ninehertz

There were many a solo band created during the isolation that was Covid-19, artists creative urges only able to be satisfied in the lockdown-mandated confines of their own homes. I’m not sure too many remain, but thankfully one of our favourites that spawned under that bleak situation does – Doubtsower, from Cardiff.

Their debut Asphyxiation of a Seasick Soul made an impression with us, back in July 2021, and this new album is their fourth. They have never shied away from the stereotypically long-form songs of doom, but there’s a new approach this time round – a single behemoth track lasting more than three-quarters of an hour.

It is easy to view it as a journey, across valleys and peaks as long passages of ambience and noises are interjected by a multitude of spikes of explosive loudness, each time offering a slight change in style. It starts quietly, a minimalist beginning for the intrepid adventure, an effect laden eerie atmosphere slowly being generated, the overarching vibe menacing yet ethereal.

Then the attacks launch from out of these mists, much heavier, grand with traces of gothic doom in the earlier stages. Each time it drops back down into the void. Changes are evident, the rises begin to take on an industrial edge, to the point it feels like a warped, cosmic Author & Punisher.

Past the halfway mark brings a more melodic approach, although paired with moody, downcast vocals which block out the sky once more. In its penultimate push, well beyond half an hour, the riff charges, an electricity seemingly generated and a foreboding sensation as the industrial returns, the song hanging in shimmering circuitry. It ends as it began – quietly, piano keys before dying to nothing in finality.

Structurally, it’s like being present at a live soundtrack to a silent sci-fi picture of old, the rises and falls tracking its narrative. Musically there’s a wide assortment in both sides, the ambient undergrowth full of variance and intrigue on its own. Yes, some phases better than others, but that’s to miss the point of a connected journey of staging points and development. It’s a mightily ambitious work.