 5. Wake 3:14 ░
░ 32:49 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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