Following the success of their 2006 debut album ‘Scars of the Midwest’ there was a lot of anticipation regarding the long awaited follow up album ‘The Fallen Host’, three years had past and I think everyone was excited to see what the Somerset boys could do.
Opening with ‘Depart From Me, You Who Are Cursed’ we hear the soft touching of piano keys combining with deep sounds of Cello slowly being joined but what feels like a full strings section. This short orchestral piece has the feel of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, something which has become common with Blueneck’s music. Fading into the second track, Seven, we are shown the more aggressive side of Blueneck. Drums are introduced and this is where the album really takes off. This album is like a rollercoaster, as we come down from a high we are greeted with the first track of three which breaks the nine minute mark, Low. This song introduces Duncan Attwood on vocals, the slow crescendo reaches a peak after six minutes, where we are treated to a display of what Blueneck do best, simple yet very effective. Weaving Spiders Come Not Here, one of my personal favourite tracks has a feel of Mogwai about it, the beautiful piano part at the beginning makes you want to close your eyes and just be at peace with everything. A simple drum track placed behind half way through and the sound of Cello again all fits together to make this song one, for me, of the most memorable. Lilitu, is one of those songs you could listen to over and over again, starting again with the gentle vocals and Cello, slowly joined with Piano, Drums and Guitar. The layers slowly build throughout the song until again a climax is reached and everything slowly fades together.
This album for me is up there with the all time greats, and if you have not being lucky enough to hear it, I would strongly recommend it. A Post-Rock masterpiece combining ambient and almost atmospheric elements to create a truly beautiful album.
Matthew Wright
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment