...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI...


..::OPIS::..

Hamish opisał album jako sposób na zaprezentowanie pasji, smutku, miłości i furii, na które wpływ ma osobista tragedia i życiowe wyzwania, a jednocześnie na dalsze zagłębianie się w muzyczną złożoność.
Powiedziałbym, że całkiem dobrze przekazali każdą z tych emocji w swojej muzyce. Powiedziałbym również, że odzwierciedla samą istotę, która czyni nas tym, kim jesteśmy, i mam nadzieję, że znajdziecie w sobie pokrewne refleksje podczas tej podróży...



With their third album Projections, set for release on May 29, UK doom metal juggernaut GODTHRYMM have completed their Visions Trilogy begun with 2020’s Reflections debut LP and followed with 2023’s acclaimed Distortions album. During the band’s discourse since the release of Reflections, GODTHRYMM have been recognized as the new emerging band from the UK to bring back the glorious aura of early-mid ‘90s UK doom metal, most notably formulated by the Paceville Three (My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost, Anathema).

As expected, considering GODTHRYMM was formed and is helmed by UK doom metal veteran Hamish Glencross (ex-My Dying Bride/Vallenfyre/Solstice) and features doom metal drummer extraordinaire Shaun Taylor-Steels (ex-My Dying Bride/Anathema/Solstice). So in this sense, the classic UK doom metal DNA has already been implemented within the sonic fabric of GODTHRYMM.

Projections sees GODTHRYMM continue to develop and broaden their sound even further, and building upon the cornerstones of Distortions. Now with an expanded lineup which includes keyboardist co-vocalist Catherine Glencross, bassist Bob Crolla and new second guitarist Kris McLaughin, Projections is GODTHRYMM’s most layered, varied and complex release yet, all while still upholding the colossal emotionally charged heavy doom backbone that has defined the core of the band’s sound. Projections is also the band’s most aggressive album to date, as Hamish Glencross explains:

“On this new album we present to you songs that channel our passion, our sorrow, our love, our fury - the very essence that makes us who we are, and we hope you find some kindred reflection in yourselves on this journey. Our first album Reflections was a rekindling of our passion and fire for the music we love, the second album Distortions took that template and evolved it ever further with grandeur and vision. Projections takes everything that has brought to this point, and delves into our very musical souls with the appropriate introspection, diversity and contrasts of our emotions that define us. This is who we are, and we project all of this through our new album.”

Projections presents and broadens new sonic horizons brought into the GODTHRYMM sound. Opening the album in traditional doom fare, it is the second half of opening track “Trenches Deep” which sees the band speed up their sound to a more pummeling attack and topping it by including guest vocals from original English Dogs vocalist Adie Bailey and guest vocals from Xentrix vocalist Jay Walsh. The following track “Truth In My Own” can be seen as one of GODTHRYMM’s heaviest and pounding tracks while the album’s diversity shines even more through the atmospheric progressive metal tappings of “Jewels” and the heavy ethereal closer “Hope is Eternal”, these latter two tracks solely helmed by Catherine Glencross.

The album’s two centerpiece tracks “The Sun Never Fell” and “Endure My Skin” are the full-blown epic UK doom monuments serving as two of the mightiest and towering GODTHRYMM tracks ever penned. “Endure My Skin” would also see the return of now-ex My Dying Bride vocalist Aaron Stainthorpe, reuniting once again with his former MDB bandmates Glencross and Steels to do guest vocals on the track, this time the iconic vocalist taking more the center stage for the bulk of the track (whereas on Distortions we saw Stainthorpe provide more of a spoken word segment on the track “Follow Me”).

“The vision and writing for Projections commenced as the recording of the previous album Distortions was in its completion”, Glencross continues. “The direction was to push ourselves further in musical scope and complexity, and was then driven further by artistic ambition in a new lineup showcased on The Light EP, but also then influenced by life’s challenges and subsequent personal tragedy within the band. The songs are a reflection of love, sorrow and fury which we all feel.”




English epic doom metal act Godthrymm is out with their third LP “Projections”, released on May 29 via Profound Lore Records. In this album, the band covers a wider spectrum of heavy metal compared to their previous efforts, enriching their already established musical identity. Sounding more feral and opting in for a more riff-based approach than atmosphere (yet successfully maintaining that aspect), they have created their best work to the date in my humble opinion.

Godthrymm is a band full of veterans of this music. Formed in 2017 by Shaun Taylor-Steels and Hamish Glencross, who have already established their name in the history of doom metal. It was 2019 that “Sasquatch” Bob Crolla had joined them on bass, they have stabilized their line-up since, and released their debut "Reflections" in the same year. This album sounded quite like a classic epic doom record, reminiscing me of Solstice (which both Taylor-Steels and Glencross previously played in), but much darker in terms of sound and themes (songs were mostly about the darker nature of mankind). It was a strong debut, but they had much more to offer in the future, it was just the teaser.

2023 was the year for their second offering “Distortions”, it was the point that the band to show that more riff-oriented approach that I have talked about on the previous pages. Catherine Glencross, who provided guest vocals on their debut, was joined the band in this album as their keyboard player and female vocalist, not providing just backing vocals, also taking the lead occasionally. The keys added an atmospheric layer to their transforming sound, maintaining the atmosphere that riff-oriented transition kinda eschewed. I still listen to “Devils” from that album time to time, especially that main riff really kills it. It can be said that the general compositions of the band progressed further in Distortions, further demonstrating their veteran experience in this album.

But in this third time, Godthrymm has taken the things even further in Projections with implementing diverse elements from different heavy metal sub-genres, and condensing their compositions into denser songs. Those blast beats in such as “Hope is Eternal”, completely female vocals & atmosphere-driven “Jewels”, and those riffs that does not appear “that” crushingly such as in the opening tracks “Trenches Deep” and “Truth in My Own” expand the heaviness and diversity of the band’s musical output to another level, and place the album on the throne of their discography. The lyrics continue to be darker, this time centering the soured relationship between nature and mankind.

Speaking of vocals, not mentioned while talking about the previous, the legendary Aaron Stainthorpe has lent his guest vocals on a track in Distortions, and continued this tradition in Projections by both singing clean and harsh in the fourth track “Endure My Skin”. With his changing vocal style during the song, the atmosphere completely changes and immediately goes heavier, then reaches it climax with a climactic outro led by Catherine Glencross and Taylor-Steele’s government in rhythm section with his double-kick-driven drumming, then leaving the listener in inertia with the ethereal intro of Jewels… These kind of sequences in this album are really good examples of their compositional masterwork, how they reflected their as mentioned “veteran experience” in this music’s history.

With its “infernal” cover art made by Mitchell Nolte, and the meticulous work of Mark Midgley on the mixing/mastering console, the album becomes full circle. Projections mark the pinnacle of Godthrymm’s career with its heavier approach, implementations of diverse heavy metal sub-genre elements, and the resulting richer sound. It would definitely be one of the strongest contenders in the year-end album lists of different publications, do not miss it.

goldbaren8



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Trenches Deep 06:31
2. Truth In My Own 06:11
3. The Sun Never Fell 08:39
4. Endure My Skin (feat. Aaron Stainthorpe) 09:00
5. Jewels 06:42
6. Hope Is Eternal 08:45

Bonus Track:
7. Projections 03:25



..::OBSADA::..

Hamish Glencross - lead guitar and vocals
Shaun Taylor-Steels - drums and percussion
Bob Crolla - bass guitar
Catherine Glencross - keyboards and vocals
Kris McLaughlin - rhythm, lead and acoustic guitars

Guest musicians:
Jay Walsh - guest vocals on Trenches Deep
Adie Bailey - guest vocals on Trenches Deep
Aaron Stainthorpe - guest vocals on Endure My Skin
Andy Hawkins - additional percussion on Jewels



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaSM5C_SDZw


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