Review Summary: A grave and desolate landscape for you to explore.
An incessant ringing in the ears frequently accompanies hypertension headaches, and this is almost as intolerable as the shortness of breath that follows. A pernicious dread exacerbates the struggle as the anxiety of the ailment brings that sharp ringing to a crescendo that silences all sources of comfort while simultaneously amplifying every conceivable apprehension. This paradox was brilliantly realized in The Dark Knight's entrance theme for the Joker, particularly the infamous motorcycle scene. Likewise, the first track off Aveilut utilizes this sibilant dissonance that creates a foreboding atmosphere that leaves the listener with an unshakeable feeling of dread as if what is about to confront them is insurmountable. The brilliance of Heath Ledger's portrayal was the futility of locking horns with such a character. Zimmerman embodied the nihilism and the impending doom that such a mentality inevitably brings. Scarcity expertly uses the dichotomy of jarring sounds with rhythmic, perhaps even trance-like, drumming to capture the same.
There is a cohesion in this album that plays by a different set of rules. Rather than riffs following tonality, the melodies throughout seem driven entirely by the atmosphere. Consequently, the harshness of the album never descends into complete chaos as a palpable structure is always present. Industrial and Doom elements also appear towards the second leg of the record, which seems to be a tipping of the hat to Blut Aus Nord's, The Work Which Transforms God. Ultimately, this is a strong debut rife with dread, melancholy, and primitivism that is worth your time.
