23rd December 2022

Review: “Dragged Back to the Waking World” by Gloomweaver

Self describing as a “Misery infused Deathcore from the South Coast of the UK” are Gloomweaver, a quintet who have trodden the rotten boards with Vulvodynia, Pintglass and Beyond Extinction to name but a few since September 2021. Choosing to play live before committing to tape, their debut EP “Dragged Back to the Waking World” was released just over a year later, co-produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by Russell Plowman at Soundbyte Studios (Icarus Falls, Love Malison, Shallow Honey) with additional guitars recorded by Mike Simon. Having witnessed them in the live arena recently, they come armed for the apocalypse with twin seven string guitars and a five string bass in full effect…

…make no mistake, Gloomweaver are so much more than simply a Deathcore unit, infusing elements of Blackened Deathcore, Death and even Doom Metal in the sound they’ve honed at the grindstone of life. The record opens with the pulverising “Worm Tongue“, a cut with Metallic Hardcore roots that has moments of Knocked Loose styling to it and a couple of short yet creepy solos. A powerhouse that sets the tone, it’s one of those cuts whereby the title of the track is the name of a person being brought to rights by the brutally barked vocals. The sheer groove of “Council of Wyrms” is a pit starter, the contrast of the shriller backing vocals against the blunt force of the main ones giving another dimension to the bands sound and working incredibly well in throat shredding harmony. Taking a more direct lyrical approach “No Solace” punches like a prize fighter, the aim of the game clearly to make fast, furious and harsh material that is well suited to the live arena with a slightly more stripped back approach than the band are capable. That’s not to say they’re sacrificing substance for style. The atmospherics are dialled up a notch for “Sermon“, which has a heart of darkness wrapped in swirling icy cold winds of torment. The breakdowns are punishing, the transitions tight and there is an intelligence to the lyrics with socially and politically aware qualities that you might not expect from a beast of this powerful nature. A case in point is “Proselytists“, a term which refers to someone attempting to convert peoples religious or political beliefs that is illegal in some countries. Tribal drum fills that sound like they belong on a Sepultura track light the way, the juggernaut of sound hitting in waves of midtempo chugs, the bassline bleeding out of the bandages triumphantly in 90’s Hardcore style. All in all, a mighty fine debut that lays the foundations for may spine juddering, skull crushing moments to come [7/10]

Track Listing