Having cured my Black Metal vocal issues with Saor, my grazing seems to have landed on the (apparently) divisive world of Blackgaze.
Blackgaze is the unlikely pairing of black metal with shoegaze. I say unlikely, but somehow it works. As you will come to learn, I’m a sucker for music that does things a little different.
Just like honey…monster
At the end of last year Deafheaven’s Lonely People With Power made it into many of my chums best-of lists, so it seemed rude not to give it a go.
Unfortunately I may have been a bit harsh on first listen, because I may have suggested it was like Snow Patrol, but with screaming.
Whilst it is true that Blackgaze shares its lighter moments with indie pop, it does let rip from time to time. However, whilst the genre warmed on me, Deafheaven is still not quite there for me, yet. I’m not closing the door on them, but they just need a little more time for my brain to catch on.
Thankfully, a friend shared a few tracks from MØL’s (then) upcoming album Dreamcrush with me and I was smitten. Waiting for the new album I went back to their earlier one, Diorama. It was wonderful.
As it turns out, Shoegaze had already been (albeit unknowingly) on my radar for some time. I have long loved the Sophia Coppola movie Lost in Translation and the shoegaze-infused soundtrack featuring the likes of Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine. Which begs the question, what if Kevin just screamed more?
Unlike Dreamcrush, Diorama is largely sung in their native Danish, which has the added perk of making me seem more cultured than I actually am. It isn’t as heavy from a musical perspective as the latest Deafheaven album, but it sure is beautiful, melodic and rich. It also blends the customary black metal vocal stylings with clean singing, which is just delightful.
With Dreamcrush MØL switched to English lyrics, making it slightly easier for a monoglot such as myself to understand what is going on, but the keen ear for melody demonstrated by Diorama is all present and correct.
Deciding between the two albums is tricky, but I think the new one edges it slightly, being a more consistent offering. I am still to work my way through the whole back catalogue, but I have their 2018 offering, Jord lined up for another day.