Female vocalists in Doom bands is something we need more of.  If done right, a woman's vocal touch can make all the difference in atmosphere, which is a crucial element in a lot of Doom bands.  Much like KING WITCH, the female vocals, courteously of GWYN STRANG, go a long way in forging the sound of this short but very sweet EP.

Ohio based Doom duo FRAYLE make their presence known in just four tracks and, although it is a brief journey, it is one that is filled with a foreboding heaviness and gloomy despair which is just how I like my Doom.  For just two people, the sound is immense and it's hard to believe this isn't a full band.  Sean Bilovecky handles all the instruments and he knows them well.  From the riffs to the drumming, this man lays down music drenched in darkness, showing his ability to pull out music from the coldest depths that, instead of pushing you away, pulls your closer to the end.

As previously mentioned, Strang's vocals only expand upon this tapestry.  Her voice is soft and delicate but her ethereal tone, reminiscent of TRISTANIA and THEATRE OF TRAGEDY, adds an almost inhuman, or alien, quality to the songs.  Like a ghost stalking the halls of a forgotten city, she weaves in and out of the Doom framework; the heavy and dark music really works well with her voice. "Let The Darkness In," is creepy and withering.  The riffs slither through the murky atmosphere, carrying the bass away from the light and towards the wispy tones of Gwyn.

The title track is as dark as a black hole and the drums are pounded with hypnotic style, grabbing you and leading you far way into another world.   The riffs are CROWBAR level in their sonic density and, once again, serve the prefect vehicle for the vocals to travel on. The third track, "Wandering Star," is a cover of the PORTISHEAD song.  I have no frame of reference since I've never heard that band before but this track might as well be written by them.  It carries the same basic dread as the two before it.  I really liked the clever use of drums during the verses, atmospheric drumming is hard to come by and it was added well here.

The final track, "Things Make Us Bleed," is my favorite on the EP by far.  The bass and drumming provide a sneaky and paranoid sound.  The soft vocal approach is like someone tip towing through a place they shouldn't be.  The music threatens to explode but it never quite gets there but that is part of the track's charm.  It uses the space between the music, the uncertainly and dread, to find a place where it speaks the loudest. This band seems to have come out of nowhere and hopefully they get a good reception for this great little EP because the Doom genre needs more of this and their sound needs a chance to expand.  As good as it was, it would be nice to see what the music of FRAYLE can really do when it has more breathing room.