- Metal meets weightless on this dazzling EP.
- Bliss Signal, Mumdance's new project with WIFE's James Kelly, is described by the two labels releasing it as "metal," though I'm not sure many metalheads would agree. It is, however, loud and intense, the latest iteration of Jack Adams' constant hunger for new sounds. Kelly, meanwhile, is a metal artist who has made inroads into electronic music, releasing on Tri Angle and Left_Blank. Following some hectic live performances, the duo debuts with a supernova of an EP released through True Panther and Profound Lore, a proper metal label with a predilection for electronic experiments.
The EP begins with "Bliss Signal"'s rush of noise, which feels cathartic. Eventually fading out into abstract noise, there's joy in its cymbal crashes and piano melody. Just when you think things have calmed down, "Swarm" launches another sideways rainstorm of sounds. It's abrasive and then quiet, moving into an emotional coda like those in post-rock.
You can hear the seams in the band's patchwork of influences on "Swarm," though they almost disappear on the dazzling "4AM Drift," the EP's most "metal" track. It begins with black metal's trademark tremolo picked riffs, cascading up and down over a fiddly electronic soundscape. (It brings to mind the final album from Kelly's previous band, Altar Of Plagues.) More abstract than the other two tracks, "4AM Drift" is also the best, its combination of styles feeling both immersive and uplifting. It's odd, head-turning music where the rush of a snare roll has the same galvanizing effect as the roar of distorted guitars. This kind of punishment spikes your endorphin levels.
Tracklist01. Bliss Signal
02. Swarm
03. 4AM Drift