Dwelling Below – Wearisome Guardians (Dimensional Death Doom)

 

Dwelling Below, a heretofore criminally ignored death doom act from the United States, have carved a space for themselves in a genre known primarily for crushing atmosphere, but yet which can often lead to plodding that wearies the listener to the point of disgust. Thus perhaps calling this one Wearisome Guardians was a bad idea? I’m all in for desolate landscapes when I’m feeling it, but too much of that is the wrong kind of existential despair. I want to question existence, not question what I’m listening to. But we have here something much different. I was first aware of this trio when their last one dropped, but I wasn’t a fan of the art, though the sound got my attention, so I passed. I’m glad I waited for further greatness, because their latest does more than evoke mournful longing, this is a composition of the most intricate type, a dimensional being made music.

   

Wearisome Guardians was composed, not written. Understand the difference now before I go further. They’re composers, not musicians, and this critical difference is where this one succeeds. Within a few minutes I noticed the intricate combinations of instruments; much more than the usual decay that death doom presents. We have the core elements expected, but they’re arranged in a way that everything compliments the parts, and nothing draws away from the whole. The themes range from cosmically depressed to sacrificially mutated; a search for meaning within a meaningless world, so to speak. With its haunting guitar solos, riffs that create a desperate sense of urgency, and a heavy atmosphere not simply oppressive, but also introspective, Wearisome Guardians demands your entire thought process to consume it.

 

Dwelling Below Official Bandcamp

Written by Stanley, Devourer of Souls

Dwelling Below – Wearisome Guardians
Transcending Obscurity
Cover Art: Morkh (Alexander Shadrin aka Nether Temple Design)
4.6 / 5