And second-album curses be damned, Godthrymm threw the doom gauntlet down again. Just as opener “As Titans” begins its ascent with a soaring twin guitar melody reminiscent of classic Pallbearer, Glencross and bassist Bob Crolla go into Riff Mode a few minutes later, crushing you flatter than a smashburger. Glencross’ vocals, a key component to Reflections’ success, have only grown more weathered, stronger, and better in those three years, howling, lamenting, and yearning over a hefty backdrop. Joining him in this go-’round is his wife, keyboardist Catherine Glencross, who paints an airy, ethereal contrast to Hamish’s pained howls.
That contrast helps elevate Distortions over a lot of its contemporaries, and that includes its impressive predecessor. Closer “Pictures Remain,” featuring Catherine as the sole vocalist, wraps the album up with a blanket of solace, with a soaring, mournful solo to carry it to completion. Elsewhere, her verse vocals in “Obsess and Regress” add a sense of elegance in contrast to Hamish’s mournful cries in both the chorus and the closing few minutes of the song, making the whole track one of the album’s standouts. Speaking of, “Devils,” easily one of the heaviest songs in not only Distortion’s listing but also in Godthrymm’s repertoire, will cave you in with hefty riffs, catchy vocal melodies, and some of Taylor-Steels’ best drumming to date. There’s even a guest appearance by My Dying Bride’s Aaron Stainthorpe on “Follow Me,” giving a cool nod to the band’s past while also being a damn good song in its own right.
Distortion also sees a better production than Reflections, with Taylor-Steels’ drums sounding massive yet crystal clear. Crolla’s bass is so thick, chunky, and driving that you can’t help but feel his playing. Finally, both Glencrosses sound fantastic both instrumentally and vocally. Yet, all of it retains all the heavy that one needs and craves in great doom metal. If there was a nitpick, and it is a nitpick, I would give the final tracklist a little shuffle. Distortion feels a little front-loaded, with the two heaviest, most unrelenting traditional doom tracks (that would be “As Titans” and “Devils”) opening the album, and the two most beautiful and somber songs (“Follow Me” and “Pictures Remain”) closing it. As I said, a nitpick, and nothing more.
As anyone who loves great-quality doom can tell you, the more miserable and heavy the doom album, the happier the listener. If you know, you know, right? Distortions is miserable, heavy, and downtrodden when it needs to be, but there’s also now a tinge of hopefulness not present before, and that little sparkle of hope can make all the difference. Distortions is not only a fantastic follow-up to Reflections, but a solid beast of an album that’s going to sit in many a doom aficionado’s collection. Then again, with a pedigree consisting of time in My Dying Bride, Solstice, Anathema, and Vallenfyre, I would expect nothing less.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Profound Lore Records
Websites: godthrymmdoom.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/godthrymm
Release Dates: EU: 2023.08.18 | NA: 08.25.2023
