Review: A World Worth Burning ‘The Sky Was Colored As Hammered Lead’
I’m taking another step into the emotional, meandering world of post-metal with the debut release from American quartet A World Worth Burning. This is more than just an album; it’s a project, inspired by guitarist Craig Simas, who had always wanted to create an immersive, instrumental album, and it’s an absolute belter.
From the opening track, all the way through to the finale, the concept album deals with themes of war, greed, famine, moral decay, silence and extinction. The music, to quote the band, ‘unfolds like the soundtrack to the end of the world’ as the eight compositions are entwined as one, creating their own narrative and ambience.
After the slow, broodingess of Zelus (Conquest), which has a brilliant bass line from Joe Davis, the album title track greets you with rainfall and claps of thunder, before an explosion of sound. The drums from Derek Clark are high in the mix and a dominant force as the guitars from Simas and Randy LaChance clash like forces of nature, before more damaging bass is unleashed. The layered sounds draw you further into their cinematic world, and with Speak No Evil up next, there are more textured melodies which create something soft and atmospheric, giving the listener time for reflection about humanity.
a weighty and intensely beautiful soundscape…
Expansive rhythms are fast becoming my thing, which is odd, as many years ago I found them quite tedious and boring, but the emotional and melancholy side of this genre has me listening to music in a different way. Ares (War) further emphasises my point, with an absorbing bass leading the way on a contemplative composition, which drifts between crushing and comforting, before Everything And Everyone You Have Ever Known comes along and for nearly nine minutes, hypnotises you further with mesmerising energy and velocity in each note.
Limos (Famine) has a darker, emotional edge for your audible pleasure, and proves once again how brilliant the simple yet effective bass playing of Davis is throughout the album. The song has a powerful aura as it drifts around in the ether with an engaging drum beat ahead of the penultimate song A World Worth Burning. There’s more intensity on this one, which is great to hear, as harmonies glide effortlessly, and you can sense it building to a huge crescendo.
The final epitaph, Thanatos (Death), is released in all its glory as the progressive, psychedelic nature of the music meets with fragile beating hearts to create a weighty and intensely beautiful soundscape that must be heard to be believed. My only hope is that after this captivating debut, they don’t take quite as long to make the next one.
Label: Argonauta Records
Band Links: Facebook | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Matthew Williams
