Bleakheart : "Silver Pulse"

This band wanders off into a melancholic brand of dreamy shoe-gaze that moves at the speed of doom. The first song opens with a heavier throb, then wanders off into something more dreampop. It is a pretty sweet blend of sonic intensity and atmosphere. The vocals draw you in and earn repeat listens. It's a long and winding song, but the dynamics make it worth it. The vocals also work really well as they compliment the song's dreamy nature, but still have power. The guitar tones shift to a pastoral feel for "Sinking Sea".  It sails along with a simple dreaminess. Things are not brighter, but instead redirect you to a more introspective sonic place. The vocals coo in a higher register. 

"Where I am Disease" was the lead single from this album. Somehow they decided this would be the most marketable turn. The vocals are really well produced on this album.   The song moves in a somewhat more Cocteau Twins-like direction with the swirl of vocals floating in the ether. It is pretty haunting, but also a little on the hooky side at least enough to make this worth multiple listens, They have a knack for dynamics, as the song ebbs and flows really well./ "Let Go" is more opaque in its sonic murkiness. But it does however for the bulk of the song. The vocals do not come in until the final minute. 

"Weeping Willow" rumbles out of the previous song. The vocals have more room to stretch out. I like how the vocals flow to this song. The hushed intensity of "Weeping Willow" reminds me of the the Gathering. It does build into a heavier dynamic that is sonically heavy not just heavy metal, though nodding in that direction. Then there is a more ethereal atmosphere of  "Falling Softly" that soars into a more doom gaze direction. Once again comparisons to the Gathering can be made. I will give this one a 9.5. If you are looking for some dark atmospheric dom-gaze or wish the Cocteau Twins did less acid and were more into metal then this is the album for you. 

pst153