Review Summary: The silent loneliness of the final frontier.
Let’s not mince words; time doesn’t fly, it f*cking soars. Tied down by mundane routines and the archetypal responsibilities of everyday life, days become indistinguishable, blurry photographs of things that
maybe happened. Memory transitions from vivid recollections of childhood shenanigans to grocery lists, gas station runs, and “Did I wash my hair last night?” That’s not even mentioning how a prolonged span of years can entirely alter an individual, what with experience tacking on mileage and influencing perspective. In music terms, it’s considered the process of ‘maturation’: growing up as a songwriter, fixing faults, and capitalizing on potential. Earthrise left the metal listening audience ten years ago before this process occurred; continuous delays and external circumstances pushed them into an inadvertent semi-hiatus of sorts. It seems appropriate that 2022—a year in which any band that has existed can and will return—is the year the Minnesota crew resurface. Owing to some lineup tinkering and the natural passage of time, things are predictably different. This is not the same collective that prided themselves as a carefree, beer-can-demolishing squad that could tear up a stage board-by-board, ripping amps to shreds with unrestrained sludge heaviness. Rather, the current calendar year bears witness to a thoroughly changed sludge metal outfit, thematically and sonically. In contrast to the straightforward bangers of
Eras Lost, sophomore effort
Until We Rest Beneath the Winter Way is a thoroughly atmospheric affair. Guided by a loose concept, this latest record soaks itself in an immersive, melancholic aura that relies on patience to succeed.
The nine songs of Earthrise’s newest disc focus primarily on generating ambiance, utilizing the full breadth of their extended lengths to allow gentle textures to create roomy arrangements, providing a sense of drifting off into an unknown expanse. Staged against the backdrop of the record’s guiding concept—using the tragic tale of Laika, one of the first living organisms to be sent into space, as a framing device for humanity’s flawed pursuit of greatness—the interior of
Until We Rest… begins to purvey a palpable sense of loneliness. Though capable of headbanging passages, the CD spends a majority of its existence spawning ambient portions that cleverly implement effects, static, and gentle instrumentation. Emotional clean vocals sporadically appear to buttress the band’s moody direction; their distant, forlorn tone defines the duration of “From Below,” calling from behind a wall of hazy, dreamlike guitars that gradually wind around the listener, wavering and reverberating to concoct an almost psychedelic journey into the cosmos. These same techniques beautifully transition into the subsequent “Hypervigilant,” with the tune’s foundation being vested in the powerful singing performance. Alongside a delicate melody, the track begins to rise in intensity, achieving a climactic explosion that allows the pulverizing drums and bass to amp up the volume and progress the song into darker realms. The focus consistently rests on how a song
feels as opposed to how brutal it can be, exhibiting the growth of Earthrise as musicians and their commitment to the album’s story.
Due to the atmospheric direction of the album, moments where the guitars erupt in shameless bombast are decreased in their presence. Heaviness is wielded carefully, and its implementation is more in service to the record’s progression—a punctuation of climactic moments to build a textbook post-metal ebb and flow—than it is to pure technical skill. Consider how introductory track “The New Man” literally and metaphorically launches the record, dramatically knocking down the door with discordant, sludgy as hell riffs and abrasive harsh vocals, only to then gracefully transition into a gazey soundscape that trails into the distance, guided into the unknown by the growling bass. Guitars adopt ethereal tones to juxtapose their heavier textures, outlining the evolution of the album’s narrative from Earth’s turbulent events to the quiet void of outer space. Aforementioned cut “Hypervigilant” bides its time with an artful buildup before using a climactic high note to increase the instrumental assault, fluctuating to accompany the increasing despair of the lyrical content. When the tune trudges into its loud, heavy finale, it comes across as earned rather than shoehorned for the sake of heaviness itself. The titanic “Void Hymn” exemplifies this restraint perfectly; the track teases something aggressive, yet it declines showing its full hand until finally opening the floodgates at the behest of a mean bass riff. How Earthrise are able to balance their strengths is a boon for the overall quality of
Until We Rest, never relying too much on one factor in particular.
The extent to which the instrumentals are stripped back can be a touch disappointing, especially with
Eras Lost in the rearview. It’s difficult to ignore how potentially monotonous the droning riffs can become even though that fuels the album’s concept, causing tracks to slightly bleed into each other. Due to the otherwise high standard of songwriting on display, this is a relatively minute issue. Despite the atmospheric nature of the release, those wishing for uncompromising sonic invasions still receive treats, such as the unbridled violence of “Generation Loss.” The varied percussion kit is the heartbeat of the song, laying down the groundwork for menacing harsh vocals and devastatingly crushing riffs. However, what inevitably characterizes
Until We Rest… is its commendable shift towards a careful, calculated methodology that hones in on timbres, album cohesion, and emotional payoffs. From the diverse guitar tones explored throughout to the omnipresent bellowing of the bass, Earthrise’s sophomore opus is an incredible combined effort that aims for a morose experience and sticks the landing. Using an evocative tale as a reflection of humanity as a whole—our flaws, our hubris, our insatiable drive for
more –can too often be a gimmick to inject depth where none exists, but the grand and simultaneously desolate arrangements of
Until We Rest… superbly match the historical chronicle. In spite of a decade’s long gap between LPs, Earthrise sound positively fresh and energized. They opted to shoot for the stars in an ambitious manner, if they haven’t reached them yet, they’re certainly closing in.
