Doubtsower – Nothing Reduced To Everything
Doubtsower – Nothing Reduced To Everything
Self-Released
Release Date: 03/05/2024
Running Time: 63:14
Review by Richard Oliver
7/10
Doubtsower is the solo project of Cardiff based musician Matt Strangis who is also the bass player for doom metal stalwarts Pantheïst. Doubtsower is his project and one in which he performs all music and vocals with “Nothing Reduced To Everything” being the third album from the project following “Asphyxiation Of A Seasick Soul” in 2021 and “The Endless Shower Of Despicable Power” in 2022.
Doubtsower is some bleak music for bleak times holding a mirror up to the worst that humanity can be (which to be fair isn’t difficult at the moment with the current state of our world). It is a lengthy, experimental and discordant album that mixes a lot of different sounds together from Black Metal to Doom Metal to Sludge Metal to Noise Rock all gift wrapped together in layers of utter hopelessness and despondency. A lot of these songs are long and sprawling pieces which shift and flow in a very experimental sounding nature such as ‘Liars, Cheers, All’ and ‘The Burnt Witch Of Civilised Behaviour’ where the focus is very much on the atmosphere rather than the song having a set structure. There are a couple of songs which do have a more standard song structure to them and focus more on the doom side of things such as ‘Exhausting Demands Of Decency’ and personal favourite ‘Collective SIgh’. The music is utterly desolate throughout and the mood is further exacerbated by the vocals which are hate filled growls. The vocals don’t dominate the album and make sporadic appearances but really add to the dismal mood of the album.
As said previously this is the pure solo effort of Matt with all music and vocals performed by him and also recorded and mixed DIY style. The album sounds absolutely fantastic with a vast and crushing sound thanks to an excellent mastering job by Greg Chandler. This is not an album to listen to when you are in a cheery mood as it has a wholly foreboding atmosphere to it. At just over 63 minutes it is quite a challenging listen and its experimental nature means it is an album that demands your attention. I did find my attention wandering at times but there were moments which always dragged my attention back to the album. If you are in a bad mood and want a suitably grim soundtrack to match then Doubtsower are that perfect soundtrack.
TRACKLISTING:
01. Trampled Ideals Sold Cut-Price
02. Liars, Cheers, All
03. Nothing Reduced To Everything
04. Collective Sigh
05. Exhausted Demands Of Decency
06. The Burnt Witch Of Civilised Behaviour
LINE-UP:
Matt Strangis – Everything
LINKS:
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