Canadian label Profound Lore once again goes ahead to prove their reach in the world of musical accomplishment by releasing an entirely instrumental cello based full length by the artist Helen Money. Otherwise known as Alison Chesley, Helen Money is the moniker used by a woman who has had quite the illustrious career thus far. Chesley’s had a hand in some pretty excellent records and has also worked with a few of of the greatest names and artists of our time. Steve Albini (he recorded these pieces of music), Bob Mould, Mono, and Russian Circles are but a few of the musicians Chesley has lent her talents too but it’s with her solo work that Helen Money takes hold and the unnerving character of her playing shines through.
Doom and gloom settles across the tracks found on Arriving Angels and a claustrophobic stuttering motion of strings on opener “Rift” evokes its title with an uneasy thrum and leads into the album with an unsettling mood. It’s delightfully heavy in tone and aesthetically holds much in common with the more electric side of droned out doom that we are more used to hearing, yet this is a little more clever in it’s path towards utter obliteration and is all the more interesting for it. Deadly ambience filters through the tense moments of calm during “Upsetter” and once again Helen Money drives straight for the very core with a track that is brutal and punishing. The sawing motions of bow against string can be heard and felt as the momentum and crescendo builds until the unbearable end seems too far away.
Arriving Angels is a curious record and houses some truly dissonant moments within the occasional melodies that can be found. It’s quite a minimal album at times and sounds and echoes filter through passages of extreme quiet or intense loudness with nary a warning as to what may, or may not happen next. Arriving Angels is fairly unpredictable in it’s execution – one second there’s droning white noise, the next there’s stately drum beats wrought from the hands of Neurosis drummer Jason Roeder, the next there’s huge walls of symphony surrounding your soul – Helen Money takes on a multitude of metal extremities and carves her niche with flair and disturbing charm.
We’re streaming the gorgeous title track “Arriving Angels” here and you can order from Profound Lore ready for the official February 5th release date!
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