The drug-and-alcohol-free Dylan Carlson has released more than enough material to suggest he might be looking for a broader place in history than the doom-drone pioneer from nineties Seattle, who took his cue from the Melvins and hung out with Kurt Cobain a lot.
He’s doing a good job – this is a distinctly ambient, post-rock affair that can stand tall alongside the likes of Godspeed or Mogwai. Listen carefully though, and you’ll begin to recognize that ominous chasm that so many records on Southern construct. Sneaking through the sonorous, royal-pace melodies is a combination of menacing, blues-orientated textures, and measured, relentless drumming, slowly marching us on towards the end of the world. So nothing new then, but terribly good just the same.
Jean-Xavier Boucherat
