Review Summary: comfort to those who miss SubRosa while serving up its own brand of post-metal greatness
As one of the groups formed in the aftermath of what I am now calling the Great SubRosa Schism of 2019, The Otolith shares many commonalities with the members’ old band. A similar pool of doomy post-metal tropes is utilized, emphasizing drawn-out song structures with sludgy riffage that shapes oceanic vibes, glacial rhythms, atmospheric strings, and dual vocals that mix ritualistic cleans with periodic harsh shouts. However, Folium Limina has enough going on to set The Otolith apart as a distinct entity.
Despite those atmospheric elements playing major roles in shaping this album, The Otolith’s execution feels noticeably more forward than SubRosa’s. A song like the opening “Sing No Coda” certainly isn’t fast by any means, but its slow burn carries a sense of urgency with the guitars feeling especially thick, the rhythm having an underlying hustle, and the violins and vocals expressing tension. The harsher vocals also seem more prominent, still playing a supplementary role on select songs but reinforcing the heavy trudges on “Andromeda’s Wing” and the closing “Dispirit.”
It certainly helps that the songwriting manages to stay coherent throughout. The song structures aren’t catchy in the traditional sense and there isn’t exactly a lot of variation at hand. However, the riffs and vocals have an ear-catching quality, and the fluctuations always show a clear way forward without coming off as too predictable or slapdash. It’s easy to get lost in the wistful sway of “Hubris” and the chugging climax on “Bone Dust” is effective, even if using Chaplin’s Great Dictator speech as a sample can feel a little played out at this point.
Overall, The Otolith’s debut album will be comfort to those who miss SubRosa while serving up its own brand of post-metal greatness. Its more aggressive approach to navel-gazing feels more along the lines of what a band like Cult of Luna or Yob would do compared to their previous outfit. It can be a lot to take in, but its hour runtime doesn’t wear out its welcome. The back half might’ve benefitted from a little more variety, but every track is ultimately a successful colossus of influences. This is an excellent start and with so many paths to explore, one can imagine that The Otolith has inherited their predecessor’s spirit of adventure.
