Review Summary: A darker shade than yesterday.
The nostalgic sheen of Dreamwell’s prior works is on fire. It’s as much a maturation process as it is a genuine, newfound fury; the former is felt in the gang’s decreasing reliance on the twinkling emo spirit that shined through
Modern Grotesque, and the latter ravages through at the behest of furious black metal outbursts and metalcore zaniness. Those aren’t the only changes kicking around in the unpredictable interior of third album
In My Saddest Dreams, I Am Beside You, but they are the most noticeable and indicate a willingness to tinker with a heavy-hitting brand of screamo-infused music. The tongue-in-cheek, purposefully-wordy titles of yesteryear remain--it takes a special type of self-awareness to drop a tune like “Lord Have MRSA On My Soul” onto this unsuspecting world--but thematically and lyrically, Dreamwell’s latest LP deserves to be taken seriously.
Though not quite comparable to the rosy-colored scenery of
Modern Grotesque,
In My Saddest Dreams… is characterized by a similarly dreamlike aura that permeates throughout the mix, easing transitions and forging a seamless flow between aggressive endeavors and atmospheric forays. That artful ebb-and-flow leads to Dreamwell’s most cohesive work to date; impressive consistency is maintained throughout winding black metal-infused adventures and pensive, quiet passages decorated by an emotive vocal performance, gentle strumming and cascading melodies. There’s far more taken from the Svalbard playbook--black metal trademarks staged against a shoegaze, metalcore-inspired backdrop--or the likes of State Faultsi than that of Departures in this go-around. Opener “Good Reasons to Freeze to Death'' is a beautiful introduction to this style; lingering post-hardcore and screamo sensibilities intertwine, embodied by shimmering chords that blanket a Midwest-emo-like lead and charismatic vocals, with the resulting atmosphere crafting a wide expanse that a flurry blast beats and jagged riffs eagerly inhabit. It’s equal parts melancholic and fearsome, which heightens the strengths the group already possessed while guiding them towards new avenues.
Of those novel features, Dreamwell’s atmosphere stands out for its now much more foreboding presence. Botch-esque antics and modern blackgaze sensibilities clash amidst an intimidating ambiance befitting depressive, soul-bearing prose, establishing a fierce dynamic that reaps considerable rewards. The unbridled riffing and frantic percussion of “Obelisk of Hands'' accentuates the unsettling silence of “It Will Hurt, and You Won’t Get to Be Surprised,” and when the latter tune begins to amass momentum, the resulting explosion of chaotic guitars feels particularly impactful. Individual cuts demonstrate how this balance functions internally, allowing a progressive methodology to make Dreamwell’s songwriting much more engaging. “It Will Hurt…” contrasts bedlam with spacier sections of gaze-like soundscapes buoyed by bass strumming and distant melodies, while a tune like “I Dream’t of a Room of Clouds'' unravels over a prolonged, epic crescendo. At the behest of intimidating, dark timbres and the reverberating bass, the track evolves, crawling through a crushing slow tempo trek invaded by intermittent instrumental clashes and a wailing saxophone. The variety on display is commendable, and it makes the LP all the more enticing to explore.
There are multiple angles of attack in this diverse environment, and therefore no shortage of thrills. Unadulterated metalcore madness arrives on the straightforward, blistering “Body Fountain,” which has all the fury and instrumental acrobatics of a Chambered song; the U.K. scene’s atmo-black, core-infused direction races onward in “Lord Have MRSA On My Soul,” plowing through with runaway riffs and menacing dissonance, culminating in a gloriously destructive breakdown; and “Reverberations of a Sickly Wound” provides a rare breather, employing only eerie ambiance and distant audio sampling. While most alterations featured here are a net positive, not all of Dreamwell’s changes are executed as planned, be it for poor implementation--”It Will Hurt…” seems to lose the plot in its breakdown-heavy finale, causing its structuring to suffer--or for breaking the album’s cohesion. “All Towers Drawn in the Equatorial Room” has a sturdy foundation courtesy of crunchy, dissonant riffing and a robust rhythm section, but its abrupt stumble into sludge territory seems overdone and grows old quickly. This is to say nothing of a production that, depending on one’s chosen speaker or headphone choice, is sadly hit-or-miss, with the drums especially boxing out the guitars at key moments.
Considering this is a release in the screamo realm or at least adjacent to it, an element of rawness is excusable; it’s inherent to the category and a significant portion of its DNA. What lies underneath any lingering blemishes is enough of a prize; Dreamwell have undeniably bolstered their sonic identity and created an excellent record that perfectly encapsulates their poignant, slightly-self-aware, and perpetually introspective narratives. Rather than leaning on the influences that inspire such lyrics,
In My Saddest Dreams… comes across as a synthesis of those concepts. It can be felt in the incredible conclusion “Rue de Noms”; gritty metalcore, serpentine guitars, and a cyclone of tempo shifts run amok for the 7-minute titan’s duration, slipping in and out of pummeling rhythmic motions and black metal assaults before reaching a wondrous pinnacle. All the motifs of prior tracks are artfully tied together in that moment, cementing the collective’s stylistic upgrade and the journey that the disc’s smooth flow generates. It’s a complete front-to-back experience, and in a relatively quiet period for skramz shenanigans,
In My Saddest Dreams… appears to be a clear frontrunner for the genre’s best in 2023, and it’s undoubtedly one of the year’s more entertaining listens.
