A new Sear Bliss album is literally something to trumpet about. That said it appears we missed last album ‘Letters From The Edge’ from 2018 but it’s always a pleasure to catch up with the metaphysical Hungarians. Steadfastly producing nine albums over three decades, their debut ‘Phantoms’ still fondly resonates but for me the group really hit their stride with the double whammy of ‘Forsaken Symphony’ and ‘Glory And Perdition.’ Fantastical and pummelling in equal measures their cosmic gazing, frosty atmospheres of blackness stood out as doing something a little different from the expected norm. This is due to adding the extra facet of brass mainly attributed to Zoltán Pál who enriches their textures via Euphonium and Trumpet. It may seem like an odd and audacious move but it has always worked really well and provides extra distinction to their overall musical universe.
Described as a “journey into space itself” the astral swirls of keyboard open up the ‘Infinite Grey’ skies before a welter of black stormy clouds gather momentum. Founding member András Nagy’s vocals sound particularly craggy, gurgling away with aplomb before the brass takes the music off to lofty, swaggering heights. Yes, it is somewhat pompous as it parps away but it is not constant and allows plenty of space for hefty tremolo riffing and atmospheric sparkling synth-work. Every time the Trombone comes back into proceedings you find yourself practically hanging on to its coattails and being swept along by its enticing clamour. Of course it’s not as new an idea as it used to be with bands such as Vulture Industries, Dodheimsgard and Koldbrann embracing such embellishments but this approach is far from an everyday occurrence. ‘Watershed’ adopts a musical box like approach to things and projects a childhood innocence into things as the music progressively wraps itself around the listener. Themes are not made obvious but with the lyrics of single ‘The Upper World’ having being unveiled one gets the idea we are observers of a dystopian planet comparable with the prescient visions of JG Ballard. The stunning Kris Verwimp cover-art suggests we are in a drowning world corrupted by the abuse of its inhabitants too.
Although the brass is an uplifting feature there are still sombre tones to be found, the title track being reflective and somewhat contemplative number perhaps nostalgically casting its gaze at the aforementioned doomed world. This continues into the ambient hypnotism of instrumental ‘Forgotten Deities’ which has a mournful sound which is very reminiscent of Burzum. Coated with frost we are thrust down ‘The Winding Path’ the weight of everything invigorating after the sparseness of the last track. Full of tricks its tempered by keyboard sounds that wouldn’t be out of place on a space or Kraut Rock song making it seem like an arduous journey as it reaches for the summit before we plummet down the other side on ‘Chasm’ which contextually has facets of everyone from Immortal to Borknagar and with clean verse Summoning about its giddy descent.
‘Heavenly Down’ is an ambitious album which takes a few listens to unveil itself and one can see why it’s composition took a while to fully formulate. Not only will this entice old fans back but it will provide a perfect introduction for those looking for a way into the cosmological grandiosity of the Sear Bliss universe.
(8/10 Pete Woods)
26/06/2024 at 2:13 pm
Sear Bliss have more talent than Burzum Summoning and the rest you mentioned combined, blows many away.