Secrets of the Sky – Wonderbox Metal

Secrets of the Sky – Pathway (Review)

This is the second album by US Atmospheric Doom band Secrets of the Sky.

We’ve encountered this impressive band twice before – their début album and their split with Godhunter.

Due to this, Pathway has been somewhat eagerly awaited by yours truly.

The band’s brand of Doom is one that mixes Atmospheric/Progressive Doom and Post-Metal to create an interesting soundscape for the listener to drown in.

On Pathway they have continued to progress their sound. The heavy parts sound bigger and more imposing while the lighter parts sound more nuanced and well-rounded.

The album boasts a particularly vibrant and organic production where all of the instruments sound completely clear and very strong. The drum sound in particular is an impressive one, although in a way it’s unfair to single out any one instrument as they all have a very satisfying finish.

Vocally we continue to get an impressive array of voices, from cleans to screams to shouts to growls. Pretty much all bases are covered and all styles are used according to how they best convey the band’s message.

These songs are gorgeous Post-Metal/Progressive Doom essays that take in multiple textures and rich imagery in their running times. The songs, overall, are slightly shorter in length than Secrets of the Sky’s previous work, but this is not to their detriment; they’re exactly the length they need to be to achieve what they want to do.

Secrets of the Sky have enough talent to dominate at whatever they try, it seems. Whether this be the heavier, the lighter, the progressive, the aggressive, the angelic clean melodies or the Blackened screaming…it’s all an aural treat for jaded ears.

I always like music that seems to take you on a journey and in this regard the album is aptly named. These are superior compositions that should see Secrets of the Sky propelled to the upper echelons of the Progressive/Doom/Post-Whatever pantheon.

Like a canvas painted in sound, this is destined to be a masterpiece.

I can’t think of a single reason you shouldn’t have this in your music collection. Can you?

Godhunter/Secrets of the Sky – GH/0ST:S – Split

Both Godhunter and Secrets of the Sky are from the US. This is a split between both bands.

Godhunter are a Stoner/Sludge/Doom Metal band and are releasing this not too long after an extremely enjoyable début album – City of Dust – that’s a highly recommended listen. They open the split with two tracks.

They start with Pursuit/Predator which, after some brief feedback and a sample, has a great opening riff with the vocalist’s voice sounding even deeper than usual. For a while he alternates between these deeper growls and his “normal” voice. Although the song is quite different it reminds of the vocals in Pantera’s Slaughtered which alternate between deeper and not-so-deep in similar ways.

The vocals overall strike me as a bit more aggressive than their norm, as if they’ve developed more bite to their attack. The song is an enjoyable groove and riff-fest that’s nicely heavy and plugs a gap. It ends atmospherically with acoustics and feeling.

The second song GH/0ST:S is longer in length at almost 11 minutes. This track is a bit different and is somewhat of a revelation as it sees the band experimenting with their sound a bit. It’s lighter, more expansive and features ethereal female vocals crooning softly over the mournful music. It’s a perfectly judged atmospheric slow-burner and works wonderfully.

The difference between the first and second tracks is marked and shows a band who are willing to try new things and are capable of pulling them off.

Secrets of the Sky’s début album – To Sail Black Waters – came out last year and like Godhunter’s this was also extremely enjoyable and highly recommended. Secrets of the Sky play Progressive Doom/Post-Metal and they contribute the final two songs to this split.

Their first song here is named The Star. It begins slowly and inexorably builds until it’s as heavy as a really heavy thing with a thunderous growl to accompany the slow moving riffs. Serrated screams follow before the song sinks into lighter territories once more. It’s a great example of Secrets of the Sky’s understanding of the build/release mechanics of Post-Metal and this knowledge is applied here masterfully. And heavily.

The second song is titled GH/0ST:S II and is a companion piece to Godhunter’s GH/0ST:S. This is a similar slow-burner that’s atmospheric in a jaw-dropping way; the core music is pure class, but the added strings/effects are just hair-raising. It fades out early and the remainder of the track is a sample.

This wraps up what is a very successful split for both of these quality bands.

I would strongly urge you to listen to this split release. It’s an excellent showcase for two state-of-the-art bands that deserve more exposure.

https://soundcloud.com/earsplit/godhunter-pursuit-predator

https://soundcloud.com/earsplit/secrets-of-the-sky-the-star/s-xYSet

Secrets of the Sky – To Sail Black Waters (Review)

This is US band Secrets of the Sky’s début album.

Secrets of the Sky play interesting Progressive Doom/Post-Metal that has a good dollup of Post-Black Metal/Blackened Doom mixed in as well. So many sub-genre labels! As you’ve probably gathered they have a fair bit going on.

The band have a firm grasp of dynamics and of the heavy/light aspects of their sound, and although the songs are of a good length, they also raise the tempo when they need to.

A very sturdy production allows the instruments to sound very solid. Everything is played proficiently and the songwriting makes the most of this.

The music is a pleasing blend of the above, already diverse, sub-genres. Doom riffs, Post-Metal meanderings, Blackened melodics and sound-walls all contribute to the feel of a very colossal album. Extra instrumentation/effects enhance the tracks on occasion adding to an already rich palette.

Largely, the band are are both heavy and dark. Wisely, however, they juxtapose this against lighter, acoustic sections, more hopeful refrains and moments of brighter atmosphere amidst the murk.

Vocally the singer grunts and screams his way over the towering guitars and iron-cast drumming. It’s not until the second song Decline that clean vocals are used for the first time; these are expertly delivered and raise the bar extremely high.

This is a highly accomplished album, all the more impressive for being their first. Highly recommended; whatever secrets the sky holds is obviously serving them well. Seek this out and learn from them.

Favourite Track: Decline. A masterwork in emotive expression and dynamic melodics.