Belfast four-piece Doom-Stoner band Gravity Well will release their latest “Negative Space” offering on Friday, Feb 23rd, a six-track slice of hefty, melancholic filth showcasing the band’s evolution in 2024.
The album’s opener ‘As Above’ lures you into a false sense of security as to what direction Gravity Well will take you with this latest release, a 3-minute 14-second instrumental sets the scene for what is to follow. ‘The Abstract’ with its teasing drums hits you right in the face, long drawn-out chords ringing out build up the tension before the thick riffage slams you right in the chest. The heft-driven riffage and monstrous backline drive home the droning melody that flows throughout the track, you can imagine the weight of it live in a small sweaty venue, maybe Voodoo, Belfast, when Gravity Well support the mighty 1000MODS on April 9th alongside fellow Doomsters Elder Druid.
‘Delerium’ takes off where ‘Abstract’ left off, thumping basslines, gnarly guitar tones, cutting fuzz-laden leads that draw you in before Fionnuala’s vocals cut through the mix. Her soaring vocals lift the heft giving it more of an ethereal feel, the track constantly pummelling you as it builds to a crescendo. ‘Burning Gaze’ hits you right from the off, the gnarly guitar work and the descending vocal lead immediately grab your attention before it lifts and takes the track elsewhere, the spaces left in the track also add to the ambient quality that the band add’s, not always trying to fill every space with a myriad of notes allowing for the song to breathe, it’s a great tool to allow your songs to build tension, draw the listener in and Gravity Well use it to good effect.
The penultimate track ‘The Forest’ draws you in once again with its droning and pulsating rhythm, gnawing at you throughout, like a sonic earworm gnashing on your brain. The behemoth-sounding guitars lasing down on you over and over again leaving you battered and bruised. All of this leads up to the culmination of the album in ‘So Below’ a play on words from the album’s opening track title and its closer, clearly by the band’s sonic signature they are HUGE Yngwie Malmsteen fans, right? Let’s find out …
Apparently not, ‘So Below’ is a slow burner, 6 minutes long you are 2 plus minutes in as it swells to a crescendo, pulling you in every step of the way before Gravity Well unleash unholy hell on you. An instrumental for all intents much like the album’s opener but with Fionnuala’s eery vocals adding a further element to the overall feel. A fitting close to a heavy-hitting album, one for fans of the genre for sure and for those already familiar with the band a celebration of their return.
Don’t miss these Gravity Well at Voodoo, Belfast, April 9th with Elder Druid supporting the mighty 1000MODS it will be a perfect way to gorge yourself on these fine delicacies!
Negative Space lands this Friday, Feb 23rd via all purveyors of fine music.
