Millicent Waffles
Under Dark Blue Blanket

4.0
excellent

Review

by ExplosiveOranges USER (72 Reviews)
January 21st, 2015 | 26 replies

Release Date: 2014 | Tracklist

Review Summary: The darkness is coming, but it's far less menacing than you may expect.

When I was younger, I’d occasionally go on a night walk during the summertime to vent out my frustrations, or to find some sort of peace in solitude. At first, it seemed to be an ordinary stroll around the neighborhood, and it felt good to get away for a little bit. But as the sky slowly grew darker and darker, and I became progressively wearier, things started happening. I would begin to feel disconnected, almost like a machine that simply wandered around a pitch-black, barren wasteland that at one point seemed so familiar. Every now and then, something would startle me back into reality, like a passing train’s bellowing or two cats fighting and shrieking in the street. Finally, I’d return back home, and wonder how I could’ve spent so much time shambling around in the darkness before I realized how late it was. At the same time, though, the experience felt oddly cathartic, and in a way, it was quite pleasant. Sure, the night may be “dark and full of terrors” according to some, but in spite of all that, I found that walking under the dark blue blanket brought about a spirit of serenity as well.

Under Dark Blue Blanket is that night walk compiled into aural form. Opener “Crossing” sets the tone immediately with an eerily fuzzy violin intro progressing into an almost entirely silent ambient section that resembles, among other things, raindrops falling off of a roof. The somber, distorted guitar outro adds to this effect as well. This provides a nice contrast to the surprisingly soothing and calm keyboard compositions in “Mothington Construct”, as well as those in “Our Iron Hearts”. Perhaps the biggest thing worth noting is the massive departure from Millicent Waffles’ previous LP, Remembrance and Anithus. In their debut, Millicent Waffles focused primarily on raw, experimental black metal. Here, however, the sound is more reflective of ambient and drone music, with almost all of the black metal elements being scrapped entirely. This works greatly in the album’s benefit, as it helps to distinguish the overall sound a little more and make it worth remembering. And while not a single track drops below twelve minutes in length, there’s never any noticeable drag on the album.

But what really makes Under Dark Blue Blanket into such a unique experience is the immersion factor. No matter what atmosphere Millicent Waffles create, there’s always that underlying theme of the night. From the unnerving, almost haunting ambient sections to the mellow synthesizers, it really does feel like walking through a suburban neighborhood on a warm summer evening. It’s ultimately just a stroll down the path you’ve already crossed through countless times in the past, but tonight, it feels just a little bit different.

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