Dreamgrave - Monuments I. - The Anxious (2017)
Dreamgrave made quite an impression on
me with their debut album, Presentiment, released back in 2014
(good grief, time flies), so I was thrilled to hear that the band had
put together some new music, even if it required some line-up changes
to get to that point. This EP, the lengthily titled Monuments I.
- The Anxious, is the first in a
promised series of EPs exploring thematically-linked focuses, and
with the first three songs in that series, the group has set their
new members into place in ways that bring their new talents to the
fore without sacrificing the band's established character.
The
prog roots are still in place, and shown off quite thoroughly, but
Dreamgrave steadily play about with incorporating other styles,
ranging in tone from death metal brandishes to symphonic expansions.
The fusion of the musical styles is matched by a wide spread of
instrumental elements, with guitars (acoustic and electric), assorted
other strings, flexible percussion, subtle atmospherics, and an
impressive array of vocal approaches all coming together in service
of the songs. There's more, of course, but it would take quite a few
sessions with the EP to pin them all down with certainty. And while
I wouldn't say that the band's emotional presentation has matured,
since that would be undercutting the professionalism with which they
conducted themselves on their first album, it does feel like they've
widened the range of what they're sharing with their listeners, with
more room for reflection. It's an EP that feels much deeper than its
three-song duration would suggest, and personally, I can't wait to
hear what more they have in store for us.
~
Gabriel
For
Fans Of; Änglagård, Artension, Indonesia (Russia), Opeth, 3rd
Ear Experience
~
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