Dumbsaint ý — Panorama in ten pieces
The thick, high-gain guitar tones, in all their sinuous weight, are similar to Isis and Neurosis. However, the music is less the war cry of a massive behemoth, and more of an openly sensitive and melancholy emotional expression. The band borrows rainy, sorrowful moods from vintage black metal, shoegaze and chronically depressive 'autumn' bands like Opeth or Type O Negative. The chugging riffs are well balanced by highly reverberant siren song leads which are quite Scandinavian, an 'ethereal' guitar style employed by such bands as Katatonia.
Ambition is evident in every aspect of this carefully considered album. A wide range of influences are explored in a manner which feels natural only because it has been perfectly arranged. The emotional post-hardcore vibe reminds me of Between the Buried and Me, at times, but unlike BTBAM, Dumbsaint has a strong sense of narrative, incorporating contrasting genres only at the most poignant places within the momentum. The 'album length song' presentation of the album is very 'progressive rock', as is the fluent movement through a variety of sounds, but there is no stuffiness here. The band has all the grit and apparent honesty of any noisy underground band.
The riffs change frequently, each immediately gripping with unadorned emotive power. This album has the power to grab my emotions against my will. The sense of longing nostalgia is so potent that I find myself transported. It illicits the same imagery of forests and winter as albums like "In the Nightside Eclipse" did in my younger years, but feels more deeply personal, unafraid to be simply human, in a way I might compare to the melodramatic works of Devin Townsend. It is reassuring in its poetic interpretation of reality.
The band are clearly avid listeners of music, paying distinct homage to a variety of styles. The anticipatory, epic tone of Godspeed You Black Emperor, as well as their circular, layered guitar styles, are evident on "Communion". Alternative rock and 90's groove metal creep into the sound as well, with palm muted staccato breakdowns and minimalist harmonized leads. The drumming slams hard in adrenaline pumped, stadium pleasing fashion.
I do not particularly miss the human voice as I'm listening to this album, as cheesy and cliched lyrics are often the downfall of music of this kind.
I'm absolutely amazed by the perfection of this album, its emotional impact and flawlessly clever progression through a massive multitude of ideas. This is one of the best post metal recordings I've heard in my life, on par with any band I've mentioned in this review.