Godthrymm returns with a new lament.
Just before its tenth anniversary, the English band led by Hamish Glencross (guitar/vocals, Green Sabre, ex-Vallenfyre, ex-My Dying Bride, ex-Solstice), Shaun “Winter” Taylor-Steels (drums, ex-Anathema, ex-My Dying Bride, ex-Solstice), “Sasquatch” Bob Crolla (bass), Catherine Glencross (keyboards/vocals), and most recently Kris McLaughlin (guitar, Crowsblood, Green Sabre), is releasing its third album, Projections, via Profound Lore Records.
The darkest and most unsettling mysteries of Doom Metal are on full display from the very first track, Trenches Deep, a haunting piece where Hamish’s intense vocals intertwine with Catherine’s much more ethereal voice. It also features contributions from Jay Walsh (Bull-Riff Stampede, Xentrix, ex-Blaze Bayley) and Adie Bailey (Unholy Alliance, ex-English Dogs), who join them as the rhythm section effortlessly captivates us, then suddenly ignites, unleashing a wave of unexpected aggression in its second half, leading into Truth In My Own, which returns to a slow, oppressive pace. The vocals make the oppressive riffs even more epic, using a few harmonics to create a haunting rhythm between the vocal parts, and the track finally transitions in the blink of an eye to The Sun Never Fell and its lingering melancholy, which begins on the guitar but eventually colors every note with its full weight. The two vocalists share the spotlight more evenly, adding a Gothic touch that is as majestic as it is at times oppressive, naturally conveying all its overwhelming sorrow before giving way to Endure My Skin’s more solemn sound. While the atmosphere is rawer than on the previous tracks, it eases effortlessly to make way for the familiar vocal parts, welcoming those of Aaron Stainthorpe (High Parasite, ex-My Dying Bride), who offers a different yet equally compelling tone, whether in light or saturated tones, and perfectly complements the Glencross duo. We move on to Jewels, a composition that seems much softer at first glance and cultivates its purity with a delightful minimalism borrowed from post-rock, accompanied by the percussion of Andy Hawkins (ex-Midget), but which eventually returns to its saturation midway through before resuming its gentleness. This is immediately shattered by Hope Is Eternal, the long final track, which returns to its jerky, heavy patterns to close out the album with its usual heavy yet fairly luminous touch, one that perfectly lives up to its name, winding through waves of darkness guided by Catherine until the very last moments before silence.
Although the band is still relatively new, Godthrymm is building a growing reputation in the Doom Metal scene – and rightly so! Their previous two albums were already fantastic, but Projections has taken things to the next level and easily stands out as one of the must-hear releases of the year!
95/100
