By Lee Newman
Here we have split LP from two bands that could be described as “post-metal” – that dizzying genre hybrid that lies somewhere between crust, post-rock and doom. Seattle’s Bréag Naofa and San Francisco’s Monuments Collapse both prove themselves to be heavyweights of the genre on this split, which showcases just how heavy and how incredibly contemplative and radiant this kind of music can be.
Post-metal is a genre firmly rooted in the earth. Monuments Collapse take this to heart on their side of the split. After a chiming intro reminiscent of sunsets and quiet dusks, “Starvation” comes out swinging. Their riffs sound like throwing yourself to the ground and digging your fingernails desperately through wet dirt. Singer/guitarist’s Stephen Lee Clark’s anguished wails rattle from deep in his diaphragm over full, stately guitars. “Starvation” ends with sweet, harmonic noise pollution and aimless, distressed screaming, and finally, a single chant – madness and peace and solitude all at once. “Pathos” has a fragile intro that twinkles softly over hardened drums, which betray the violence to come. The track gains stream and eventually roars into a guitar assault like a gale-force wind, with brave major-key shifts that swing skyward before dropping you back into the maelstrom. It’s an emotional wallop of a track, and the sturdy guitar work provides a steel backbone for it all.
Bréag Naofa, on the other hand, have a more delicate touch. While both bands are all about atmosphere, with thick, shimmering delay and reverb throughout, Bréag Naofa maintain a sort of gentleness in even their most intense moments. Each track on their side clocks in at over ten minutes, making them feel like suites than individual songs. “VII” starts with ritual drums and droning under a repetitive riff that functions as a meditation, even as it is swallowed up by substantial walls of guitar. The track sprawls open into proggy, chuggy goodness. Unlike Monuments Collapse, Bréag Naofa’s side feels more like surveying a decimated landscape after a storm than being sucked into one. It doesn’t attack quite as angrily, but it is definitely still devastating.
Once again, the key word here is stately – these are all proud tracks, robust and powerful. They are resolutely planted in the ground, but rise towards extreme heights. Check it at Halo of Flies (and might I recommend the rad oxblood vinyl?).
http://www.halooffliesrecords.com/label-releases/halo64-monuments-collapse-breag-naofa-split-lp/
