Dragged Into Sunlight – Widowmaker
Oct 20, 2012 | Comments 0
Review by Chop
Much as listener patience was recommended for Bastard Of The Skies’ latest release ‘Tarnation’, patience of a different sort is required for Dragged Into Sunlight’s new opus. Whereas the former follows the more traditional multi-track established album format and requires multiple plays before revealing many of its secrets, the latter is a forty minute single piece that is essentially a symphony of melancholy.
Lone discordant chords set the tone, and it’s a full nine minutes before a violin (or possibly viola judging by the tone) joins in. Just before the quarter hour mark the full band come crashing in, the effect being similar to the iconic Maxell tape advert. Pulverising seems woefully inadequate. On a serious note, if you have had the stereo cranked up – as I had– you’re in for one hell of a shock when the sonic blast hits (as are the neighbours unless you’re wearing headphones). Half an hour in and the band let up momentarily with a return to minimalism and so it continues until the feedback finale.
Stick with it and the dynamic shift between brooding atmospheric tension and full on intensity is immensely satisfying. Having encountered the full force of their enormous backline on more than one occasion, I suspect this is going to be something really special when played live. If you’re a fan of SunnO))), Wolves In The Throne Room, A Forest Of Stars, or Monarch then ‘Widowmaker’ will be right up your street.
8 out of 10
Widowmaker is released on 5th November on Prosthetic Records
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