Style: post-metal, doom metal (mixed vocals)
Review by: Evan
Country: Switzerland
Release date: October 2, 2020
Ah, misery, loneliness, and abject despair: three things ever present in post-metal. The recent release Destrudo is no different in this regard. It combines some of the best aspects of the genre with doom and psychedelic elements to create an exceptionally grim atmosphere that pervades even the album’s lightest moments.
While the general atmosphere and ambiance of the album is fairly consistent, there do exist substantial stylistic changes between each song. First track and single “Frozen Dead Star” features a duality between heavy doom riffs coupled with harshes and ambient sections with haunting cleans. “Orbit” is lighter (relatively speaking of course, Echolot does not want you to be happy) and features a drawn out heavily psychedelic riff at its conclusion with trance-like repetition. The final track, “The Wind Up North,” clocking in at almost 20 minutes, is a post-metal monstrosity with incredibly slow builds featuring organ and synthesizer that help create the desired atmosphere.
The creation of a powerful, cathartic bleakness is where Destrudo succeeded the most. Echolot uses repetition rather well to serve this cause; the drum and bass guitar fall into very regular patterns within each section. The production of the album is solid, allowing all three instruments to be heard at most points. Lukas Fürer’s guitar work is particularly strong, from the aforementioned doom and psychedelic riffs to calming meandering, creating most of the melody and movement throughout the album. Stylistic and time changes also render the album thoroughly progressive and interesting throughout.
The problems of the album are few, but worth mentioning: “Wind up North,” while a solid track, does seem to get stuck on certain sections for longer than desirable; this makes certain portions seem off pace with the rest of the album. There are some instances where harsh vocals obscure the mix, making it hard to differentiate the instruments. Lastly, the cleans vary quite substantially in quality throughout the album. These vocal gripes are highly forgivable though, because vocals are not a core part of Destrudo’s sound.
Overall, Destrudo is an excellent companion for a lonely evening when you want to release feelings of hopelessness through music. Echolot seems extremely underrated for the quality of music they put out: if you want a gloomy mood and some good post or doom, give “Frozen Dead Star,” and then the rest of the album, a listen.
Recommended tracks: “Frozen Dead Star”
Recommended for fans of: Isis, Cult of Luna, Ahab
Final verdict: 8/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Official Website | Facebook | Instagram
Label: Sixteentimes Music Bandcamp | Website | Facebook
Echolot is:
– Lukas Fürer (Guitar)
– Renato Matteucci (Bass)
– Jonathan Schmidli (Drums)
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