Reviews : Albums : Darsombra, "Ecdysis"

As it often occurs in the world of journalistic metal music review, an anomaly will slip through the cracks—black sheep in the manger, so to speak. These are often the ‘metal by association’ artists coming from two extremes—on one is the pop/punk, VH1 sponsored masquerade, and on the other is something so indigestible and clearly non-musical that only the most tolerant fanbase of heavy metal could understand or enjoy it. Most often, this end of the spectrum is represented by the ambient and drone offerings of Cold Meat Industries or Southern Lord. Yet, even though Darsombra certainly fall under the category of ambient drone, this project is actually signed to At A Loss Recordings, a rather new and underfoot potpourri label based out of Maryland.

Cold Meat and Southern Lord have something of a monopoly on the market, each with their own distinct styles, so the perspective offered by Darsombra is rather refreshing. And no, this is not the lush post-rock of Isis or Red Sparowes—Darsombra is far removed from those mellow crescendos and explores much darker territory.

One can easily draw parallels to drone darlings SunnO))); both groups being rather dolorous forays into sub-standard guitar tuning soundscapes, but a discerning ear will notice key differences between the two. ‘Ecdysis’, for all its ambient character, is a very engaging listen. It presents its melodies and themes far more explicitly than most ambient and/or drone groups, and is not constrained by the prevailing tendency of both genres to be needlessly esoteric and protracted. The six independent tracks here stretch barely over 30 minutes.

‘My House’, the third cut, reaches out to the listener in a particularly bold manner. It’s a woozy blend of Godflesh’s industrial percussion and the eldritch sitar of late-era Beatles. Both influences are smothered by the oppressive character of ‘Ecdysis’ and their memory is nearly outdone by the following track, ‘Drag the Carcass’ which features incisive guitar dissonance and a recording of a gospel speaker in the clutches of religious fervor (he is, apparently, a local to the Baltimore area, from which Darsombra originates). But the subtext of unrest remains, and even in the final, funeral chords of ‘Ecdysis’ there is a hidden barb that keeps us at attention.

Where other drone bands use their guitars simply as noise tools, one could actually say that Darsombra is a musical experience. And although it is at first quite aloof, that musical nature gives ‘Ecdysis’ a keenly human character. Appropriately titled, ‘Ecdysis’ is a process of trial-and-error unraveling; once it emerges from under its thorny exterior it becomes seductive and uniquely intimate.

Rahn