Dublin based Wreck of the Hesperus seem to be in no short supply of foulness in their dank dwellings, allowing them to follow up their debut album
The Sunken Threshold with another three track dirge of filthiness.
Light Rotting Out does not stray far from the band's original template of lumbering funeral doom with touches of black metal, but that is in no way a complaint.
The record opens with 'Kill Monument' and immediately sets the scene with the band's stop-start method of execution, bass-heavy, almost sludge-esque riffing and frenetic drumwork. There is a coating of grime and dirt all over Wreck of the Hesperus' music, the throaty shrieks not inhibiting this facet of atmosphere whatsoever. All of the elements herein unite to form a very aesthetically unpleasant experience, set inside the bounds of a well-structured and compositionally innovative funeral doom template.
Rather than falling into the trappings of the genre's stagnant and shapeless melodrama, Wreck of the Hesperus continue to explore well established themes with a different musical perspective. This does not sound like any typical funeral doom album, it's no where near death/doom or sludge doom and it certainly does not bear any resemblance to the horrid black/doom hybrids that crop up every now and then. Welsh group Ghast perhaps share some common elements with Wreck of the Hesperus, mainly in the tasteful inclusion of black metal tenets, but the similarities are not significant enough to continue speculation.
The Sunken Threshold achieved what it was trying to do, and with
Light Rotting Out Wreck of the Hesperus manage to deliver more of the same goodness without overusing their style. It simply builds upon the debut's foundation, creating a stronger atmosphere and pulling the listener further in. The record has so far gone quite unnoticed (much like the debut), but fans of doom metal in general would do well to allow Wreck of the Hesperus into their listening space.
