Review Summary: A darker and more mature take on Damascus's power brand of technical post-rock.
The album artwork for
Heights does a pretty good job of representing just what the album is: a falling into a darker space for the Damascus that brought us the thoughtful-yet-weighty post-rock of 2011's
Of Whom I Always Think. The group are still performing at the top of their game in an album that's filled with groove and compositional grace from the first piano ticklings of opening stand-out "Come to Light." Truly, for their two-years of seclusion (discounting the 2012 remix release
prière d'espoir), the band are no worse for wear, and even show a subtle development in compositional fluidity.
The true shock of
Heights is not in any lacking or longing for previous efforts, but the seeping presence of the dark ambiance hinted at by
prière d'espoir. While
Of Whom I Always Think posited a brighter, energetic soundtrack,
Heights moves on from "Come to Light" to explore the shadows with an ever-present background moaning that shades the sound with an edge-of-your-seat gloom. All of this manages to lay a thin, sludgy glaze on top of highly technical guitar and bass work that bops from fret to fret with a practiced touch that's almost playful within the dark overtones.
As far as SAT-style analogies go,
Heights is to
Of Whom I Always Think as Scale the Summit's
The Collective is to
Carving Desert Canyons. The album displays a darker tone and a maturity that really only time could develop among highly skilled musicians. Through the power of hindsight, it's clearly visible that
Heights is the next best logical step on Damascus's path to post-rock royalty. Hallmark sounds of the group such as the crushing twin rhythms, dancing bass grooves, and restrained yet highly proficient drumming on
Of Whom I Always Think have been nurtured and cultivated on
Heights while its spaced out side (see "Just Another Illustration") comes from the ambiance of
prière d'espoir.
The two can be very different sides of the same coin, yet Damascus do a very strong job of unifying their sound through their 38 minute post-rock release. The flow throughout
Heights is tight from start to finish and challenges post-rock with a technical approach and tone not unheard of in the technical metal world, making the album (and group) lauded stand-outs from the rest of the practiced world of slow-and-steady atmospheric rocking with their oft-uptempo groove.
I will note that
Heights is not the easiest album to digest in a single sitting, though that's a case that should be common to the post-rock aficionado. There are layers of subtle nuance to
Heights that make it the spectacular album that it is, and deconstructing all of them within one session is a chore as difficult as letting the album simply wash over you. Neither is the recommended course of action for this release. Rather, take your time with it. Chew slowly and thoughtfully and enjoy each moment and aspect one at a time. That's how this exquisite brand of post-rock is meant to be tasted.
Album is excellent. I really hope for big things for these guys. They have it coming.
