Dunwich seems to have intertwined itself in heavy metal culture. The place that is rather than this band – give ‘em time though this is only their debut. HP Lovecraft set a short story in a fictitious New England town with the moniker, which got Electric Wizard all gloomy under the collar. The Suffolk village which existed since Viking times collapsed into the sea and is surrounded by tales of witchcraft and dark arts. Several bands have made reference to the name.
“Hold my vodka” cry a Russian trio!
Tail-tied hearts is an intriguing mix of styles and tempo. Frontwoman Margarita Dunwich is the auteur behind the band, mixing her love of Gothic aesthetics with a passion for metal. Her clean singing voice is lilting and alternately uplifting and mournful. She also possesses a black metal rasp that is reminiscent of Abbath and the heavy accenting throughout creates an interesting poetry in each song.
Aaron Bronikov tinkles the ivories and stums the guitars and his compositions and use of both instruments showcase his prowess and evident love for psyche and prog as well as Doom and Black metal. Drummer Mikhail Markelov has a passion for the drums which is not restricted by genre which is evident in the way his chops and fills are able to compliment the music throughout the album offering some light touches where needed and ferociousness when circumstances demand.
The styles ebb and flow into each other like the Volga merging with the Caspian Sea. Eerily, as I typed this sentence, I checked the title of the song I was listening to – “The Sea” the nine-minute closer to the album which carried me out into the deep like a sailor drawn to a siren.
It didn’t start so engagingly for me though. As the first synth notes of “Glow” I had a wave of nostalgia. The guitar twang and Margarita’s opening line sealed it. “What the fuck is this? Is it Chris Isaacs Wicked Game???” Having heard metal covers of this I felt dismayed – though I love the original. I was wrong it was not a cover just something very similar in style.
“Through the Dense Woods” is completely different and is a reflection of the rest of the album. A swirling mix of what is now known as Occult rock and Black metal – kinda like Satyricon and Jess and the Ancient Ones on a midnight trip to the Carpathian mountains. Dramatic use of Hammond organs and wibbly space sounds give the track – and the album a cinematic air.
“Wooden Hearts” is an introspective psychedelic track that conjures up Ghost at their most Disney and Delain. It is with tracks like “Mouth of Darkness” however, that Dunwich really blast through. An organ refrain is joined by distorted guitars to become the kind of melody that burrows through your ears and into your brain and will take pliers and a blowtorch to coax out. The mix of gentle lilting vocals and orange squeezing Black metal rasps is captivating. Like beholding both the heroine and the evil countess at once. The dark sections have a driving black and roll riff with some grandiose keys layered on to give a dark vaudevillian air. Pure theatre!
“Fall” that follows is a comedown – the sad hangover felt after a sublime evening when you don’t know whether to feel elated or ashamed. It’s the realisation that you are back through the looking glass. There is a section which drags me back to Cruelty and the Beast with its spoken sections but with a wacky keyboard refrain that suggests that the madness is not done with the listener whist Margarita unleashes some proggy verses to help the descent. “Sanctuary” which is the finals step before the aforementioned final track is a mix of psychedelia and darkness with the harsh vocal being so heavily accented the words are lifted up out of the song in a way that is reverential and more powerful.
“The Sea“ is the end of the journey and one that I greatly enjoyed. Dunwich offer a great melding of differing darkness from charcoal black to dappled shade and managed to captivate me whilst also tweaking my dark metal heart.
7.5/10 Matt Mason)
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