Since 2010 Christian Kolf has explored a wide range of abrasive and entrancing soundscapes with Owl, offering material that explores doom, sludge, death metal, and everything in between. It has been interesting to watch how the styles on Owl’s material have deviated from Kolf’s work with Valborg, as the two have shared some similarities but have remained different enough to fully stand on their own. You’re never quite sure what you’re going to get with this group, but crushing intensity and entrancing atmosphere are usually consistent elements no matter where they head and this hold’s true on this year’s Crystal Delirium EP. Comprised of five songs that were originally released as a split with Slovakia’s 0N0 last year, the material has been remastered and given new life as a stand-alone effort. Where Owl’s recent efforts saw them exploring gothic doom and somber atmosphere, Crystal Delirium shakes things up with faster tempos and much harsher soundscapes that still provide the same type of haunting and mesmerizing effects as the band’s previous discography.
Crystal Delirium doesn’t initially let on just how pummeling and abrasive the material will be, as the two-minute opener “Cascades” draws in listeners with melodies that have a softer, haunting tone to them but are overlaid with layers of static that crack and buzz as if to foreshadow the immensity that is still to come. The appropriately titled “Tower” comes crashing in with unrelenting drumming and down-tuned guitar and bass that give off a bit of Meshuggah vibe with the tonality and the way the riffs shift from one moment to the next. Owl hasn’t been a stranger to bottom heavy, powerful arrangements that have a significant amount of weight to them, but the approach here is easily the most abrasive and twisted their sound has been in some time. But as is typical for this group, even during these more front-loaded attacks there are still periods of respite where shimmering textures and haunting melodies are brought into play to tie everything together. The aforementioned “Cascades” and “Gone” give off a dark ambient vibe, with electronics that ebb and flow to create a sense of tension amongst the calmer elements. In the context of the split that these songs were originally a part of, the crushing Meshuggah-like tonality and constant shifting of tempos and harsh and mellow instrumentation makes sense, as it suits 0N0’s approach, but these five tracks are strong enough to stand on their own and bring some new approaches to Owl’s repertoire. It’s also worth noting that long-time drummer Patrick Schroeder isn’t featured on this release and Kolf has instead utilized Tentakel Parkinson, who delivers the same type of unrelenting blasting and power as he did on Omega Infinity’s debut earlier in the year.
2018’s Nights in Distortion had some screaming and harsher vocal ranges, but with its slower, methodical pace and gothic doom type atmosphere there was much more of an emphasis on singing. Crystal Delirium heads in the opposite direction, with Kolf adopting a much harsher scream and singing range that stands tall above the dense instrumental work and gives off a commanding presence. For those who are familiar with some of the aggressive performance he’s given with Valborg throughout their career, that’s a good indication of what to expect here. While you do get some softer singing on the longer tracks they’re additional nuances that flesh things out rather than being a focal point, but this does continue to give Owl’s vocal work a more dynamic feeling than some of the other bands that have gone for this type of dense doom, sludge, and other extreme metal sub-genres.
Year after year Owl has been able to showcase different elements within extreme metal without losing the core foundations that have drawn listeners to their music. On this release they showcase their most jagged and abrasive sound yet, delivering pounding drums and twisting grooves that pull in just as much sludge and Meshuggah chugs alongside the expected death and doom. Yet everything’s layered in a way that you’re likely to discover subtle bursts of melody and shimmering atmosphere hiding underneath that crushing base. It’s another strong showing from a band that’s not content to stay in one direction with each EP or album, and if you missed out on the 0N0 splitlast year this stand-alone release is worth grabbing. Crystal Delirium is available from Total Dissonance Worship and Zeitgeister Music.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg
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