Bloodbark is back.
Following their debut album in 2018, the mysterious anonymous project has renewed its partnership with Northern Silence Productions for the release of their second album, Sacred Sound of Solitude.
From the very first track, Time Is Nothing, we have that contrasting sound between the visceral darkness of the vocals and the hazy, sometimes almost playful rhythms that swirl in the ambient air and soothe the rhythm. A few parts of clear vocals make their way through to further soften the mix and its rawest elements, such as the blast, but the sound eventually fades away gently before joining the majestic From Ash to Dust to Pollen, which suddenly grows stronger and becomes almost suffocating. The vocals return to reveal their different nuances, while the guitar weaves icy, piercing harmonics to better immerse us in their glacial riffs, which lull us into the very calm Glacial Respite, where bright and soothing tones reign. This keyboard-driven track is much shorter than the others, and it remains imbued with this tranquility until the very last moment before returning to saturation as soon as Augury of Snow takes its place, offering us haunting tones that complement the latent aggression. The virulent vocals complete the vaporous cloud that spreads before igniting to reveal the rawer tones that the band exploits before moving on to Griever’s Domain, the last and much longer track, which first offers a moment of respite, but which will inevitably flood us with waves of unleashed power before allowing us to breathe again, alternating atmospheres to keep us captivated by its beauty until the final notes fade into the immensity of their universe.
As mysterious as it is fascinating, Bloodbark knows how to captivate our minds with majestic, haunting riffs that reflect the coldness of the present day. Sacred Sound of Solitude will find its niche audience.
90/100