Below A Silent Sky – A View From Afar

Quality instrumental doom metal, including related strains (stoner, sludge, psych, etc), is not easily achievable. Writing and performing 6, 12or even 18 minutes long songs that rely entirely on the beauty of the composition, a  proper arrangement and the ability to execute, is no easy task.  There have been countless efforts that fell short, providing nothing new to the listener – slowly sliding into boredom. Fortunately, there were a few, well developed acts that stood up in the recent years, releasing material deserving ovations. Last year’s “The Tides Will Prevail” – a solid effort by the Ohioans KENOMA, is one example. The recently released  (3/11)  “A  View  From  Afar”  by  BELOW A SILENT SKY, is another. Eternally vivid is the instrumental fire liberated by the German quartet within their sophomore full-length 2018 album.

An absolutely perfect balance of post-metal and fuzzed doom metal, driven by deep toned – dense, obsessing guitar riffs, layered with intricate picking and fluid open-chords, accented by orbiting atmospheric elements, and controlled by an absolutely phenomenal rhythm section. The band, virtually unknown states side, captivate the listener with their capability of conveying epic landscapes with nothing but two guitars, a bass, and a drum set. The absence of lyrics abet the listener’s imagination to run wild, to freely express emotions – 55 minutes of music, spanning over 5 tracks, providing the guidance without restraint. A view from afar …yet, a close and intimate perspective.

Distinctive, fundamental and at the same time an impossibly perfect symbiosis of elements. A bonfire on a starless night, rising ambers in an effortless dance to the dim eternity of ash … a relentless reach of a higher shrine.  Green tinted specs of light filtering through.  Insisting.  An infinite cadence of rays escaping the caverns of light. Waves. Dark waves lit up only by moonlight … washing… eroding the steps … solitary pathway into the eternal forest. An escape? Perhaps. Rising from the deep abyss, from the eternal dungeon of torment. The never-ending, torturing, apocalyptic riff of the Tartarus paving the way. A  cosmic march from within. Chaotic. Silent and controlled at times.

Unpredictable. A world at the mercy of nature.  Earth shifter. The crude reality of delusional choices –  a labyrinth of despair and false redemption. One lone eclipsed path through the great divide … Formed in 2012,  BELOW  A  SILENT  SKY went through a couple of minor lineup adjustments, before releasing their debut EP in 2014. The lineup of: Diego Walch (bass), Robin  Ritter  (guitar),  Christian  Schneiderwind  (guitar)  and  Heinz  Götze  (drums), remained unchanged since. Their full-length debut album “Corrosion” was independently released in 2015. The band remains unsigned. The sound quality of this recording, further emphasizes the utterly atmospheric essence of this  outstanding  album.  Recorded,  mixed  and  mastered  by  Philipp  Schwetschenau at audiophil music production in Erfurt, Germany. (I only wish it was pressed on vinyl.) Highly recommended. 8/10 UHF

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Used by permission. © 2018 by Emil Chiru / UHF