ALBUM REVIEW: Pilgrims On The Path Of No Return – Thy Listless Heart
When you think of doom metal, where does your heart go? For a good portion of people, they’ll think of the fuzzy, riff-filled thunder of BLACK SABBATH or ELECTRIC WIZARD. Others will immediately think of bands like YOB and SUBROSA who balance beauty with brutality, or perhaps the more psychedelic works of ELDER and PALLBEARER. And those are all valid, creditable answers, because nowadays, doom metal encapsulates so many emotions, lifestyles and scenarios that elevate it far beyond the two-dimensional genre it once seemed to be.
Enter THY LISTLESS HEART. A one-man project from Englishman Simon Bibby, who happens to be very well versed in doom. In fact, he’s been creating doom metal since the 1980s, so he knows a thing or two about the evolution of the genre. On his debut album Pilgrims On The Path Of No Return, he puts those learnings and observations to breathtaking use to create a mournful, melodic and crushing journey that encapsulates everything from classic doom through to more folk-inspired slabs of ambience. All of that is translated by the cover art too, which comes courtesy of the since dearly departed master of doom metal artwork, Mariusz Lewandowski. The dreamy yet bleak imagery once again perfectly summarises the record it adorns, much like his work with BELL WITCH on Mirror Reaper, and even LORNA SHORE‘s …And I Return To Nothingness EP.
Opening with As The Light Fades, THY LISTLESS HEART‘s deep pool of influences are already on full display. A two-note bassline underpins a glistening guitar solo that is brimming with hope. It’s a glacial and moving opening passage that soon gives way to Bibby‘s wide-ranging clean vocals. On the one hand, the vox feel at odds with what is essentially a monolithically heavy track. Yet on the other hand, it’s a tantalising and effective mix of all that is doom. And when roared backing vocals come bubbling up from out of the bed, it is done in such a subtle and smart way that it only adds to an already-complete picture.
The Precipice plumbs the more gothic reaches of doom, while Confessions dials up the riffage and pace to create a driving headbanger. Littered throughout are those folk-leaning tracks, with When The Spirit Departs The Body and Aefnian showing THY LISTLESS HEART‘s more ponderous and mystical side. Everything comes to an epic head on closer The Search For Meaning, which is as expansive and interpretive as the title suggests. It’s a 14-minute signature that neatly ties up everything that Pilgrims On The Path Of No Return has offered and presents it as a new modern doom staple.
If you are ever asked to sum up the genre of doom metal in 2022, Pilgrims On The Path Of No Return may be a solid place to start. Aside from the time, care and attention that has clearly been poured into this, Simon Bibby‘s four decades of experience and knowledge are on full display. And while there may effectively be a soundalike for many of these seven tracks, it never feels phoned in or tired. THY LISTLESS HEART have created here a fantastic guide to modern doom, and one that deserves to be heard by anybody with even a passing interest in the genre.
Rating: 9/10
Pilgrims On The Path Of No Return is set for release on November 18th via Hammerheart Records.
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