Gloson : "the Rift"

Heard a fair amount of praise for this album from some of my peers so checking out the hype. This band from Sweden churns out a dark bellowing brand sludge from the more Neurosis school of sonics. It lumbers and the vocals bellow, so they have the basics covered. What I am listening for is what are these guys doing that I have not already heard before. There are also sung vocals buried against the layers of guitar. Not what I expect bands from Sweden to sound like but then again Opeth is from Sweden.  Yes, there are some catchy riffs, but the rule here is cool riffs alone does not a good song make.  I like the darker turn that "Windbearer" takes. It is more of an instrumental, the vocals are just a roar mixed into the background and never feel like they are an active part of the song.  Instead of feeling like a missed opportunity to do more with the mood it does flow well. 

"Impetus" has more of a droning throb to it. Midway into the song some big chugging riffs come in a grab your attention amid the haze the song has cast over your ears that found it fading more into background music as I typed. This album is well produced in terms of how the sounds are captured and mixed. "Tirsas Vassals" lives and dies off of its huge pounding riff that rolls over you with a tank like groove. Yes, it is heavy and the vocals are even more sinister in their scowl, but as a song it works off the one theme. What plays to this band's strength is a song like "Cerebus IV" where the focus becomes their ability to sculpt sounds that capture an oppressive gloom. They saved the two longest songs for last, so the question becomes , but can they make sound sculpting interesting enough to carry over eleven minutes of it? For the first two and half minutes of it they drone on the riff, before breaking it all the way down to a creepy low whispered vocal. They play the old expand and contract that Neurosis has been doing since the 90s. 

The band ends things on their highest note with the shimmering expanse of sound that is the very melodic "Ultraviolet" that owes more to say Jesu than Neurosis. I understand why this album was written the way it was as the establishing of heavy for the audience, but I think where they go here is the best thing even if it is not heavy but focuses more on sonic dynamics. This is not going to be the best metal album of the year or even the best sludge album of the year, yet it is very solid and deserves to be recognized, I will give it a 9, though not sure how much I will listen to so it is more perhaps rounding it up for those of you who ask less from sludge, though the band has plenty to give .