Review: Leonov ‘Shape Of Ash’ EP
As the UK basked in the summer heat (or cowered indoors depending on your affinity with the fiery ball in the sky) a month or so ago, dark and moody doom seemed like a tough sell.
However, Norwegian quintet Leonov manage to take the dirge-like nature of the genre and infuse it with lofty, celestial, ethereal tones that could lift the gloom. The result is a shimmering sound capable of soaring on a summer breeze as it is of soundtracking a rain-drenched November afternoon.
Named after Aleksej Leonov, the first human to walk in space, the band look to create an otherworldly sound that captures an innate tranquillity and stillness, alongside a freewheeling sense of floating. The heavy tonal drama they conjure has drawn comparisons to the likes of Julie Christmas and King Woman thanks to frontwoman Tåran Reindal‘s powerful delivery, and the heft of the departed SubRosa.
Having plied their trade for 15 years, walking the line between post-metal, heavy atmospherics and light *insert genre* gaze, the band have honed their skills across three well‑received full‑length releases. These have evolved into a dense, heavy sound that harnesses their love of swirling soundscapes and haunting emotional gravity.
Their latest release, the four track Shape Of Ash EP continues this growth as the band tackle themes of hopelessness and the ardour of human conflict to purify and change through love and adversity.
The tentative strains of the guitars that start the opener Samaritan quickly give way to the siren-like voice of Tåran, serene in the calm, muted, downbeat melancholia. The slow-burning atmospherics are reminiscent of the swirling work produced by I Haxa last year in their stunning debut.
When the heavyweight, celestial doom crashes in with dramatic and hard-hitting stabs that move from staccato lurches to drifting, rich and yet vulnerable proclamations, the result is an enveloping tapestry of emotion. Through the brooding journey, there is a sense of pain that cuts through even the most robust and densely filled out instrumental passages as Leonov hold you in the moment, building for the next release.
The multi‑layered sound bristles with ethereal heaviness…
Second track, Auld Ashok, starts from a similar quiet guitar but grows with creeping, shuffling percussion in the form of maracas and chiming bells. As Tåran intones over the bass line, the band builds subtle textures that draw you in to the storytelling, introducing a gothic edge amongst the ominous resonating. The harder, buzzing riffing and almost Middle Eastern pomp gives a sense of menace and foreboding as the music laps over you in waves.
Bygg en menneskekroppis a more harmonious number. Still downbeat, it is a duet between Tåran and Norwegian folk singer Syvert Feed (Jake Ziah). Framed as an argument between two lovers, the track features low, anguished proclamations back and forth between the two. As the music lilts with weeping synth and soft, sadness‑laced sentiment, the sound rises and falls like a sigh, until it grows in strength towards the back end, and the instrumentation matches the more purposeful delivery. Despite the quiet moments, it is a powerful number that has a lingering haunted nature, even after the abrupt click that ends it.
Finishing with the title track, the haunting atmosphere of the deep ringing bends are overlayed with whispering vocals. Stripped down and minimal, Tåran narrates a brooding piece that grows like gathering storm clouds on the horizon. Over the clean singing, drums pound like a tribal call to war with the ominous thump. The swirling industrial build explodes into a rich catharsis, allowing Leonov to take flight for one final moment of drama that crashes over you like a tidal wave. The multi‑layered sound bristles with ethereal heaviness in a similar way to the recently released SoftSun album.
Shape Of Ash is a powerful introduction to the next phase of the band’s evolution as they’ve created an immersive and teasing taster of things to come. The low, smoky vibe they capture through the use of shape and minimalism allows each member to shine, setting the scene for greater exploration when they get their teeth into the next full-length album.
Label: Pelagic Records
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Mark Hunt-Bryden
