ALBUM REVIEW: No Light Ever – Glacier

The Oxford English Dictionary definition of the word glacier is that of “a large mass of ice, formed by snow on mountains, that moves very slowly down a valley”. Quite apt then that the four colossal tracks that make up No Light Ever, the new album from post metallers GLACIER echo that description perfectly. Over the course of the album, they reveal their gigantic beauty gradually as they unfold slowly toward the listener. In addition, the four monolithic songs on offer here cover wide musical grounds, moving gracefully from crushing walls of guitar to intimate strumming, all the while propelled by monstrous drums and a churning undercurrent of bass.

Opener O World! I Remain Here No Longer sets the tone perfectly as a few delicate, distant chords are strummed before a barrage of meaty guitars thunder in, recalling the epic scale that bands such as SUNN O))) and AMENRA conjure so well. The longest track on offer here at over thirteen minutes, it slowly weaves in and out with quieter, ghostly sections that remain just as powerful as the heavier sections. The track demonstrates just how well GLACIER have mastered creating immersive atmospheres across a vast dynamic range.

The Bugles Blow Fanned By Hysteria begins at a funeral pace, the subtle atmospherics slowly unfurling, delicate guitar flourishes creating an immersive wall of sound that is expansive rather than claustrophobic. For a band capable of creating huge, crushing sounds, this track demonstrates yet again their skill at producing quieter, almost intimate passages of music. Furthermore, the band powerfully utilise silence to create suspense, lulling the listener into a false sense of security before unleashing another barrage of sound. We Glut Our Souls On The Accursed is relatively brief at a mere six minutes and moves along at crawling pace as unsettling cymbal work and eerie guitar motifs echo around, creating an unnerving atmosphere. It may lack the epic scale of the other three tracks but it remains just as ethereal and absorbing.

Closer And We Are Damned Amid Noble Sound is in many ways the heaviest track here, the first five minutes of which is taken up by a rushing wall of sound filled with blackgaze like guitars and unrelenting drums. It is by far the most fast paced section of the album but sadly also its weak point, feeling somewhat out of place and missing the intricacy of what made the preceding three tracks so effective. However, as the track progresses, it does open up and the large, fuzz drenched riffs return as the whole piece climaxes in a cacophony of unrelenting, swirling sound to stunning effect.

With these four monstrous tracks, GLACIER have created a thought provoking and intensely atmospheric album. No Light Ever showcases the band’s magnificent use of dynamics, creating a kaleidoscope of sound and emotion that sets them apart from many of their post metal peers.

Rating: 7/10

No Light Ever is out now via Wolves and Vibrancy Records. 

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