Garden of Worm: Idle Stones

Svart Records has been putting out strong albums lately and this one is no exception. In some ways, Garden of Worm plays music that is slightly outside of the sound I'm used to hearing from that label, but I'm glad to see this talented band find such a good home. This band has been around for quite a while and has released albums on various labels. I'm not sure what the future holds for them, but it would be nice if these guys could stick with a permanent home. I'm also hoping this album will give potential fans a good introduction to the band and what these guys are capable of playing. So far, each release has taken the band in slightly different directions; I'm not talking about radical reinventions, just more and more attempts to combine improvisational materials within a general doom metal structure.

The sound of this album often places psychedelic warmth over the coldness of doom. Some of the tracks maintain a modest sense of doom metal's structure, the music generally moves way beyond those elements, turning, instead, to psychedelic rock played with lots and lots of swagger. The overall album is quite strong, but the tracks are not short. Some listeners will want to take their time with this album. This is late-night music, but not the kind for a crowded club, the kind where patrons aren't paying attention. Instead, this is the music you hear in a jam session, the kind where the music develops over the long haul and people only care about one thing: keeping it going as long as it stays interesting.

Not everything is improvised, of course. The music maintains a general sense of structure and of purpose. There are also several vocal passages, some of which even express some pretty trippy ideas and images. The point of the music, though, is to create opportunities to see where musical structures, including things like verses and choruses, give way to other possibilities. For the most part, these spaces lend themselves to extended solos, many of which are played with a wah-wah pedal. At other times, new rhythms or chord changes may add variety to things. Overall, the music effectively carries the listener along a weird and windy kaleidoscope of musical ideas. Fortunately, it's a good ride; remember, though, it's not a fast ride, nor is it a doomy ride. You won't want to bang your head or raise your fist. Instead, you'll want to close your eyes, listen to the music, and see where the music takes you.

Track Listing:
1. Fleeting are the Days of Man
2. Summer's Isle
3. Desertshore
4. The Sleeper including Being is More Than Life

Added: May 30th 2015
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Label Page
Hits: 1902
Language: english

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