Tag Archives: nautical

Hope Drone – Cloak of Ash

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With the Australian underground scene arguably one of the best in the world at the moment, US big-hitter Relapse Records has struck gold with the signing of Brisbane, Queensland quartet Hope Drone, for début album Cloak of Ash. Eschewing the morbid bleakness of fellow countrymen Woods of Desolation, Hope Drone have embraced the quintessentially American sound of post-black metal, with furious riffs, mournful soundscapes and tortured vocals the order of the day. The cover art is fantastic and worthy of mention; an arresting image of cloud and wave merged into an enveloping maelström that threatens to consume all and sundry. It’s the perfect metaphor for the band’s sound.

Starting any record, let alone your début off with a twenty-minute track is a seriously brave move, yet Hope Drone appears to be utterly unfazed. ‘Unending Grey’ begins with a torrent of cascading riffs and anguished howls before the pace stems and the listener is guided through a devastatingly beautiful section of sombre guitar notes and stark percussion. However the respite is short-lived, for when the pace picks up again, it’s utterly ferocious, with the band reaching speeds that the likes of Deafheaven can only dream of. That they do it while maintaining the same feeling of alien bleakness through the entire twenty minutes is nothing short of amazing.

After the devastating fury of pretty much a full EP’s worth of material as a mere opening track; the ten minute follow-up ‘Riverbeds Hewn in Marrow’ almost feels trite by comparison. However any doubts are soon washed away by the soaring guitar-lines and restless, pummeling percussion. This is continued with the billowing darkness that opens ‘The World Inherited’ but the rug is once again pulled from under our feet as the track decays into a tortuous crawl through near-funeral doom territory where release is an abstract hope.

The influence of noisy US black metallers Ash Borer and sadly missed Irish trailblazers Altar of Plagues is keenly felt throughout Cloak of Ash with Hope Drone devoting equal time to the crushing slow section as well as teeth-rattling speed. However, rip-off merchants they aren’t, for there is none of the tree-hugging, ritualistic elements of the former influence and little of the urban, ambient coldness of the latter. Instead, Hope Drone appears to have cultivated a vaguely nautical feel with song titles such as ‘The Waves Forever Shatter Upon Our Shores’ and ‘Carried Apart By the Ceaseless Tides.’ Indeed the overriding feeling is being swept up and torn asunder in the teeth of the almighty ocean; bereft of hope and powerless to withstand the awesome power of nature.

While they need to be careful to avoid falling into the trap of fast bit/slow bit/fast bit, and let’s be honest; seventy-seven minutes is way too long for any album, Hope Drone have done pretty much everything right on their first effort and even in a scene full to bursting, prove that it just takes a bit of imagination and ambition to stand out from the pack. Fantastic effort.

 

8.0/10

JAMES CONWAY


Atlas Losing Grip – Currents

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At first glance, the idea of combining melodic punk with speed metal seems like a notion dreamed up after eating too much cheese, but the more you think about it, the more it starts to make sense given that both styles of music rely on catchy and powerful melodies to drive forward their songs. That’s exactly what Swedish quintet Atlas Losing Grip realised and has spent the past few years attempting to perfect. And they just may have managed it on third full length Currents (Cargo Records).

Opening track ‘Sinking Ship’ merges crunchy, compressed riffing with a widescreen, emotive chorus that immediately lodges in your frontal lobe. The band’s shining light is undoubtedly new vocalist Niklas Olsson who has stepped fearlessly into the shoes left by the recently departed Rodrigo Alfaro. Olsson’s clear, commanding tones give the likes of the anthemic ‘The Curse’ a truly epic quality that instantly raises the spirits, helped along by some perfectly executed guitar lines and harmonies. The band have an obvious appreciation for So-Cal punk which is demonstrated on the Bad Religion worshipping ‘Cynosure’ which manages to cram in the perfect amount of soaring vocal lines and gritty riffs in under three minutes, while the no holds barred speed metal of ‘Nemesis’ is like Annihilator and A Day to Remember fucking on the deck of the Jolly Roger.

While many bands have used nautical themes before, its use on Currents feels appropriate for while the band are by no means lost at sea, the choppy and unpredictable nature of their music may at first put off newbies. But for those brave enough to take the plunge, there is so much to discover, such as the mature and sombre ballad ‘Closure’ and the classic songwriting of ‘Kings and Fools’ which if penned by Dave Grohl would be a Top Ten hit, no questions asked.

With far much more going on than your average punk or metal album that feels content to just go through the motions, Currents is a joy from start to finish, an album chock full of life-affirming hooks and meticulously written riffs and melodies that, unless you’re a militant punk douche or elitist metalhead tool, is simply impossible to dislike.

8.5/10

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JAMES CONWAY