Exploring the borders of post rock and post metal with an intense and emotional release. This might be the most captivating instrumental album of the year so far.
The Metal scene in Gothenburg, Sweden is a vast and a thriving one. Out of this comes a new band with an awesome debut. The band Dimwind was formed in 2019 when two musicians who had been orbiting the same scene in Gothenburg, joined forces. A couple of years later they released this instrumental debut album immersed in the soundscapes of post-rock and post-metal. And sometimes they burst beyond the boundaries of the genre with their heavy guitars, bass licks, dynamic drumming - creating an ambience of emotion, mournfulness and longing. Just the title of the album is enough to get your imagination running. And the melodic, riff-based music it carries lives up to the title´s promise.
The first track ”Blinds Drawn” establishes a diversified sonic landscape. It starts with a gloomy guitar, slow drumming, bass and droplets of sound from a synth that establish a melody. The guitar leads the melody further until the droplets are back in a faster tempo, the rest of the instruments chugging under it. The tempo slows down, slow bass, drums and a mournful guitar in the background before a long and fast crescendo with fast drumming, bass licks, heavy guitar and a high-pitched solo guitar leads us towards the end, ending in the same gloomy heavy sound as it started. A great start for an album.
When the next track,´4 AM´, begins the gloomy guitar is still there, but soon picks up pace while a solo guitar plays melodies in the background. The track establishes the versatility of the band. Shifting tempos, surprising us with shifts between heavy played emotional melodies and high-pitched guitars. The chugging on this track almost leads the music into heavy metal soundscape, before it turns back into the sonic post metal ingredients established in the first track.
Behind the music on the third track ´Slow Wave Deceit´ we can hear a sample of a woman talking about physical self-harm, psychological challenges that almost ended with suicide. It is a heavy topic, and the music confirms the impression of the word she says. The guitar plays a heavy, longing melody and repeat it between staccato parts. The rhythm section holds down a solid groove. Supported by piano chords and layer upon layer of guitars makes this a mournful track, but stretches to the light of hope through the captivating melody.
The heavy and gloomy soundscape in the fourth track, False Awakening, with the bass drums, swirling guitar and bass licks feels like it is reflecting on the theme of the previous track. The melodies played by the guitar has a distinctly mournful sound. We are in for more contemplation in the next track, ´Haglös´ - a Swedish word for listless, drained of energy. With the help of a keyboard they make an almost perfect musical description of the album cover.
The passion of the next song, ´Pelagic Vim´, is carried by the woman talking again, telling how she is feeling better, more positive. All the instruments make a heavy, emotional cinematic comment, with the solo guitar holding on to the captivating melody. The album ends with ´Broken Silver Chord´ that still have the recognizable high-pitched guitar, but the riffs are deeper, more heavy metal than on the previous tracks. In the middle of the track we are in for a tempo shift to give room for heavy and fast bass licks. When the other instruments join again they sweep the music into a swelling crescendo that makes a properly grand finale for this album, and it ends in what sounds like rushes from the sea.
The list of bands Dimwind might be inspired by, sounds like or reference to, could be a long one. There is no need to mention those because Dimwind really has created their own heavy sonic landscape with entrancing melodies, digging a distinct place for themselves in between the genres of post rock and post metal.
