I have to admit that I felt slightly underwhelmed on first perusal of this album, the fifth from Catalans Vidres A La Sang and second since they came back from a ten-year hiatus. But the five songs here should probably be looked at for just what they are. Recorded reflectively during the pandemic these are described as “five snippets of the future through the prism of present times”. They are also heavily immersed in and influenced by the works of native writer, poet and singer-songwriter Miquel Martí i Pol, who sounded like a fascinating character. I guess those who can understand the Catalan language, narrated here in both spoken verse and hoary growls by singer and White Stones member Eloi Boucherie will have a much greater understanding of the context here. For an outsider looking in though it is not so easy to penetrate the subtext of Miquel who contracted tuberculosis at a young age from the textile factory he worked in spurring him into his further artistic and political career.
We can however focus on the music from this trio including past and present members of Foscor which is highly emotive and melodic. It has to be said that this occasionally strikes as understated due to the fact that the instruments really sparkle in definition and that is where the beauty lies within, making this a big change from the much more multi-layered sound of many bands that I seem to have been listening to of late. The poeticism certainly comes across here in its fragmentary nature and the gorgeous guitar work opening ‘Mort de paraula’ is absolutely sublime as it melodiously snakes around what sounds like a proggy keyboard sound in the background. The spoken guttural verse comes in as the musicians respectfully down tools and a big atmosphere is created, before things drop back in and expand into a doomy, melodic, progressive, death metal flow. It might take a few plays to penetrate but its well worth it as once those sinuous but fantastically defined guitar parts get beneath the skin you will be hooked, the below video is a very good starting point.
After a mournful opening the full weight of things finally plummets in on Salveu-me els ulls ‘Save My Eyes’ and it now has a blinding heft about it, drums thumping, guitars rigorously furrowing and the hoary growls with gravid force about them. By comparison ‘Ventres de llum’ is a shorter gloomy number that has a sense of isolation about it via hoary vocals and near gothic guitar work. Fins Aqu has rumbling drums and some great guitar interplay whilst the vocalist throws growls around in a fashion that is reminiscent at times of both Moonspell’s Fernando and Rotting Christ’s Sakis. The songs maybe fragments but once fully immersed in the corresponding shades of light and dark shine through. This one has a pretty nifty solo in it too. ‘Now Is Tomorrow’ we are told as ‘Ara és demà’ finishes off with a sense of emerging from the dark about it in the form of a more upbeat and less pessimistic feel. Continuing to shift genres, there’s even a bit of Floydian sounding blues to immerse yourself in. This one is certainly a grower and has proven itself to be a work of poetry in motion; well worth sticking with.
(7.5/10 Pete Woods)
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