“Widowmaker” is UK’s blackened death doom terrorists Dragged into Sunlight latest effort. Three years have passed since, the well received and stupendous, “Hatred for Mankind”. If in “Hatred for Mankind”, the band vomited all of their hatred towards the human race, here in “Widowmaker” things have turned out a little bit different.
Originally crafted in 2010, Dragged Into Sunlight started to work with producer Tom Dring in what should be this “Widowmaker” trilogy that also features an unnamed member of UK atmospheric metal band Bossk. Said that i guess we can considered “Widowmaker” as a concept album, based on three acts, simply called “Part I”, Part II” and Part III”. All three tracks last around 12 to 14 minutes approximately, but personally, I think the whole audition experience results much better if we face it, and listen to it, as a one track only. Facing it as a 40 minute monolithic track, the whole sonic atmosphere brought here by D.I.S shall be achieved in a more intense way. No interruptions, no space to breathe. Just head dive into it.
But this time, the band won’t grab you immediately by the neck or dumps a bucket full of maggots upon our head.. no. As we start to hear the first minutes of “Widowmaker”, the impression we get is that is more atmospheric that its predecessor. We start our journey with “Part I”, an instrumental track where the only featured voice is a sample extracted from a clip (the same formula used on “Hatred for Mankind” tracks) clamming being drained of emotions… and this, my friends, this is the tone. The tone for what we will hear next, along these 14 minutes. A haunting and cold journey through desolation, sorrow and mourn. I imagine this track being used as background music for some Holocaust documentary or something similar. The sudden entry of piano and violin enhances even more the heavy feeling of mourning in this track.
The passage to “Part II” is once again made by one of those film samples with a sense of contempt for Mankind but it won’t take long until D.I.S drop their mask, along with a shrieking scream as massive wall of decibels invades our eardrums. Now this sounds exactly like the D.I.S i know, this track continues exactly the legacy left by “Hatred for Mankind”. We are dragged merciless by chunks of blackened sludge/doom riffs, feeling almost as we’re inside some wicked torture engine exclusively designed by twisted mind of D.I.S. Pure destruction. Connected to this track, appears the third and final act, “Part III”, which has a more facing environment towards the territories of doom metal, enriched with some interesting atmospheric sections and closing the album in a all of its apotheosis.
I was really surprised with “Widowmaker”, it presented me a more atmospheric side of Dragged Into Sunlight i didn’t knew it existed. Maybe it was there all along, lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect chance to get out. Embark into this haunting voyage into the torturous world of Dragged Into Sunlight. Without shadow of doubt one of the most extreme British metal acts to walk this Earth. Was it worth the wait? Damn right it was worth it. Glad to see D.I.S taking some steps outside their playground and betting on some more atmospheric territories. Well done!
“Widowmaker” is due out November 6th in North America, November 5th in the UK and November 9th in Germany. It shall be available in special gatefold digi-wallet and limited die-hard vinyl edition through Prosthetic Records. Pre-orders are available here.
In the meantime, the band are also completing a video project as a companion piece to the album, directed by Dwid Hellion of Integrity and audio mastering by Billy Anderson (Neurosis/High On Fire). Stay tuned and follow the band’s moves through their Facebook.
Billy
November 3, 2012 at 5:40 pm
Love this album!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!