Sound VVitch : "Becoming"

After reviewing a bunch of metal so needed to switch it up. This project is based out of New York. It is an interesting blend of dark wave and industrial, though not neatly falling into either sub genre. It is too heavy for dark wave and works of slow slithering pounds rather than a neat dance floor ready groove. It does have a the siren like soprano that  casts an ethereal shroud over the song not unlike Switch Blade Symphony or even early Cocteau Twins. The industrial thump is more militant and machine driven than the more commercial Nine Inch Nails clones. I always stand by the fact that if some thing is dark enough it can be heavy without being metal . The first song on this ep proves that. There are metal elements to the album that crop up later on , but I would not that say this is a metal artist. There is a delightfully narcotic drone to the song that lulls you into it's hypnosis.

There is a more abrasive touch to "Covetous" . Though her vocal melodies start of more delicate. Then midway into the song she rips into tortured metal screams. They are still counter balanced by the lighter vocals and the effect is chilling. "Like Leather Like Flesh" has a similar pulse as the other songs with the nuances of the vocals helping to set it apart. It is also layered with sonics in more o a trippy swirl than the first two songs. However there is being to be a formula of song writing that is establishing more of a pattern here. The pattern does get broken when what sounds to be a violin is introduced into the mix. This adds another sonic color that gives a deeper sense of longing to the song and helps it stand out from the first three. The distorted bass rumbles under this .

The repetition of the vocal line on "Transformative Fire" gives the song more hook. There is a bigger more apocalyptic crunch underneath this one. The violin returns on this one to give a more sprawling sense of song color amid the stomp of the storming instrumentation .  "the Sun Will Rust Your Bones". This song finds her voice getting more breathing room to allow her to opening up and singing . The melody has more of a folky poppy undertone to it, but it doesn't drastically change the mood just offers more range . I will round this up to a 10. I want more than just these six songs, so I guess I am going to be checking out their earlier work. It is a good sign when an artist makes you want more rather than wears out their welcome. If you are into the darkwave or industrial strains of gothic music this album is a must.