Artist: Reliquia
Title: In Theory And Practice
Type: Album
Label: Digital / Matriarch Records
My attention was drawn to this firstly because Matriarch are aanother of those small but very knowledgeably curated labels so they are always worth investigating. And having had a brief listen of the opener I took a chance and snagged a cassette.
I am so glad that I did.
In my youth I did love a good bit of goth (Sisters Of Mercy, Fields Of The Nephilim, Bauhaus, a bit of Clan Of Xymox…) and also early Paradise Lost. Odd offshoots of doomy stylings like Jack Frost and the utterly glorious Babylon Whores brand of death rock also still return to my playlist regularly. And then there was the first two Monumentum albums, but we’ll save that for later.
‘Caesar, Bejewelled’ has a slow and doomy beginning, a billowing dry ice and white light moment and the clean, deep and resonant vocals slide us into the goth. The production is superb here I must say, bringing out the thick, rich melody to perfection. The vocals turn harsh and a a definitely streak of Paradise Lost DNA enters but even better the guitar lines do not ape those classic lines. They have a strangely more doom metal touch, a beautiful flowing stream of sound. It is, I admit, a little bit of a time machine I travel on, back ta strong bassline. To times noted above but it is also fresh, full of an honest need to play this music. Some terrific drumming and a little bit here and there to allow the bass to shine and its a surprising and sumptuous beginning.
‘Temple Terrace’ flots in on an eerie sound and the clean vocals croon softly. The music is curious, almost hesitant but as the vocals rise, their expressive manner and the balance between delicacy and low end power of the music waft memories of the second, unique album by Monumentun; Ad Nauseum. No higher praise than to conjure that from my soul (hunt it down if its unknown.) But then the song simply lifts into something like a gate opening and shadows surge out. It subsides into quiet once more but you are now on edge, waiting for that opening and shadows and power hurtle towards you.
‘Crestfallen’ is a cold and quiet evening, an empty house. Space where there should be none suffused with loss somehow. It is a fine scene setter, a Gothic rock marinade that has fire and doom metal ignited within it. Moments of passion lashing out. Katatonia around Viva Emptiness with Paradise Lost howling their pain.
‘Bone And Shale’ has a more Fields Of The Nephilim feel around The Nephilim period in the music. That loose rhythmic approach of dusty bootsteps in musical form, the moments of snarling then deep clean vocals, the ebb and flow from quiet to aggression all weave around it. The vocal versatility is so good on this but the band layer everything so perfectly in the guitar lines and the riff and that drumming. Magic.
An interlude of slow waves of eerie, awe provoking music. Echoing, vast and distant yet gathering leaves us with ‘Give’, perhaps the most Paradise Lost influence opening to it but the vocals with the up front bass push it so much further into that goth trembles on the edge of breaking down and the refrain is what might had been heard if Jack Frost had been a goth band. It is strangely rousing too, a moment of finding those last reserves of energy and letting it all out. It is spine tingling music, a brilliant closer to a remarkable debut.
By only the second song, it was clear Reliquia had not just an incredible grasp of the darker melodies but their sense of moving between quiet and hairs on the neck raising power and emotional delivery was frankly incredible. No I kid you not. It has been years since I have heard anything quite like this. Oh they wear their influences proudly, no doubt, but what they have crafted with debut album is still their own identity and that identity is gorgeous and even better promises so much more to come.
Doomy, gothic, raw with emotion and beautifully arranged. I absolutely adore this.
Gizmo
