Brume are a doom band from the US and this is their third album.
I’ve been awaiting this with great excitement, but also great apprehension. Why? Because even though 2017’s Rooster was a damn good record, (appearing on my year end list), 2019’s Rabbits was so fantastic it rightfully topped it. The apprehension comes from worrying whether they can match it or not. Can lightning strike twice? I very much doubt it will earn the best in the year again – that’s unlikely to happen for any band – but I have high hopes nonetheless.
Okay, so prepare yourself, as this is simply one of the best records you’ll hear this year. It’s a flawed masterpiece, (why? See below), but a masterpiece nonetheless.
Once again adorned by an amazing cover, Marten contains 48 minutes of new music. After their biggest gap between releases, Brume have now expanded their lineup by one, with the new member handling cello and extra vocals. Her addition adds yet another compelling layer to Brume’s evocative tapestry of sounds.
Despite my love for Rabbits, it’s good that Brume haven’t set out to simply repeat past glories. Marten finds them broadening their sound, adding more texture and depth, and a greater focus on rich atmosphere; less riffs, more comprehensive worldbuilding. The promo talks about trip hop and doom pop, and those terms apply to Marten. This is doom, crossed with the sort of lusciously beautiful soundscapes that you rarely hear in the metal arena outside of a handful of truly accomplished artists. How Brume aren’t a far bigger band than they are is beyond me.
That’s not to say that the guitars are completely absent. Nope – Brume are a sludgy doom band at heart, and when they want to they can crush with highly emotive distortion better than most. Marten is a far less heavy album overall through, but when it is heavy, you feel it. The cello is incorporated very well into Brume’s heaviness, not only accentuating and enriching it, but frequently taking a starring role in the many lighter moments. After Rabbits it feels like a natural development for Brume to have the instrument so deeply enmeshed in their music.
The songwriting is varied and diverse, presenting a range of different moods and stylistic ideas across the album’s running time. Whatever the band do, they do it with grace, skill, and poise. Brume try multiple directions of travel on Marten, from the light and upbeat, to the dark and painful. This is perfectly characterised by the middle two songs, the bright and optimistic Otto’s Song, which is followed by the sad and raging How Rude.
The six main songs on this record are absolutely fantastic. Jimmy is a strong opener, all emotive presence and layered impact. New Sadder You is one of the most powerful songs I’ve heard in a while, with its combination of dark beauty and emotive tension. Faux Savior is instantly catchy, and heartrendingly affecting. How Rude is a slow burner that erupts into aggressive world-smashing heaviness. Run Your Mouth beguiles with its insidious presence that just insists upon itself until it’s relentlessly stuck in your brain. Closer The Yearn is a real grower, but has an understated potency that’s impressive.
Now, because I love Brume so much, I can be harsh. The remaining two songs are not up to the standard of those six above. Otto’s Song is actually a good song – nothing wrong with it at all – it’s just not to my taste. The atrocious Heed Me is another matter though. I have a loathing of pointless interludes, and this is just an extended piece of filler that’s not only 5 minutes too long, but really breaks up the flow of the album. Suffice to say, Heed Me very quickly stopped being part of my listening experience. It’s a huge shame that this wasn’t left on the cutting room floor.
As I say; harsh, but only because this is such an exemplary album without that one real misstep, (Otto’s Song is perfectly listenable, and I like it more than I first did). Even taking this into account though, Marten is beautiful and powerful. It’s a record of real emotion and potent presence. It promises to place highly at the end of year once more. How highly? Far too early to tell yet, although I wouldn’t expect it to be at the very top due to the reasons above. It’ll take me some time to truly digest what Brume have created here, but even so, it’s another fantastic record from this exemplary act.
Absolutely exceptional, and absolutely essential.
Wonderbox Metal 