Style: Post-metal (mixed vocals)
Review by: Evan
Country: UK
Release date: December 4th, 2020
Well, 2020 is coming to a close and with it, a great year of post-metal. It is almost as if the more miserable the world, the better the post. Keeping close to this theme, Ages is a concept album about a dying world (sound familiar?). Before we proceed (spoiler) Ages is yet another example of excellent post-metal for our modern tragedies.
Post-metal really needs to be really good to, well, be good. If someone makes a mediocre death metal track, for instance, you can bang your head to it for 3 minutes and forget about it later. For post, however, the line between snore and score is ever thin, and with even a few errors, you probably won’t make it past minute 2 of the 15 minute track. Thankfully, Ages is an album where both every track and the album as a whole are captivating.
Apologies for the tangent; yes, Ages is good. Now, it’s time to say something substantive about it. Actually, unlike this review, the album doesn’t take any purposeless detours: its single greatest facet is its songwriting. The songs are all structured fairly differently from one another, but still feel “structured.” From the slow yet powerful builds on “The Wheel” to the strong riffs opening up “Ancient Sands” to the mournfulness of “Colony / A Gathering,” the album features enough variety to stay interesting throughout. Yes, it does use that post-metal formula of juxtaposing post-rock with sludge. However, there are some interesting stylistic choices that help differentiate the album: some of the heavy parts are clearly blackened, while some of the post-rock has a folky tint.
This might be the first review of my extensive 2 month history on this website where I don’t complain about at least one aspect of the vocals. The vocal melodies often keep the album moving over some of the more repetitive riffing. Mark Norgate’s “indie” style cleans are pleasant and really fit the sorrowful mood. The album also features convincing growls and shrieks. The guitars are also very versatile, adeptly combining the various influences mentioned above, albeit perhaps with a little less movement in certain places than might be desired. The drums and bass are, unfortunately, often difficult to hear incredibly clearly, because the production, especially in the heavy sections, feels somewhat blurred together. If there is one clear area for improvement, it is there. (The drum tone in general could use some alterations).
If I had to rag on one other thing besides production, it would be that the album is a bit sparse for my tastes in certain points. There is great use of what I think is a flute on “Colony / A Gathering.” I would like to have seen more interesting instruments added to the mix, such as a big presence of strings or synths, which could help fill in some of the gaps.
Okay, that’s more than enough nitpicking. This album does not deserve too much nitpicking; instead, it deserves some more listens on your favorite streaming service. While it may have some small flaws and isn’t groundbreakingly original, Ages is extremely competent and emotionally engaging. Any fan of post-metal who’s willing to sit through some long tracks (and some interludes) should surely check this out.
Recommended tracks: The Wheel, Ancient Sands, Colony/A Gathering
Recommended for fans of: Mastodon, Isis, The Ocean
Final verdict: 8/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page
Label: Independent
Dawnwalker is:
– Mark Norgate (vocals/guitars)
– Matteo Bianciotto (guitars)
– Hugo Terva (drums)
– Dane Cross (bass)
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