Composed By Candlelight.
Cold Body Radiation is a post-black metal project from Holland. Sticking to a more atmospheric approach than the traditional shoegaze style, the two, more often than not, intertwine together. This is an album that really can help you focus on things when you listen to it.
Right from the start of this album, the atmosphere and textures of the music on here are near perfect, for my taste. The almost dream-like state that the music is in is entrancing, as well as haunting. While this in no way is as produced as some of the more well known bands it is still very good for what it projects upon the listener, a sense of longing and despair, but with a sense of beauty.
While the clean parts are very morose and dark, the more distorted parts are aggressive and fierce. The lower production value on the more "metal" side of this project is similar to how the scene is really doing it right now, higher value on the clean side and lower values on the distorted. But what really makes this stand out is the melodies that are present in even the distorted parts, which have that shoegaze vibe to them. Even while the more aggressive side of the band is being showcased, the bass and synthe are always heard up front.
Tracks like Loss and White Light have moments of clarity within all the frantic metal side of their sound, breaking into beautiful piano melodies that just have so much emotion. The more post-rock/shoegaze side of the band is evident within Radiation more so than on almost any other track, where clean vocals, albeit whispers, are used. Above all, the music's more clear and melodic side are usually where groups and/or projects like this succeed the most, but this project seems to project an even more highly adept melodic sense, where mournful piano melodies just wash over distortion.
Overall, this is one of the best post-black metal albums this year has produced. Demonstrating a highly tuned melodic edge that a lot of groups in this style don't possess, this is a must hear for anyone who is a fan of any of the styles mentioned above. More listens will reveal so much more depth and textures than on most black metal releases. Check this out for sure.
Overall Score: 9
Highlights: Loss, Nothing
Download this album for free here:
http://coldbodyradiation.bandcamp.com/
Love it......
ReplyDelete