EVEN AS THE LIGHT GROWS

Death, Desperation, Light, Sabotage

This debut release from New Zealand-based post-rock collective quintet (on this release anyhow) The Dark Third drills down mournfully, deeply, into dark caverns, suffocating bleakness, overwhelming seas of despair. Only very occasionally is the light shining, and it's never clear if the love so dearly needed and so strongly sought, is real or fantasy or...?

A Blend of Washes of Sound and Silence

We hear walls of chaos, crashing chords, brooding piano, wistful and dreamy vocals sometimes chanting sometimes singing dirges.

We traverse wide and various emotional terrains with few breaks for hope or transcendence. Whatever light does penetrate into these terrains can be readily sabotaged and ruined. There appears to be no safe harbor.

The Dreams of Lesser Men

The lengthiest and most developed track opens the album with a crash, that gives way to gentle guitar and piano. It builds with chiming guitar lines and dreamy vocals speaking of sleep, dreams, longing, doubting, and ultimately death.

The music builds slowly, changes in subtle shifts of feel and tempo. There is mournful elegance as the claustrophobic sense of being trapped develops. Then, lush piano chords in slow cadence brings in heavy guitar in slow and deliberate sequence.

These Things Are Not Inherent

Portentous piano with skittery, nervous drumming beneath leads to chanting vocals singing dirges. The protagonist is trapped, longing for release, yet terrified of it.

The bittersweet, push/pull, trust/doubt dichotomies propel the track back to piano lines, leading to heavy guitar pounding. Wait- is that a sliver of light? Of hope? Maybe, but it is easily undermined.

The rumbling, rasping bass guitar leads into the next track.

Erewhon

I'm told there is a Samual Butler novel by this name- "nowhere" spelled backwards (with a couple letters rearranged).

Here we get moody, dark, chiming guitar chords leading to changes in tempo, growing, becoming harder-driving post-rock. It becomes intense, and the lyrics emphasize the bursts of light, of hope, of belonging, of home.

It grows in passion and intensity, then begins to subside, and a single held note ushers in...

The Regressor

Dark, moody, drugged/dreamy vocals open the track that give way to single guitar and vocals. Drums tapping nervously enter and clean, picked guitar chords. Vocals are deliberate, using octaves, singing of the overwhelming sea, frayed rope, drowning souls, submerging/suffocating, rising to the surface only to submerge again...

Heavy band play leads to the most extended instrumental section using powerful guitar chords and droning lead lines. The percussive and heavy piano lines add definition and depth. Drums are busy and the repetitive riffs build into a wall of chaos and spooky sounds that reminded me of a nightmare death or birth canal experience.

Waking

The closing track gives way to what sounds like down-tuned, somber solo acoustic guitar and vocals.

There MIGHT be hope, a new resolve as day breaks. There MIGHT be freshness and courage and a sense of purpose and resolve...

Punchy guitar chords enter, only to subside to echoes, and distorted guitar feedback slowly fading...into silence.

In Conclusion

This is a strong example of post-rock with some other influences that become apparent. It's never terribly hurried, rarely showy, always building and changing and developing.

Just be prepared for a lot of mournful, wistful, desperation along the path.

For me, this is a four star release.

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