It's all coming up Deadspace.
Come November 15th, Deadspace will drop their second full-length record, 'The Liquid Sky', and I am literally counting down the days until it's finally released unto our miserable world. Yet this Perth black metal outfit isn't remaining quiet just because a new full-length is soon to rise on their blackened horizons, oh no. As over this past AFL Grand Final weekend (FUCK YES RICHMOND), the five-piece co-released a split album, entitled 'Reaching For Silence'.
The split - shared with American black metal band, Happy Days, with both bands offering up five new songs each - was mixed and mastered by Nishanker Raghavan with all vocals being recorded by Tristan Sturmer at Sumo Sound Studios; the very same producer that worked tirelessly with Deadspace for 'The Liquid Sky'. 'Reaching For Silence' is the first release where this Western Australian outfit supposedly haven't written songs that follow one singular theme or concept; each track here acting as their own individual pieces carrying their own separate meanings. Which I think really shows, as each of Deadspace's five-song contribution to this split are more or less separate from one another.
A song like the damn solid opener 'Glass Houses' is just pure, classic Deadspace in tone, tempo, instrumentation, sonic scope and intent (one that I love deeply no less), whereas 'Phantom Limb' - still in-keeping with their dire melancholic mood - is just a solo piano piece for four and a half minutes. Yet a track like 'Flesh To Chew, Teeth To Swallow' (which features guest vocals from Mares Rafalaeda of Rise of Avernus') has a far greater emphasis on Chris Gebauer's clean singing, and it's gorgeous violin section at the mid-point, among other moments, show that Deadspace could very well be heading in a more dynamic, more melodic, more musically interesting direction. Hinting that they want to be more than just a mere depressive/atmospheric black metal band. Yet it doesn't sound like they'll be losing any of their epic layers nor their wonderfully bleak tone in the process and in full disclosure, as an ever-growing fan of this band, I'm so very happy with that new finely struck balance.
'Epilogue' displays way more post-rock tendencies (especially with those layered guitar riffs and melodies) and a larger chorus-driven sense than ever before, with the closest thing that this band have ever come to having a genuine melodic hook. Closing out Deadspace's side of this new split, we have the eerie slow-burner of 'Nostalgia, Like A Plague, She Rapes Me To Sleep' (Jesus Christ, what a song title). It's a near-nine-minute long callback to an older song of the same name, one that the band have revisted here to freshen right up - all with some help from their mate Sam Dishington of Départe on guest vocals - and is a track that sums up where this band have previously been in terms of their sound and where they're going.
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Look, it's a good release all up. Not perfect, but worth a listen and more than deserving of its $8 AUD price-tag. As for the Happy Days side, it isn't bad per say, I'm just rather ambivalent towards that portion of 'Reaching For Silence'. Because quite frankly, Deadspace wrote the better, more emotionally engaging songs of the two. Simple as that.
Personally, while I do quite like this split, I do prefer the cohesiveness and journey that Deadspace's stellar 'Gravity' EP delivered last year. But I have a very good feeling that I'll have my ever-growing itch satisfyingly scratched again. Well, actually, that's a lie: I know deep down that Deadspace's new record will indeed deliver, all because of the song teaser's heard in their latest studio diary. Seriously, I've rewatched this clip a few times now just to desperately hear new music from 'The Liquid Sky'.
From the pre-pro AKA "getting our shit together" stage, through to actually tracking the instruments and vocals, to a guest appearance by a cute little doggo by the name of Milly; this studio diary - filmed by DarKSpiritPhotography - is an effective little hype-builder for what is building up to be Deadspace's strongest work . I mean, this teaser (found below) features some immense but amazing sounding new material from their upcoming record. And that's all I need right now to get me pumped up before this shit lands.
Thankfully, the budget for this forthcoming full-length also seems to be much higher than their recent Happy Days split - the production does leave some things to be desired in terms of recording quality and mix balance - allowing these new songs and their production to fully shine. Which is what depressive, melodically-tinged atmospheric black metal music such as Deadspace's, really needs for maximum impact.
Bring on November 15th. Bring on 'The Liquid Sky'.
On Friday, October 6th, Deadspace will be opening up for Septillion and Wardaemonic at the Capitol in Perth. Find the Facebook event and all info here. 'The Liquid Sky' is out November 15th through Talheim Records.
