Review Summary: drown me out
Naaeta’s debut album comes with one simple statement: “I made this album using only synths. No guitars”. While it sure does sound like
Casting Spells With Shattered Dreams employs at least sixty fuzzed-out guitars to craft its soundscapes, the fact that it is pure synth witchcraft instead is the only easily distinguishable and describable property of the record. Fine, one could reduce the music to its delightful fusion of genres - shoegaze, black metal, doom metal, and so on - but it wouldn’t do the nature of the
beast justice, for better or for worse.
Casting Spells… truly is a beast. Clocking in at well over an hour, the extensive runtime works both for and against the record’s qualities. On the one hand, it’s clear that Naaeta’s intent is to overwhelm. Every wave of sound, every tortured scream, every heavenly synth sparkle: not a single moment fails to engulf. On the other hand, the album, as wistful and ethereal as it may be, requires explicit commitment and can feel like a bit of a drag at times. While its tracklist contains songs ranging from 55 seconds to thirteen minutes,
Casting Spells… feels like one long continuous endeavour. Highlights largely come in the shape of brief moments that are immediately drowned in another overwhelming rush of reverb. Rather than repeating melodies, Naaeta persistently opts for replacing each moment of beauty with the next: a practice that is as occasionally frustrating as it is a testament to the musician’s craft.
As such,
Casting Spells… is as satisfying as you want it to be. Even though the record’s flaws might be more obvious than its accomplishments, the continuous and highly entrancing wall of shimmering sound is capable of drowning out doubts in the minds of those who allow it to. Only synths. No guitars.
