My Bones Shall Rest Upon the Mountain
Earthshine
"My Bones Shall Rest Upon the Mountain" is heavily influenced by Sam's experiences in Japan, especially the extremely snowy and cold winters, which were shocking compared with the winters he'd experienced in Australia. During the time between this album and the last, Connor became much more influenced by Psychedelic music, while Sam continued listening to Black Metal. The new album is still focused on a sorrowful, doom sound, but with more black metal and atmospheric influences. The album contains six tracks.
"Conquer Thy Mountain" leads off the album. It begins with a very heavy and slow grind. The vocals are vile utterances, and lead to screams at times. The sound here is an amalgam of a few different styles, as described in the opening. Lead notes provide a few moments of melody, but the overall sound is sad and unbearable. Towards the end, it builds to a nice crescendo, thick with instruments. "Shadows on the Wall" begins with a more straightforward riff, and still that droning, slow heaviness. The vocals go from guttural to desperate screams. For me, the sound is rooted in Doom Metal mostly, though the ambient passage here allows some atmosphere to develop.
"A Warm Place with no Memory" begins with some melody in the guitar work. So far, three different tracks that share a common bond. Soft and delicate tones open the song, leading to clean vocals over a bed of Black Metal riffs. It's an odd combination of sound that just works. Warm is a good word to use here, because that is how the song makes you feel...warm and inviting. "Bleed with Me" is an eight-minute opus. Beginning with clean vocals and distorted guitars, that yin and yang is back again, melding two competing elements together like chocolate and peanut butter. The riff begins a climb, then it dies to an ambient passage with audible bass notes. From there it drones on in a mesmerizing and hypnotic feeling to completion.
"Slaves of Misery" begins with a low and slow guitar riff, and a bit of dissonance at first. The clean vocals are very emotive, painting a picture of utter hopelessness, even with the advent of harsh vocals. It picks up steam towards the end, crashing all around you like a big ocean wave. "When I Die, I Shall Return" is a close to 12-minute closing song. They may have saved the best for last. It opens with a slow and depressing sound, especially from the vocals and guitars. The hole it leaves in your heart is massive. It sounds more like the end than a new beginning. The vocals are stalwart in their delivery. As we approach the half-way mark, the sound drops to just some charming and ambient guitar notes, with spoken word. Then the dejected sound returns, with vocals that announce the coming of an old friend who has been lost for too long.
That's the beauty of the album. The duo created a sound that is both gut-wrenching and hopeful at the same time, leaving the decision up to the listener which way to go. The variety they have on the album is also noteworthy, yet they keep to a core sound. It's suggestive of the duo's different tastes when it comes to the Metal genre. Those ambient passages are beautiful, but when the want to pour on the desperateness, they cover you in it. I really enjoyed this album!
9 / 10
Almost Perfect
Songwriting
Musicianship
Memorability
Production
"My Bones Shall Rest Upon the Mountain" Track-listing:
1. Conquer Thy Mountain
2. Shadows on the Wall
3. A Warm Place with no Memory
4. Bleed with Me
5. Slaves of Misery
6. When I Die, I Shall Return
Earthshine Lineup:
Connor Dwyer - Drums, Guitar, Vocals
Sam Dwyer - Vocals, Guitar
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