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Soul crushing and well executed, but can lose sight of what's established.-
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| Whitehorse: Progression |
Doom Metal, Drone, Slude Metal
At a Loss Recordings
June 17th, 2011
- Mechanical Disintegration - 7:38
- Progression - 6:11
- Remains Unknown - 10:45
- Control, Annihilate - 4:06
- Time Rown Regression - 9:27
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| Review Information |
Release length: 38:07
Review posted on July 17th, 2011
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| | Overall Score: 8.5/10 |
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| Discography |
Discography covers all information available up to day of review and is updated if future albums are reviewed. |
| Full-Length(s): |
Whitehorse (2007) • Progression (2011)
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| EP(s): |
Fire to Light the Way/Everything Ablaze • Document: 250407 (2011)
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| Split(s): |
The Body/Whitehorse (2011)
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| Single(s): |
Document 250407 (2010)
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| Live CD(s): |
West of the Sun/Ocean Turns to Black (2005) • Caverns (2005) • Live at Sinkagura, Osaka 29.06.2005 (2005)
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| Review |
Whitehorse is a band that combines the concepts of Drone, Doom and Sludge Metal together into one crushing experience. It's not quite public knowledge as to when Whitehorse formed, but the Melbourne, Australia group first started to release material back in 2005 in the form of live recordings, having a total of three issued in 2005 alone, though mostly longer songs with one pushing over thirty minutes in length. Progression actually only marks the group's second full-length since their 2005 independent debuts. The full-length offering boasts over half an hour of soul crushing Metal spread apart in five tracks through At a Loss Records, and makes a follow-up release for Document: 250407 which was released earlier the same year. The band clearly has been keeping busy with themselves, but does that make for quality material on top of that punishing sensation the music gives off?
The quality to Progression is a little muddy, but not much. Most of that crushing heaviness comes from the slower pace of the music, gut wrenching guttural performances, and the heavy distorted guitars with a strong bass presence. Both of these manage to really create a deep sound that simply feels bludgeoning and never wants to stop. The drumming does a good job at keeping the slower pace going and enducing more of a trance-like sound to the recording then the guitars do, which does feel more into the Drone approach by the band, and works very well to capture that approach and keep the listener attentive while still adding a good variety to the Doom Metal approach that is the foundation of the band's material.
There are some audio effects utilized at moments, such as some literally crushing or hammering effects in the background of the first track "Mechanical Disinitegration" which backs up the rhaspier screams that appear through the song, but mostly at the end when the pace of the song slows down tremendously, though not enough to go back to the droning aspect that started the song off. Of course, this one song sets the tone of what to expect on the album well, though the droning start is a little more then what the band does try to utilize on later tracks. That same audio sample of things being crushed also becomes a staple effect through some of the songs, such as the start of the following track "Progression, which takes nearly three minutes to actually get started due to the slower Doom Metal introduction. There are other background effects going on in the background of the song, which is mostly screaming and distortion that gives off more of a Hellish atmosphere to this track, as well as seems to build in the background without diverting the attention fromt he slow paced yet catchy Sludge and Doom Metal being performed. Despite how long the song lasts and how long it takes for the music to kick in past the more droning Doom Metal introduction, the song keeps the listener content and in his or her place with commanding aggression and spirit destroying music untilt he very end.
But, of all the songs, it's "Control Annihilate" that seems a little odd. This track also utilizes some sound effects in the background, which actually are the more scratching, white noise-like effects that you heard as "Progression" came to a close, but what's different here is that there is no real introduction to really pound away at the listener to make him or her into a submissive state to sit back and take the heavy, brutalizing sound and atmosphere of the song that is about to follow. Instead, the song just slams right in without warning, without introduction, just into a Doom Metal influenced Sludge sound. Whitehorse does a good job at really making the little more then four minute song sound good and enjoyable, but without that extra bit of droning that was established for the first fourteen minutes of the recording, it just doesn't quite feel as strong, and even feels like it might have just been cut out at the last minute given how sudden the track just slams into gear.
Though "Control, Annihilate" feels a little worse off then the others, the rest of the material really sticks to that slower to mid-paced approach that was established after the heavy Drone introduction on "Mechanical Disintegration". "Remains Unknown", however, does manage to take things to a deeper level. The song has a much slower pace to it then the others, and overall just feels ominous in atmosphere, though not in the same kind of spirit crushing sense as the first two tracks. At times it feels like the band is being a little more technical in their performance, and the sound effects are back once again but now feed into that ominous sensation. The gutturals feel a little weaker too, as if the vocalist is getting a little tired during the whole thing, and the song also seems to spark more drone influences throughout the recording at times by sticking to a common passage to make up certain spots, though often getting slower as the song goes on. While "Remains Unknown" is not a bad song, it's just all done in a noticably different direction. Yes, it breaks up the flow of Progression, and may not be as strong as the title track or even the previous song "Time Worn Regression", but given it's insanely slow pace at times, it still makes for a heavy song that is well worth experiencing. The only complaint with it is the high pitch squeeling noise that actually sounds more like the drill at a dentist's office, but distorted enough to sound less mechanical and more haunting.
Progression is a strong album from Whitehorse, and despite the many releases that this group can put out in the time span of one year, there is no real sacrifice to quality in support of quantity. The material on this release sounds great, and while it ends in a more ominous fashion, the music and effects are often strong in supporting a sould crushing experience, though "Remains Unknown" does manage to establish more of an ominous backdrop to the group and kind of violate what the previous four track set up. It's still a great closer, and despite the sudden kicking in for "Control, Annihilate", the band does a fantastic job capturing what makes the Drone, Doom Metal, and Sludge Metal styles such strong approaches to Metal. If you enjoy either of the three types listed that the band plays, or are just int he mood for something really heavy and well done, then Progression by Whitehorse is well worth takinig the time to look into. With such strong music that is tight and brutalizing in many ways, you can't help but feel the urge to go back to this effort again and again.
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Digital review copy of this release provided by:
At a Loss Recordings
via Earsplit PR.
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