ALBUM REVIEW: Die Close – Blood Vulture
Melodic, gritty, dynamic and engaging. These are just someways to describe the debut album Die Close from Jordan Olds‘ led project BLOOD VULTURE. Encapsulating a story of vampirism and classic goth genre emotive drives of passion, grief and mournful longing. Olds has sought to tap into a wealth of musical inspirations including death metal, grunge and brooding sludgy doom to give the idea life and texture. Adding an additional dimension to the musical storytelling by aligning with masterful visual effects creator Kelly Harris to provide a lush visual story board.
The opening introduces a musical refrain which is revisited again within the album when taken as a whole. Each one offering something different to the overall soundscape and helping to unify the narrative. A set working of introduction, mid-point and crashing crescendo that closes out the record. This sets up an operatic style to the record, dividing the tracks into acts. However, there is nothing grandiose or overblown about it. While the three Die Close parts to offer this option, there are still plenty of moments that can be enjoyed without feeling trapped in a predetermined framework. The Die Close: Overture ushers in the sense of brooding and evocative textural dynamics that are central to the musical story telling but also set the mood perfectly.
Sonically, Die Close is rich with layers and wonderfully crafted melodies. Even without being aware of the storyline lacing throughout the lyrics. It plays out like a musical counterpoint to classic gothic fiction. The delicate lines of vocal harmonies and lead guitar work in An Embrace in The Flood are a flourish of rich detail adorning the bludgeoning riffs and rhythms that pulse like the heart of a monster. This balance is intrinsic from start to finish and every time it is shown in all its glory is where Olds’ songwriting is truly celebrated and the album comes to life.
Tracks like latest single Grey Mourning featuring AFI’s Jade Puget and the Brain Fair collaboration Burn For It showcases the heavyweight majesty of BLOOD VULTURE. The former track delivers crunching guitar riffs that offer a formidable aggressive edge to the proceedings and captures an abrasive aspect of what Olds has created. It’s a raucous headbanger of a track and gives free reign to the guitar work to attack from all angles. Burn For It with SHADOWS FALLS‘ Brian Fair acts in a similar vein. Channelling aggression in both the guitar work backed up by the rhythm section. However, the vocals deliver the foreboding power and elevate the hefty assault.
Elsewhere, melodic power is how the aggression is harnessed and delivered. Entwined, another collaboration this time featuring the superb vocals of Kristin Hayter. While the guitars take care of the lead lines, the operatic stylings elevate the vocals to canorous like levels with a wonderfully beguiling interplay with Olds lead vocal lines.
There are a multitude of highlights to be found within this project. While it is the undeniable brain child of the singular musician, Jordan Olds has embraced the collaborative efforts of others both musically and artistically to evolve BLOOD VULTURE into something more than a singular vision. Heavy in all the right places, rich and expansive where it counts and engagingly melodic. It harnesses key elements of several styles to sound sufficiently fresh but appealing enough to fans of those genres to find something accessible. A truly captivating debut and leaves in its wake, an unquenchable thirst for more.
Rating: 8/10
Die Close is out now via Pure Noise Records.
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