Godthrymm - "Distortions"
A little more Doom to finish out the summer? Please!
I’m feeling a little spoiled on the Doom Metal front this year. We haven’t gotten a Khemmis release (yet), but this sophomore release from British Metalers Godthrymm marks the fifth Doom album I’ve had the privilege of picking up this year.1 And, as is the fashion in Epic Doom, the structure of this album swings hard in the opposite direction of the last two reviews (Fiddlehead and Jon Batiste), with only 7 tracks totalling an hour in playtime (the shortest track is closer “Pictures Remain” at 6:18; only three tracks are shorter than seven minutes, and two tracks break the eleven-minute mark).
This makes Doom unattractive to a lot of mainstream listeners. Doom bands don’t make bops. They linger and languish on notes and chords. It’s dark and heavy music, tonally and thematically. The guitars are tuned lower, making it sometimes difficult to tell the guitar from the bass. It’s absolutely phenomenal for times when you’re deep in your feelings or, for those who focus better with music, when you need something in your ears to help you.
Distortions fits perfectly into those expectations. And, for the most part…that’s it. The album starts and finishes strong, with really solid Doom tracks in opener “As Titan” and “Devils”. Then, somewhere in the middle of the fifteen-minute span of tracks 3 & 4 (“Echoes” and “Obsess & Regress”), it feels like we’re just passing the time. They’re not bad songs, just…cookie-cutter. Enjoyable, but not interesting (at least, beyond the first couple of minutes).
And that isn’t intended as a slight on the band, because what makes this drought noticeable are the tracks the bookend this segment. “Devils” and “Unseen, Unheard” are groovy and really pull me in. The latter has this low, humming gregorian chant choir in the background during the verses. It’s not something that really stands out, but it’s an exceptional accent that keeps the track fresh.
Both of the two 11+ minute tracks are solid and enjoyable throughout, which is a big deal for me. But, frankly, the best track on the album is also the shortest. Closing track “Pictures Remain” drops the dense, weighty Doom riffs for much of its length, starting with simple, semi-acoustic2 guitar and vocals. And the band’s female vocalist takes this song and runs with it.3 It’s an incredible contrast, and, were this style used to balance the album more thoroughly (which is something other Doom bands, like Khemmis, do regularly), then Distortions would be greatly strengthened.
The wind whispers echoes of loss Colours fade, but the pictures remain The tree stands bare Stripped of all its leaves But the roots run deep Clouds may come And black out our sky But the light still shines Forever inside The music haunts the hours we miss And so you live as I grieve So still you live as we grieve
That’s it, that’s the whole song.
It builds by the end, making a powerful final statement, but also showcasing the structural weaknesses throughout the rest of the album.
Rating: Green
And the first four have done really well, with Isole and Spotlights pulling in Blue ratings (as of the time of this writing, there are only 12 Blue albums); Smoulder currently sits on Teal; and They Watch Us From the Moon! floundered its final two tracks, but still came in with Green.
Not acoustic. Just…bare and light.
Hamish and Catherine Glencross provide vocals for the band (along with, respectively, guitar and keyboard). Hamish’s voice provides the majority, with Catherine taking a verse or providing backing on occasion. But this song is hers.