Duncan Evans and The Weeping Starlight – The World Is A War Zone
Duncan Evans and The Weeping Starlight – The World Is A War Zone
Self – Released
Release Date: 18.09.26
Review by Dark Juan
Score: 8/10
Now, I like Duncan Evans – his work with Wilderness Hymnal a few years ago (“Until Liars Fear You”) was absolutely jaw-dropping in its complexity, and the enjoyment factor was sky-high. This is why I have chosen to review his latest work.
I am Dark Juan. I write about music, and I spend quite a lot of time wondering just what the fuck I am doing with myself. I mean, not may people fall into a career by accident, do they? Especially one that is a diametrical opposite to writing about dark and extreme music. However, there are times when we decide to put aside existential questions and just bloody well get on with something. Then you place an offering upon the curiously quiescent Platter of Splatter ™, this being “The World Is A War Zone” by Duncan Evans and The Weeping Starlight, and the music forces you to be fucking introspective all over again.
Thaaaaanks, gentlemen.
Full disclosure here – I know I write for Ever-Metal.com, but this is not a Metal album; however, those of you who tend to the emotional and the Gothic are likely to find my words of some interest, and Dark Juan does not fucking believe in labelling anything, particularly. I mean, I’m not just a Metal fan. Metal isn’t even my favourite form of music, but it has been a part of my life for forty years. In case you’re wondering, Industrial music is my jam, but Metal is a joint second with Goth. Secondly, I don’t give a fucking monkey’s cuss what anyone thinks, and I am going to write about what I enjoy, so deal with it.
Duncan Evans and The Weeping Starlight is a three-piece band that takes their influences from Post-Punk, Drone and Folk. An eclectic mix, to be sure, but thankfully the band have all the chops and can carry it off effortlessly – ‘Loss’ is equal parts Gerry Rafferty, Swans and Waterglass, overlaid by a vocal that tears at the heartstrings – Evans is able to emote powerfully when he sings, lending the song an aesthetic that smacks of travelling troubadours telling tales in taverns. The title track is supposed to be the keystone of the album, but Dark Juan disagrees mightily. ‘Loss’ is the focal point of this record, a slow, hiraeth-drenched song that is tear-streaked, lonely and languid, yet there’s still a spark of hope within it. It is a masterpiece, and this all-too-human vibe continues on ‘Sierra Delta’ (I’m pretty sure that Duncan and the band are NOT recounting the tales of the Strontium Dogs from 2000AD) which strongly blends in electric Folk music on the guitar solo. This song is worryingly intimate, so raw that blood is oozing from abrasions and hovering on the edge of total emotional collapse. It’s visceral in a way that doesn’t require massive amounts of distortion and roaring. It is the gentle, not-quite-defeated sorrow that comes when you have just got over a major emotional shock and you’re putting yourself back together.
Yes, this is music for people who like to experience emotion. This is not normally a thing that Dark Juan dwells on too much because there are many things he has suppressed over the decades and opening that Pandora’s box would not be beneficial to bystanders or my enemies. I bear grudges for decades, you see. Far too much of my time has been spent evolving increasingly baroque revenge schemes for perceived wrongs. Damn you, Duncan Evans and The Weeping Starlight, for unleashing that can of worms again with your excellent and emotive music.
Bastards.
The power of the band lies in the naked emotion that the vocals and lyrics display. There’s no hiding, anywhere at all, on this album from the sorrow, the sadness, the glimmers of extinguished hope and the endless striving for completeness that is a part of all of us. The music is wonderfully arranged and artfully performed as well – subtlety and sublimity are the order of the day here – there is no need to shout, bawl and scream. ‘Deathless’ is about as heavy as this album gets from a musical point of view, with a massive chorus that lifts the spirit, underpinned by softly chiming guitars and a languid pace.
Dark Juan likes this album a lot – it has massively progressive elements (unusual time signatures abound – 6/8 and 7/4 time and 5/4 time all feature in parts on the album) as well as a very strong Gothic bent in arrangement and aural imagery and many of the songs recount the experiences of Duncan Evans himself (‘Deathless’ itself records a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder and the effects of that), a surprisingly keen ear for melody and melancholia and a deeply affecting overall aura that runs cleanly throughout the album. If you like the darker aspects of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, the melancholy of Swans and the slow-build dynamics of Chapterhouse and Slowdive then Dark Juan feels that you will find much to enjoy on “The World Is A War Zone”. If you are expecting massive Metal riffs and screaming, you’ll be sorely disappointed, but this is not a demerit.
The Patented Dark Juan Blood Splat Rating System awards Duncan Evans and The Weeping Starlight 8/10. The usual rule of marks being deducted for this not being a Metal record has been applied, but this is a record that Dark Juan will be playing for many years to come because it is a long player that just keeps on giving on every listen. There is always something new to discover…
Track list:
The Starlight Weeps
The Path
The World Is A Warzone
Loss
Sierra Delta
Waiting For Rain
Deathless
River Of Milk
Suffer
LINE-UP:
Duncan Evans – vocals, guitars, synths, software instruments
Ol Jessop – bass guitar
Kev Reid – drums
LINKS:
https://www.duncanevans-music.co.uk/
https://duncan-evans.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/duncanevansmusic
https://www.instagram.com/duncanevansmusic
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Dark Juan and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities
