I’ve had my eye and a sense of anticipation trained toward this band after a few rough mixes of their songs piqued my interest a couple months ago, and I am quite glad that they did. Atriarch are a Portland based four piece blackened-doom centric group, more accurately self-described as a sonic entity than a ‘band’ in the conventional sense. I say blackened-doom with an intentional ambiguity, as spending too much time on categorizing what Atriarch have accomplished with their debut full-length would only serve to cheapen the experience. Don’t fret the details: this albums tends to stylistically bleed all over the place, albeit in a very tasteful manner.
Forever the End is a swarthy, crushing voyage through a blackened ritualistic soundscape. The album opens with low, ominous rumble that slowly but inevitably builds itself into an almost physically palpable wave that fully envelops the listener in its weight. The droning guitar, bass, and hauntingly empty vocals seem to intertwine effortlessly with one another until finally hammered into some semblance of order by the intro track’s steady, pounding percussion. Cavernous howls vie for attention over the other grasping instruments as they roar in and fade out of existence. The environment the band manages to craft through sheer sonic destruction is amazing, to say the least. The album’s four tracks seamlessly blend together, ensuring the listener has no time to slip away from the album’s intoxication. Second track Shadows’ darkened psychedelic synth-like sections and otherworldly guitar are thick enough to swim through, and that’s the idea. As soon as you find yourself slowly swaying to the ethereal murk, you are crushed by a wall of distortion and pained, rasping vocals – painting a dim, flickering mental image of a somber ceremony, wreathed in miasma, managing to rip open a door to hell….Read the rest of this killer review after the jump!
Third track Fracture opens with an odd, almost calming bass procession with an overwhelming sense of finality or preparation, while maintaining the air of fragility one might find in an old, old attic. The relief is momentary, however, and we are plunged directly back into abyss as the instruments once more squabble for dominance, striking a perilous balance that hangs just above the fuzz while occasionally dipping just below its surface. While The group deliberately and relentlessly slogs through the eeriness of the mire until the album’s frantic explosion of chaotic drumming and vocals, reminiscent in fervor to the death throes of a wounded animal, signal the album’s close as the instruments all once again slowly sink back below the encompassing black wall of sound. Atriarch have managed to absolutely nail the timing issues that plague many doom acts. While this is most certainly an album that deserves to have sitdown time devoted to it, I didn’t ever find it dragging on or unenjoyable to listen to. There’s just enough repetition to promote catharsis, but not so much that it becomes a chore.
I really had no idea what to expect going into this album given the band’s relatively limited prior releases, but I will say this: Words fail to adequately describe a lot of the material here, and I mean that – this is most assuredly an album to spend time with and open yourself to. Forever the End is an incredibly solid first release that easily sits among my current ‘Album of the Year’ nominations thus far: This is art through ritual, crafted by a band that knows how to bring you to the edge of sensory overload, and there find a thin line upon which to walk.
Grab the album and other Atriarch merch at HERE
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