Variety is the spice of life and as much as we all need gnarly slabs of aggressive metal to see us through the day, there are also times when we need something more mellow but still within the realm of metal/alternative music because let’s be honest we aren’t going to throw on a bit of Westlife!
Newcomers Light Field Reverie nicely fill this slot for us with their brand of melancholic gothic doom, and here we have their debut album to welcome us to their world. Made up of Heike Langhans on vocals (Draconian, Lorelei) bassist Scotty Lodge (Sojourner) and guitarist/keyboardist Mike Lamb (Sojourner), the pedigree of this group is not in doubt and I was looking forward to immersing myself in their world.
Things get underway with ‘Ultraviolet’, and from the outset Heike’s ethereal vocals take prominence before some delicate synth work takes the lead, until all the elements combine producing a subtly powerful piece that is mesmerising in its effect.
‘The Oldest House’ continues effortlessly blending haunting vocals with delicate orchestrations and electronics creating an ambient darkwave gem, until mid-way through, the track’s intensity and density increase reminding us that this bands has its roots firmly in metal! This continues on ‘Ghost Bird’, the heaviest track on the album, which also sees Emilio Crespo of Sojourner contributing harsh vocals in the latter stages. This is a real monolith of gothic styled doom metal that swirls and becomes all encompassing.
There are more synth melodies during ‘Another World’, prominent initially but soon becoming secondary to the heavier elements, all pulled together by Heike’s delicate yet powerful vocals. There are some fantastic dynamics at play during this track, which is head and shoulders my favourite track on the album.
‘Dreamwalker’ has a more airy opening with delicate vocals set to rhythmic percussion akin to a heartbeat creating a despondent air of melancholy which gradually, almost unperceivably increases in intensity pulling you under. Things are brought to a close with the opus ’All Roads Lead Home’ where synth elements nestle comfortably within a core of gothic doom lending an extra dimension
One of the beauties of reviewing, is that you are forced to listen to music that you wouldn’t have otherwise heard. If I’m honest, this album would not have been something I would have bought and chosen to listen to as I generally am not a fan of the doomier end of the spectrum, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It is not one to be taken lightly, or put on as background music, rather it is one that demands your full attention, ideally late at night, when you are ready to open your mind to its flowing soundscapes and brooding intensity. Fancy a change from your usual aural battery? Give this a go, and you may well have your boundaries blown wide open……What have you got to lose?
(8/10 Andy Pountney)
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