On January 25th 2019 code666will release a re-recorded, remastered and remixed version of “IV – Mythologiae” by Belgian doom duoSLOW. The album will be released on vinyl, CD and as a digital download.
The album was previously released in 2015 in very small quantities and sold out quickly. Now, due to a data loss the album has now been completely re-recorded, remastered and remixed and includes a never before released bonus track "At The Break of Dawn", as well as new artwork.Today ahead of the release which is a couple of week from now, we can present an exclusive premiere of a track lifted from this massive slab, entitled “The Break of Dawn” which you can check out in full below.
Boy! Barst has done it again. On their 2016 outing, “Western Lands,” Barstyielded stunning results when they combined post metal aggression with claustrophobic psychedelia. This Friday, Barst is going to hit the scene with a new offering, “The Endeavour.” In doing so, this Belgian band is taking their sound to unexplored territories.
“The Endeavour” is presented as one, 42 minute song. Whether “The Endeavour” actually is one, single song is up for debate. I’d go so far as to say the album is three of four movements, all tied together by way of smooth transitions. But presentation counts for a lot, and if Barst wants us to take this album in as one song, then that’s what we’ll do. Either way, the band implores the listener to give the music full and undivided attention.
As far as genre is concerned, “The Endeavour” is hard to pin down. There’s definitely a dark element to the music, and it’s heavy in its own way. Is it metal? Yeah. Industrial? Check. Psychedelic? No doubt. Heavy doom? Uh-huh. And those are just a few of the genres that Barst brings to the table.
Throughout, the guitars are laden with a variety of distortion effects. None of the guitars are ever overpowering, but they sure do set the mood. So there’s still a subtlety in the music that holds the band back from diving head first into mindless riffing. “The Endeavour” continues its foray into the unknown by introducing programmed percussion and other electronics, giving way to a rather palpable industrial influence. Sometimes an Ufomammut tint springs to mind and at other times the music gets psychedelic enough to wonder if it’s still Barst that we’re listening to.
Then there’s the emotional palette that Barst paints from. It’s probably even more varied than the musical palette. Barstspends these 42 minutes intently dipping their proverbial paintbrush in the darkest of blacks as well as the brightest of colors. The resulting painting is one that grabs attention of both its somber tone as well as its shades of hope and elation.
Despite the sprawling nature of the music on “The Endeavour,” the album is still a very concise listen. Barst’splan of attack is based on a clear vision, so much so that every note and chord and melody played is as intentional as the last. Barst’svision is so sound that they don’t get caught up in themselves, but instead are able to translate what was in their mind to a recorded format without coming across as self-indulgent.
“The Endeavour” is available digitally, on CD and LP here
“Hemelbestormer's musicianship is excellent, and signals a new maturity in the band's evolution.”
"A Ring Of Blue Light" track listing
1. Eight Billion Stars
2. Clusters
3. Towards the Nebula
4. Redshift
5. Blue Light
6. The Serpent Bearer
The Review:
Crafting heavy music that is at once original, attention getting and accessible is no simple task. There are absolutely many bands who skillfully offer fantastic albums with a lot to offer in terms of creativity. For Belgian quartet Hemelbestormer, however, the feat of doing something especially different comes through a non-denominational approach to metal, winging elements of doom, progressive and sludge into its second album.
"A Ring of Blue Light"is one of the more interesting releases of the young year simply for the fact that, rather than embracing or promoting the shopworn notion of defying categories, Hemelbestormer features music that reflects a range of influences that come together within every track, rather than standing as is typically done: 'here's the fast song,' 'here's the contemplative song," and so forth.
"Eight Billion Stars" begins the recording with an atmospheric pacing that melds well with "Clusters." The lolling chords here crest into a thicker river of sludge. Hemelbestormer took some criticism early in its arc for taking too liberally from its inspirations. What comes across from the start of "A Ring Of Blue Light" is more of a desire to take that feedback to heart and forge something new. The guitars of Jo Driesmans and Filip Dupont carry the day on "Towards the Nebula," as the band hits its midpoint, while Frederik Cosemans' drumwork and synths represent well elsewhere
The 14-minute-plus "Redshift" seems intended to be the zenith for this album, and it is in fact a really promising song that might have possibly benefitted from tighter editing, since, about 11 minutes in, the switch in pacing feels forced in an otherwise sturdy doom-influenced song. At other turns, there are moments when spot trims could have improved the overall composition – brief cuts like "Blue Light" underscore this, with the reliance of short songs that feel like there's more there, and long tracks that could use a firmer approach. Regardless, Hemelbestormer's musicianship is excellent, and signals a new maturity in the band's evolution.
With the closing notes of "The Serpent Bearer," a showcase for the band's heavy music potential and its willingness to push some boundaries, you leave "A Ring Of Blue Light" with a great deal of hope for what this invigorating four-piece can come up with next.
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