Idol of Fear’s musical allegiances are tough to pin down. While Dave’s shrieking tremolo guitar melodies and Austin’s crystal-clear vocals rest on a black metal foundation, Trespasser is less guitar-centric than most black metal. In particular, Idol of Fear relies on keys and string synths to create an ominous atmosphere (“Angel Dust,” “Cheirotonia,” “Trespasser”), recalling the occultness of Behemoth’s The Satanist despite vast musical differences. At the same time, Trespasser borrows from sludge and post-metal, slowing down to a crawl while still sounding claustrophobic (“Phantom,” “Trespasser,” “Alone with You”). Fittingly, the drum performance on Trespasser is my favorite of 2022 outside of Cult of Luna. Star drummer Doug treats his kit as a lead instrument, and alternates among taking center stage (“The Flayed Horizon,” “Angel Dust”), driving climaxes (“What You Came to Find,” “Trespasser,” “Cheirotonia”), and establishing a pounding background presence (“In the Cold Light of Dawn,” “Alone with You”). The songs on Trespasser maintain some structure with verses and choruses, allowing the record to feel digestible despite its eerie ambience.
Idol of Fear isn’t exactly the first band to make sinister black metal. What differentiates Trespasser is that it actually gets under my skin. Parts of the album moved me to the verge of tears repeatedly, using mesmerizing guitar melodies and simple synth backing to sound terrifying and haunting (“Cheirotonia,” “What You Came to Find”). This is aided by Idol of Fear’s expertise at constructing cohesive songs. Like an elite post-metal band, Idol of Fear excels at crafting smooth transitions using clever repetition (like the drum line in “Angel Dust” and the beautiful guitar variations of “In the Cold Light”), incorporating jarring transitions for effect (like the second chorus of “The Flayed Horizon”), and layering instruments into overwhelming climaxes (“Angel Dust,” “Trespasser”). Of course, an album can’t be impactful without being memorable. Thankfully, the choruses and melodies throughout Trespasser are headbangable as shit and have been ringing in my ears for weeks, despite how harrowing they feel.
Trespasser isn’t perfect, but many of its bugs turn out to be features upon closer inspection. The doomy sections are not very immediate and seem sluggish and bloated on early listens. But these tracks grew on me over several playthroughs, contributing to the evil gloom of the record. Still, Trespasser would be tighter if Idol of Fear cut down their synth intros, as these dull sections (including the gratuitous closer “Endless”) make up over seven of the record’s 45 minutes. Trespasser also suffers from questionable mix decisions, with the guitars falling into the backdrop on tracks like “The Flayed Horizon” and “What You Came to Find” while the double-bass drums and vocals stand in front. This does admittedly have the benefit of making the album feel more dynamic, with the opener, in particular, sounding like rhythmic spoken word due to its unique mix. However, Trespasser would hit harder if it reserved a more prominent place for its fainter guitar melodies and for Kalei’s bass lines, which add a stellar but only slightly audible layer of depth (“Trespasser,” “In the Cold Light”).
The biggest surprise isn’t merely that Trespasser is great, but that it’s within striking distance of excellence. Despite its flaws, Trespasser is a highlight of 2022, and is the only album that’s torn me away from the new Sylvaine. While Trespasser isn’t rainbows and butterflies, it hooked me on my first listen, and left me even more enthralled and moved after dozens of spins. I like to think I’m a harsh enough reviewer, with an average score of 2.86 (including an unpublished dud). This review might endanger my employment indentured servitude with AMG LLC. But Trespasser is one of the greatest dark-horse records I’ve heard in years, and I have no regrets in awarding it my inaugural 4.0. If you’re one of Idol of Fear’s 118 Spotify listeners, I’m impressed. If not, get on board.1
Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Somnolence Productions
Websites: idoloffear.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/idoloffear
Releases Worldwide: March 11th, 2022
