ALBUM REVIEW: Exsolve – Jo Quail
Jo Quail probably scratches her head on a daily basis and wonders how on earth her music career has turned out in such a fashion. Yet, here the cellist is opening concerts up and down the country with little more than her talents, her instrument of choice and a loop pedal to entertain an audience more used to riffs and blastbeats.
It’s hardly a secret that classical music and metal go hand in hand, and she makes it work, captivating everyone she plays to and intending on doing so again when she goes on the road with MYRKUR in a couple of months. This time around though, she’ll be armed with Exsolve, her brand new studio album out on Friday.
Naturally, this is an album with little in the way of vocals, but you can tell a story through more than just words with as much, if not more, detail and meaning. In the case of Exsolve, the trio of songs present are a soundscape into a dark and twisted world that Jo Quail has managed to craft quite expertly. The album begins with Forge of Two Forms, the longest track on the album at just under eighteen minutes. The soft, yet foreboding beginning is the welcoming to proceedings, ever hinting at a sign of things to come but not revealing all secrets. The song builds gradually, incorporating a few choice notes and chords from an electric guitar that adds to the atmosphere but at no point overrides the cello; layers of strings are added as the track progresses and the tempo picks up, creating a symphony of menace in every respect. Eventually, it slows down to just one cello, allowing Quail to showcase her expertise without anything going on around her.
Mandrel Cantus is the shortest track, even then nearly eleven and a half minutes, and is arguably the most upbeat, yet retains the moody feel that encompasses Exsolve. Like its predecessor, there are a few guitar chords here and there, this time providing a more doom-laden vibe that contrasts nicely with the tribal drumming, creating a groove that runs through the song and keeps the listener’s attention. With the cello providing an ethereal, uplifting presence, all three elements swirl in perfect harmony for a real sensory experience, especially when the guitar begins a quiet yet noticeable solo.
Finishing with Causteen’s Wheel, this is the only track to contain any form of vocals, and even then its mainly whispers. There’s a more mournful tone to the cello at the beginning, but once again the track begins to morph and evolve, retaining its methodical, steady pace until the guitars re-surface and the song gathers speed, with soaring voices, the sound of drums and a chaotic assembly of noise bringing a huge and satisfying climax to Exsolve.
Perhaps the best quality about Exsolve, though, is that at no point does it lose attention. Constantly gripping, Exsolve is Jo Quail‘s finest work to date and one that will endear her to metal and classical fans alike. It’s certainly not heavy in the conventional sense, but in terms of atmosphere and feel, it most definitely is.
Rating: 8/10
Exsolve is set for release on November 2nd via self-release.
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