Often I stream albums for review during my day job. It’s a great way to kill two birds with one stone and makes the work day much more enjoyable. However this album gave me pause. Spellbinder does not work well with the exciting world of Excel Spreadsheets.
That’s not a dig in the slightest. Gyrdleah’s long awaited debut album is meant to be savored and digested with minimal distractions. The band was formed in the UK back in 2005 and took until just this year to release what is considered their “debut” album. While the group did manage to release an EP back in 2011, this is their first full length.
Grydleah perfectly deliver plenty of Black Metal staples with their sound from the low-fi production, eerie treble and savage shrieks. Most of the album has a slow and somber feel as the songs lurch and lumber from track to track. The band includes a good amount of clean vocals in their attack. While many extreme metal fans balk at even the mention of clean vocals, Grydleah make great use of them. Often their tracks are darker even more bleak with them.
Another reason why it was difficult to work and review this album was that it took a few spins for the sound to sink in. There is a lot going on here as the music often easily goes from savage to somber and vice versa. There is a lot to unpack here. The more you listen, the more you pick up the next time.
Opening track, “Stab the Lamb,” starts with a crawl and soon sees the band at their fastest towards the middle of the song.It is also the perfect song to open to as it gives you an idea of what is in store. All in all, if you are looking for some depressive black doom that dosen’t get old after several spins, be sure to check this one out!