Tides Within - Worship
Back in 2005 I covered volatile Manhattanites Agnosis and their brand of teeth-rattling sludge in a previous edition of this column. Always a tightly-wound entity, Agnosis split due to creative differences shortly thereafter, the bitter psychosis they tapped into finally overwhelming the unit as a whole. Flashing forward to 2007, Agnosis bass guitar torturer Andrew Jude Riotto dropped me a line and informed me of a new project he was creating. This project, Tides Within, has finally unleashed its debut album Worship, and the end results couldn't be further from the nihilism and mud-caked misanthropy of Agnosis.
If recordings titled with such uplifting monikers as Zero or Hecate are to be of indication, Agnosis made their mark on the underground with a brand of sludge that was particularly hate-filled and confrontational. Brutal, frightening, sickened, and decayed, the music that Agnosis put forth owed much more to bands like Eyehategod and Buzz*Oven rather than the influences the music of Tides Within conjures up in my mind. The reasoning for this could not be made clearer; if Agnosis was a violent pressing of sour grapes, Tides Within marks a shift to hope amidst the catharsis of fine wine. The two styles could not be more divided, and it is clear that all the tension Agnosis built up had to lead into some kind of emotional cleansing.
Worship is that cleansing. It isn't sludge, and it isn't angry. It owes less to Eyehategod and more to bands like Pelican, ISIS, and Boris. If the lyrics of Agnosis were fairly direct in their fireballs of rage, Tides Within maintains a Zen-like calm that is both obtuse and aloof. Because of this, Worship maintains a much higher cerebral density than the work its members were previously known for, as most of them have played in some incarnation of Agnosis. At first, this transition is a jarring listen. Later on, the desires, hopes, and dreams conveyed by this inspirational and relieving music will come to be a sort of medicinal experience; warm, soothing, and deep, this is immensely satisfying stuff.
One wouldn't necessarily know this thanks to the cryptic opener that is "Between the Mirrors." A massive rumble of churning, fuzzy distortion, "Mirrors" froths and drones at the same time while frontman/guitarist Jeff Well mumbles and whispers darkly esoteric prose in the background. Just when you start to get a bit annoyed by all the secrecy of it, the buzzing segues flawlessly into "Transform" and all sins are forgiven.
"Transform" has the kind of memorable, slow-build introduction that millions of other bands would kill for, especially in the psychedelic/atmospheric sludge genre, where straightforward song structure is already difficult to come by. The rhythm section is hypnotic and enthralling, the kind that holds listeners under its sway with an ease so effortless as to be magical. The delicate, humming wails are beautiful, melancholy, and poignant all at once, while the raspy shrieks provide a bit more extremity. Eventually the song morphs into a thickened barrage of riffs and caustic howls ala earlier ISIS, an effect that they are particularly adept at. Echoes of Pink Floyd now reverberate, a swirling vortex of trippy chords manifesting themselves amidst all the brilliantly glowing chaos. In case the point isn't clear yet, this is one helluva opening cut for a debut CD.
"Depths" thankfully keeps this forward momentum rolling along. Stoic yet hazy guitar tones ooze out of one's speakers before slowly building themselves up into a Pelican-worthy trudge through radiant sunsets and awe-inspiring Paradise vistas. There is a sort of somber, frightening joy to this music few other bands can match. With a strength in purpose, the song muscles you through twisting passages and winding labyrinths, billowing crests and swells of ambient sonic crush rising up only to buffet you back down again. Just when the song has fooled listeners into thinking the rosy, instrumental bliss on offer is all there is, flickers of blackened twilight begin to lash out from the guitars as do some frightening howls. The song next breaks down into a maelstrom of poignant noise, slowly roiling down into a soft boil of restrained intensity. Crisp and smooth, "Depths" is one of the best musical compositions of this length I've heard thus far this year.
"And You Were Revealed" totally turns this convention on its head, lasting a mere four minutes after tons of doom-length songs. A crystalline drone wafts out of the Earth as shimmering tremolo-picked melodies weave in-and-out of the mix. Let's just say this song says much without ever saying any physical words aloud.
"Longing" is my favorite track on the entire album, as it has a really unique feel to it. A YOB worthy intro leads into quiet and moody singing mixed with the plodding, mesmerizing doom. This softly crushing approach soon kicks into yet another ISIS worthy trampling, and is one of the most cathartic moments of the album. Draped in realistic and gripping emotion, "Longing" conveys just that exact feeling in every note struck. The song's extended plummet into the deepest caverns of extreme doom provides a surprisingly fist-pumping, headbang, and overall this cut showcases the best of Tides Within's overall identity.
The chaotic "All is Light" lacks this surprising cohesion, and ends the disc with a whimper rather than a bang. There's nothing blatantly wrong with it, but the choice to end the motion thematically with nearly fourteen minutes of meandering feedback and distortion was perhaps not the best one. Every bit as Sunn-O))) as it is Minsk, there is some melody amidst the entire droning ambience, but only if one looks hard enough.
Worship marks a complete rebirth for the Agnosis guys, and should I ever be fortunate enough to hear new material from Tides Within, note that I will be reviewing it as a wholly separate entity. If one is looking for top-notch, inspirational doom that spans the gap between stone-shattering lows and soaring, ethereal highs, one need look no farther than this. Tides Within is a hungry young band with tons of potential amidst all the empyreal hymns and quantum mantras of this CD. Four stars, and quite worthy of Worship indeed.
Tides Within's Worship
1. Between the Mirrors
2. Transform
3. Depths
4. And You Were Revealed
5. Longing
6. All is Light
Rating:
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