Vast Pyre - II: Bleak

I reviewed Vast Pyre’s self-titled debut a couple years ago when I wrote for Metal Temple so imagine my excitement when the band sent me the promo to my blog for their second-full length album “II-Bleak.”

So how does this album compare to their debut?  Even better!  They take their sound and push to further heights while also being more focused.  That’s a rare feat but they pull it off—the confidence they have on this album can easily be heard throughout.

The most immediate upgrade is the production and mix.  While it still has a raw and destitute atmosphere, it just sounds better in terms of sonic dynamics.  It’s louder (but not overly) and the instruments sound more up front.  Overall, it just has a much more solid and dense sound, which the band has no issues thriving in.

For those who are unfamiliar with the band’s overall sound, it’s rooted in stoner/psychedelic doom but it’s just more abrasive and heavier than many of the bands in this genre.  The album’s title pretty much tells you what to expect:  this is an album devoid of light and extremely oppressive. 

The vocals are mostly clean, with sporadic moments where they take a more extreme route.  The cleans are drenched in an arcane atmosphere; they feel ancient beyond our time as if they are a messenger sent from beyond with a cryptic message for us all.  

It is impossible to deny the energy of this band.  Yes, they are doom and, yes, they usually confess their metal sins with a slow to mid-paced tempo.  But none of that means they can’t show an uncommon energy to the proceedings.  Despite their lengths, each song glides by and feels far shorter than they really are.  

The opening song, “Begotten,” conjures images of a storm of pure age or maybe a whirlwind of dust that serrated the bones as the wind pushes its way through the layers of skin.  The deep guitars are laced with hints of groove, just enough to push the song alongside the bass and drums, each of them supplying one of the meanest rhythms sections in metal this year. After a couple of minutes pass, the song slows down and focuses on a ghostly, tribal passage that’s heavy but also lean; the use of liminal spaces is smartly used as the song builds back up into an inferno.  By the time the halfway mark arrives, mournful sounds permeate the wall of pained noise. 

The next two songs, “Tenebrosity’s Path,” and “Benea,” complement each other very well and I’m pretty sure they are meant to be listened to back-to-back.  “Tenebrosity…” has riffs the size of a mountain!  The lead guitar layers them with a keen sense of melody, an almost majestic and regal touch upon the sharp peaks.  The drumming is utterly fantastic, cleverly building up momentum as the seconds pass so that it makes the slow tempo seem as harrowing as anything a thousand times faster.  After a psychosis inducing solo, the song picks up the tempo a bit around the 8:32 mark.  If I went back and time and was stampeded by a bunch of wooly mammoths, this would probably be the soundtrack—this is utter devastation.  “Benea” is an instrumental of sorts but seems like a natural extension of “Tenebrosity…” and it’s quite ominous and vast in its reach.

“The Untold,” takes a darker, more direct route with the use of extreme vocals not too long after the song’s beginning.  I really like these vocals and wish they would incorporate them more but, then again, their seldom appearances makes them all the more potent when they do arrive.  There is a metric ton of groove in this song and the drums go absolutely apeshit in places.  Who says doom can’t get the blood pumping?   The last half of the song is as deep as a cavern and crushing as the weight of the oceans.   If someone asked, “Hey what is the heaviest song you have heard this year?”  I might just pick this one. 

The final song is the aptly titled “Perdition Fatal,” and it feels like a long walk to hell (that’s a compliment, by the way).  The beginning is clean tones, but I'll be damned if they don’t sound unnerving.  The vocals explode violently in the beginning, like asteroids bursting through the atmosphere and destroying cities.  The bass offers more tone on this song than some bands do in their entire discography—listen with a good pair of headphones and this one will shake you down to your core.  I like, actually love, the groovy swagger the song has in places because it still sounds so profane.  The final half is slooooow and I couldn’t hep but smile while I was being slowly crushed:  THIS IS HOW YOU DOOM.  

 Vast Pyre continue to show their mettle with doom metal, while not being afraid to step outside the box or offering up such ferocity and unforgiving heaviness.  There isn’t a sophomore slump here but instead a benchmark for other bands to try and reach.  This band is on the precipice of something truly masterful and this album is another step towards that.  I can’t wait for their next one. 

Rating: Excellent