Scarcity
The Promise of Rain


2.0
poor

Review

by InfernalDeity CONTRIBUTOR (40 Reviews)
July 12th, 2024 | 43 replies


Release Date: 07/12/2024 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Weird, and not in a good way.

It's hard to connect the dots when the paper eats your pen. Scarcity's brand of metal doesn't abide by traditional conceptions of melody. In fact, I have always found metal to be similar to comedy from a structural prospective. Comedians set up their jokes with a layer of extreme tension. However, once that tension is released the natural response is laughter. Metal uses a similar method, but instead of laughter the listener experiences cathartic bliss. Scarcity's debut abandoned that concept entirely. In my review of Aveilut, I likened the experience to my own personal struggle with anxiety and hypertension. My breathing would become shallow. My thoughts would slow. Temperature would drop. Speech limited. Until. All. I. Could. Manage. Was. A. Single. Word. That word was fear. Despite my personal discomfort, I gave their debut a pretty high rating. I wouldn't say I found the record enjoyable (at least not in its typical connotation) but I was in awe of their ability to capture those sentiments.

Unfortunately, Scarcity decided to take a different direction for their second release. The Promise of Rain is exceedingly more accessible than Aveilut, and in my opinion, the spell has been broken because of it. The band has chosen to abandon much of the themes that made their debut, well, refreshing. The song structures in the Promise of Rain are generic and rather dull. Nevertheless, I would categorize both releases as jarring, but for different reasons. Aveilut was a shock to the system, whereas The Promise of Rain is just perplexing. The use of gang vocals in Venom & Cadmium is completely unwarranted and pointless. The only elements that Aveilut successfully recycled is their use of repetition to create a trance like atmosphere, but it simply isn't as poignant on this release as it was on their debut. The strongest track on this record is Scorched Vision which introduces some interesting takes on Death-Doom into the mix, but the lack of a common theme ushers this track into the line up of a hodgepodge playlist that will probably be rarely listened to.



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3.4
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Aveilut


Comments:Add a Comment 
GiaNXGX
July 12th 2024


5468 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

Getting heavy Jute Gye / Thorns vibes off this

Hawks
July 13th 2024


93183 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

No way this is a 2 but gonna jam tonight to see for myself lol. Great review as always buddy!

Voivod
Staff Reviewer
July 13th 2024


10916 Comments


Read a raving review about this in a local outlet, as opposed to this one.

http://www.rocking.gr/reviews/album/Scarcity-The-Promise-Of-Rain/12236

Gonna have to listen and see whether album stands somewhere in the middle.

Album stream:
http://scarcity-nyc.bandcamp.com/album/the-promise-of-rain

trilo
July 13th 2024


6580 Comments

Album Rating: 2.5

hit the nail on the head how i feel about aveilut and why this feels so lacking by comparison. really hope this grows because this 3 feels generous rn.

Hawks
July 13th 2024


93183 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

This is incredible. I could see why it may be offputting to some but yeah.....its incredible. Scorched Vision is the best bm song of the year so far.

porcupinetheater
July 13th 2024


11054 Comments


Man we’re dabbling in universal statements today, aren’t we?

Cygnatti
July 13th 2024


36114 Comments


I bet this is awesome

Demon of the Fall
July 13th 2024


35418 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

oh man, what a swing and a miss of a review. I am disappoint

Yeah, this perhaps isn’t the masterpiece Aveilut is, but from my perspective they changed-up their sound in refreshing new ways, while still incorporating many of the elements I liked about Aveilut. I certainly doesn’t feel ‘hodgepodge’ and I’m relieved they didn’t try and replicate such a singular experience

tectactoe
July 13th 2024


7867 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Based Hawks. Album rules. It maintains the band’s overall minimalism/microtonal approach to (black) metal without simply trying to replicate AVEILUT. It’s a totally different experience, but every bit as engrossing.

tectactoe
July 13th 2024


7867 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Rereading the whole thread i just realized i basically echoed Demon’s sentiments.



So, [2].

Hawks
July 13th 2024


93183 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

I actually dig this even more than the debut and that one is amazing too. Band meshes bm, noise, ambient and drone so damn well.



I'm finding this type of experimental bm as well as the raw/lofi stuff are my fav types of bm easily nowadays. Beats the hell out of the 58282828 bands tying to play the same boring and traditional "atmospheric" bm over and over and over and over again.

Pikazilla
July 13th 2024


31129 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

previous one was mid as fuck, but considering hawks rated this one higher, I'll take my chances and give it a shot, too

Hawks
July 13th 2024


93183 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

It is indeed a bit jarring but in a good way. Though idk if you will dig if you don't like the debut but its worth a shot!

theBoneyKing
July 13th 2024


24653 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Stoked to hear this

GiaNXGX
July 13th 2024


5468 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

Band meshes bm, noise



i don’t hear noise on this at all, def microtonal but maybe ur referring to Aveilut. i feel they accomplished a lot here but it’s good not to astray too much into crossover territory (the hardcore-y shouts on venom & cadmium), maybe i’m just hating but it really isn’t easy to execute

Hawks
July 13th 2024


93183 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

I hear lots of noisy bits here, specifically in the first track. Lots going on here for sure.

Demon of the Fall
July 13th 2024


35418 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

I barely hear any crossover territory either, one instance of gang vox does not a crossover make

it’s not really ‘noise’ per se either, but the microtonal elements are kinda noise-adjacent so whatever

calmrose
July 13th 2024


6980 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

first song rules, excited for the rest



also didn't know they expanded and now have Lev from Krallice on drums and Dylan from Pyrrhon as a second guitarist

Hawks
July 13th 2024


93183 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Second track is the best bm song of the year Calm bro.

calmrose
July 13th 2024


6980 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

i'm like 3.5 minutes into it at the moment and it's bonkers good



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