Review: Secludja – Stilled

Style: instrumental piano, modern classical, post rock, minimalism (instrumental)
Recommended for fans of: Be’Lakor, Robert Glass, Mike Oldfield
Review by: Andy
Country: Australia
Release date: 8 August, 2022

Solo projects help me conclude who contributes what aspects of a sound to my favorite bands. Secludja is a new instrumental piano release by the one and only Steve Merry, pianist for Be’Lakor, unquestionably one of the greatest melodic death metal bands in the world for the past decade and a half. The key aspect to my ears of Be’Lakor’s sound, however, happens not in the death metal side but rather the melodic part, and Stilled proves without a doubt that Steve Merry provides Be’Lakor with many aspects of their unique sound, the sneakily complex chord progressions and rich timbre on Stilled taking me back to the first time I heard Of Breath and Bone or “Paths.” 

Unlike Be’Lakor, who despite being considerably more relaxed than your typical death metal are still death metal, the tracks on this EP are incredibly serene; in fact, this review has been incredibly difficult to write because every time I press play, I fall asleep before the album’s conclusion. The soundscapes are gorgeously evocative, leading to daydreaming and, in turn, real dreaming. Steve Merry mastered minimalism a long time ago, and this EP demonstrates that as short, simple tracks take a single main chord progression and expand on it until the progression is thoroughly explored. Starting with “A Valley Found,” Stilled will appeal to all Be’Lakor fans with familiar, homey chords and ideas, but Secludja is also its own thing, so I’ll treat it as such. 

No meandering songs are to be had here: All ten tracks are short, consisting of one or maybe two ideas each and lasting a few minutes at their longest. However, each movement builds and increases in tension until it reaches its proper conclusion, showcasing Steve’s compositional skills. I am never left wanting any more or any less than Stilled presents. Take “Droplets” for example, a track clocking in at a paltry 2:19. The song presents its downright breathtaking chord change, builds using multiple minimalist classical techniques, returns to a more simple aural display, and then resolves back into nothingness. The songwriting takes some simply otherworldly discipline; while many a solo project feels bloated, Secludja may be so restrained. 

Aside from being great music to snooze to, Stilled has a cinematic quality to it still like John D Reedy’s opus The Great Long Distance. The depth in the production enriches the sound to feel bigger than the music itself–almost like the album truly is a soundtrack. Every piano note pleasantly rings out, a sense of longing effected in me. How could one not get a little nostalgic for a track like “December’s Last”? The song, which features some simple yet well-integrated drumming and electric guitar strums, is an emotional, resonant track that shows Merry isn’t completely one note on this EP, though the sound does become a tad repetitive when I do stay awake throughout. 

Perhaps Stilled isn’t super memorable, but it certainly conjures pensive thoughts, nostalgic ones, and a deeper pervading sense of loss without being “sad” while listening. The album is a gorgeous foray into the world of minimalist piano: I always secretly wanted a full album of this type of thing when I first heard Be’Lakor’s solo piano track “Paths,” and Stilled fulfills my every expectation. Many of Be’Lakor’s sublime atmospheres clearly come straight from the mind of this man, this man who so dreamily tugs at my heart strings. 

Recommended tracks: A Valley Found, December’s Last
You may also like: John D Reedy, Gleb Kolyadin, Raphael Weinroth-Browne
Final verdict: 6/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Official Website | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram
Label: independent

Secludja is:
– Steve Merry (everything)