Review: Slow Wake ‘Falling Fathoms’
It takes just a moment for a song to work its way under your skin and become something more, something you crave to listen to. The intro to Adrift In The Ocean by Yob, when Michael Rudolph Cummings shouts ‘…even now I cry…’ on Goblina, or the impressive drums on Harper Lewis by Russian Circles. Each moment caused me to deep dive into these bands catalogue’s and obsess over what I heard. I’m here to tell you why Slow Wake is doing the same.
It begins with In Waves, a serene intro that builds to a Yob like riff at just over three minutes in and I’m hooked. Much like the title, the song has extreme tempo changes to seemingly emulate crashing waves and with each pummeling wave, the band got further under my skin.
Falling Fathoms uniquely toned introductory riff was another fantastic moment. It caused me to soak in everything the band members have accomplished. Diving into the band Black Spirit Crown, it’s clear where the heavy sludge comes from, while the band Sparrowmilk has more atmosphere and post-rock elements.
I’m talking a bit out of order, but Controlled Burn is fantastic and was elevated by hearing the bands previous work as the song took on a whole new meaning after that. It melds history into one track that’s both explosive in energy and delicate with precisely dialed-in effects.
explosive in energy and delicate with precisely dialed-in effects…
Wake Relief feeds into more of the delicate soothing sounds with its calm intro. It paints the picture of soft rolling waves that gradually get bigger as the song progresses. It doesn’t reach full intensity at any point but the gradual crescendo leads into the epic Black Stars.
Picking up where Wake Relief left off, Black Stars closes this album in a grand way. The wall of sound builds to one of my favorite riffs at about five minutes in. It’s one that requires a short rewind to hear again, but Slow Wake was kind enough to have it return a few times before the final notes.
Slow Wakes music is described as ‘Like staring out into the abyss of Lake Erie at sunset on a few hits of acid as the sun burns the water’. A fitting description that also explains the outstanding cover art. Both the music and art require a vinyl release!
Label: Argonauta Records
Band Links: Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram
Scribed by: Josh Schneider
