Poland has some of the more experimental and interesting metal and rock out there but dig a little deeper and you’ll find a lot of shared musicians between some of these projects. This makes the discovery of each new band exciting, and that was the case with Drowned in Silver. While the group has chosen not to openly divulge their identities, the promo text for their debut Mothers suggests things tie back to a number of the black metal and more experimental leaning bands from the past decade or so. But whatever the case may be, Mothers is an entirely different beast that covers a lot of ground in a very methodical and haunting fashion. Spanning genres like post rock, doom, post punk, and even dark folk, this isn’t always the easiest listen due to the unexpected flourishes of extremity but it’s one that will stick with those who give it time to shine.
“The Living Gardens” is one of the most effective openers I’ve heard this year, as it draws you in with sparse instrumentation that builds methodically to a crashing peak that’s both dense in weight and atmosphere. The build-up utilizes stretched out guitar melodies alongside the duclar (clarinet adjacent instrument) and saxophone, creating a soundscape that feels like darker post and psychedelic rock fused with a scarier take on jazz. Once things hit their peak, the drums crash with a considerable amount of force and the sound has a bit more of a doom feel to it, though Drowned in Silver always retains that thin line between metal and rock. As you make your way through the remaining four songs, the writing continues to shift, sometimes incorporating more dark folk that has a cadence similar to bands like Wardruna, while other moments bring in more of a post punk rhythm and tone. Yet the way the instrumentation builds and re-builds makes it hard to pin down into those buckets, and the atmosphere often goes for something a bit drearier and haunting. It’s the type of album that requires focus to really appreciate the details that pop out during some of the softest moments as well as dig through the layers during the peaks but doing so reveals some genuinely stunning moments. Sometimes the way the songs unfold give off a feel like Furia circa Nocel, but there are also elements that reminded me a lot of Death in June’s The World That Summer.
There’s plenty to the instrumentals that will draw in fans of post rock/metal and darker psychedelic rock, but the vocal performances are what will determine if they stick around or not. “The Living Gardens” is an intense opener in this regard, both thematically if you pay attention to the lyrics and through the performances. Initially things come in the form of more somber spoken word but transforms into a yelled pitch as the build-up continues. But as things reach their peak, the vocals shift over to something so abrasive and intense that it’s jarring the first time you hear it. Stylistically it’s like a post rock/metal climax but with the vocals of Khanate or Bethlehem and given the subject matter of the song it makes for an unsettling but effective approach. None of the other tracks attempt this same level of extremity, instead opting for airier singing and yelled/sung passages that stand tall above the rest of the band. Sometimes the pitch comes closer to more recent Sólstafir, which gives you an idea of just how much of an outlier “The Living Gardens” is from the rest of the album. Yet I can appreciate that initial barrier to entry serving as a very emotive introduction to the band, as it works to Drowned in Silver’s advantage that the other material explores additional textures and more melody rather than keeping the extremity the entire time.
Drowned in Silver has put together an incredible debut that goes from unsettling to haunting depending on the song, using everything from post punk to dark folk and doom to create tension. It’s not the easiest of listens at certain points, but the textures and wide range of vocal performances alone should draw in those that like the more experimental and boundary pushing sides of rock and metal. If any of the above paragraphs have made this album sound intriguing do check it out, as it’ll likely leave a lasting impression on you. Mothers is available from Pagan Records.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg