Everything combines exactly that: the light and the dark, the sated and the sterile, and the lush and the barren. From optimistic opener 'Forever Never Fails' to the mercurial closer 'Rain', the shifting complex of dimensions and textures is consistent and – better – consistently remarkable, the vast expanses, the flourishing landscapes, and wave upon gentle wave of dynamics and textures unfolding with an insistent motion and a somehow unhurried urgency. Though not an instrumental album, Everything's employment of vocals has more of a sonic than lyrical or poetic effect. In, for example, the 'Absence Of Contrast', the black metal shrieks appear to have a form, the almost audible lyrics bring cohesiveness to the confusion depicted in the opening two tracks where they add a dimension of torture, of suffering and anguish, of something that craves more than an escape, but of something wanting. In 'I am the Veil', the black metal shrieks take more of a back seat as the clean, almost monotone vocals undulate and contrast with the understated presence of menace that permeates the track. In terms of guitar, there are passionately strummed lines, wispy melodies and arpeggios of 70s' prog rock splendour. The bass and drum work is understated yet forceful and prominent enough in the mix to carry the emotional weight of the album as a whole. The keyboards and piano are light and airy and contrast with the dark back ground and reinforce the light atmospheres that drift through the ethereal dimensions.
If you were to remove the shrieking vocals, what would remain would be an album of instrumentals that are optimistic, maybe blindly so, but the dark elements of the music bring not just an opposing and pessimistic dimension, but open up the tracks to further depth and dimension. There does come a point when the album runs aground and what initially distinguished it makes it, paradoxically, indistinguishable from itself. The repetition of structures and the constant coordination of the dark and the light make for little variation between songs. That said, the unquestionably fine musicianship, the complex and ambitious nature of the beast, and the juxtaposition of disparate sounds makes Everything, taken as a whole, an impressive piece. Multi-faceted, Everything touches on a multitude of musical aspects and styles that are beautifully blended.
Track Listing:
- Forever Never Fails
- Formlessness
- Absence Of Contrast
- We All Fall
- Nothing/Everything
- Her Dress As A Poem, Her Death As The Night
- I Am The Veil
- Cold Spring
- Rain
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