On this unmissable spire of a sophomore full-length West Yorkshire, England-based epic doom metal quartet Godthrymm land a great distance from where they’d began five years ago, having eased from their ambitiously nostalgic classicist nerve for the sake of a most present and engaging lucidity today. ‘Distortions‘ angles in differently with death-thickened soil and charging heavy metal spiritus set aside wherein what is left in their blood-catching basin is a deeper contemplative form of doom with a fitting voice to follows its siphon. Though the experience acts as a siren which’d call back to the darkest points of isolation felt these last few years these folks’ve pulled the curtains back a bit, built-in some breathing room in order to illuminate the leaps and bounds made in the years since we’d last heard from them while emphasizing the dread still hanging in the air.

Godthrymm formed circa 2017 by way of vocalist/guitarist Hamish Glencross who is best known for his contributions (as guitarist) to ’99-’14 My Dying Bride, Vallenfyre and (per my own fandom) Solstice‘s legendary ‘New Dark Age‘. Since he’d been joined by drummer Shaun Taylor-Steels, also a former member of Solstice and My Dying Bride of the same era, it’d felt entirely natural that their work together in the larger quartet formed early on reflected those two imposing realities permitted by 90’s British doom metal, a merger of the romanticist edge of melodic death/doom metal proper with traditional heavy/doom metal of the ‘epic’ variety. I can recall vividly what a beautiful thing it was to witness this on their debut mLP (‘A Grand Reclamation‘, 2018) which’d had a bit of a heavy metal sword hoisted at the ready when I’d reviewed it upon release. Soon attached to Profound Lore and readied with a second full-length sooner than expected ‘Reflections‘ (2020) was unfortunately released a month before the global pandemic contorted time and reality for so many, or, at least in my case it took a while to finally look back and admire how well it’d delivered upon the initial promise of the band’s first mLP even if the mix was a bit relentless in its thick, dark black heft. The curtains pulled shut and all horrors ensued the world over.

Godthrymm‘d proven all was possible, that ‘epic’ heavy/doom metal could soldier in between the gaunt-eyed heave of melodic death/doom metal and find a meaningfully woven effect overall. The question was perhaps whether or not being so thoroughly everything in such clustered even created momentum which was as emotional, or, evocative as it could be. It’d certainly lived up to the potential of their years but today a very much changed roster, which now includes the aether-set voice and keyboards of Catherine Glencross and a new bassist, typically referred to as a sasquatch achieves a different level of expressivity with that same potential; While I’d loved the band’s debut LP at the time, and continued to warm to it even more per the years in between, those events appear set far off in the past as the freshly grown roots of ‘Distortions‘ offer more than a “part two” (well, it is the second part of a proposed trilogy but…) by way of a prismatic level of change. This new yet adjacently set angle emphasizes a different register from Glencross‘ vocals which now better direct the more spacious and emotionally dredged pieces throughout, sourcing points of light and breath which’ll likely make up for their step away from the extremes of death/doom and the fantasy of traditional heavy/doom metal. Additionally the inclusion of Mrs. Glencross‘ vocals alongside a less (early) Paradise Lost-pressed pacing finds this album steeped in a few gloriously dripping levels of British gothic doom metal excess but, perhaps not in the rose-crumbling, dreary n’ dated sense one’d expect.

Electrifying to start, numbing solemnity to finish. — It isn’t just the vocals which transform the mood of ‘Distortions‘ to its believably forlorn poignancy but an observable patience for the release of ideas, points of craft which reveal in steadier flow when compared to the flood to the prior LP. This fundamentally changes the way the album presents itself on a song-by-song basis, losing the density of melodic death/doom metal and the ruckus of ‘epic’ doom metal (to some degree) for the sake of a decidedly more modern doom metal sound or, of a different timbre. This sensation should be immediate for returning fandom as the ~11.5 minute rise-and-fall of opener “As Titans” serves as dramatic introduction to this new realm of higher fidelity, deeper layers delivered at a slow-to-mid pace. While I’d initially missed the nigh Arthurian charge of songs like “The Grand Reclamation” past this tone is appropriately more emotive and still leans into pure doom metal territory without needing prop swords to sell the mood, instead offering an equally strong narrative which realizes the most impressive thread on the album within its first ~6 or so minutes before the second half begins to eulogize. To start “As Titans” was already its own hook, a considerable hill to re-climb and fixate upon but there’re many more to get to here on this ~61 minute record.

“Devils“, the second single and perhaps the biggest assurance than Godthrymm have fundamentally changed, a bigger burst from the chest than expected at a crucial spot on the running order which showcases attention paid to not only the leading vocal spot but the harmonies produced, the bulldozing main verse riff and its bent into the chorus. That level of depth could’ve been satisfying enough, at that point since they’ve built this beautiful level of bluesy momentum pushing through the song but the extra fleur-de-lis shaped hook which juts into the piece ~4:02 minutes in suddenly sets their work on a bigger stage. At the very least we can recognize the flow of ideas from these folks is still heated, their furnaces aren’t running dry with the concept in the least and if nothing else this particular song proves what they can do condensing down to the profundity of the moment and keeping that momentum humming within entertaining reveals; Not all of ‘Distortions‘ functions with this level of down to the last detail minutiae, at least not with such efficacy that every piece will stick in mind but those major points of potent self-containment outnumber those which flow over the edge. “Echoes” for example simply takes its sweet time warming to its peak, presenting a much easier-going early-to-mid 90’s feeling doom metal piece braced by its cresting ~4:32 minutes in alongside a sweet wah-enhanced lead nearby the end, Side A has all the time in the world to languish in its mood and for this reason it’d probably hit me hardest within repeated listens.

The middle portion of the album is perhaps the farther reaching, or, least focused direction taken of the lot between the almost bounding heavy psych start (and brutal finish) of “Obsess and Regress” and the much more vivid “Unseen and Unheard”. The latter of which takes an interesting turn in feature of verse riffs and runs which recall a certain era of sludge metal, a meatier almost ‘Lifesblood for the Downtrodden‘-esque feeling juxtaposed with flashes of melodic death-adjacent (or, heavy metal eh) reprisal. The combination is curious in its action albeit ear-catching for how different it is beyond the core epic/heavy doom metal thrum of Godthrymm‘s core writ and in this sense it feels like a regression to what ‘A Grand Reclamation‘ was doing in some sense. It all raises a flag that this album is going somewhere, still evolving in ear and moving on from its dramatic entrance yet I’d found myself pining a bit for the miserable state of the first three or so pieces. This is an important part of how the artist sees their reach as ‘complete’ and in that sense I appreciate there being heavier pieces, more ‘epic’ doom metal focused moments as the album unfurls its mile-long flag yet it’d still had to muster up some additional focus before the grand finale hit.

Let the end begin. — The longest piece on the album, “Follow Me”, features the illustrious Aaron Stainthorpe of My Dying Bride for a guest spot which features narration and some harmony from the fellow as far as I’ve gleaned. It certainly isn’t a reprise of “As Titans” and instead presents as easily the most subdued piece on the album. I’d say unnecessarily subdued despite adding to the distraught tone of the second half of the album, the piece simply goes on for about four minutes too long before leading into the equally distant, sombre “Pictures Remains” which exists as a sort of alternate point of exit from the thought. In my mind the final peak of ‘Distortions‘ offers a too quite collapse which would’ve benefitted from choosing either piece as a finale rather than including -both- since they leave a bloated corpse, or, non-directional point of stasis at the end; Pecking at every song, the ability to do so with some separation between each piece at least, should suggest the fidelity of this record is world class enough in its clarity and an improvement upon the thicker slabbing of ‘Reflections‘. Some considerable clarity afforded the bass guitar presence and the overall cut of the rhythm guitars allows the rhythm section to frame the perceived space of the recording into cathedralesque stereo, keys draining from a higher position with drums set a few body lengths aback.

Upon revisiting the full listen of ‘Distortions‘ beyond the twentieth or so strike I’d built up a double-strength preference for the first half of the hourlong feat because of the suggested indeterminate ending, getting a bit of a dial tone as I’d waited for the last act to sink in. Not feeling the last third of a record aiming for deeper emotional connectivity might seem like a deep mark upon my overall takeaway but there is again so much resonance packed into each of Godthrymm‘s works that the onus and point of impact may very well outweigh the spillage of said ambition. I’d so enjoyed getting an entirely different angle of approach from the band this second time around that it’d felt like an entirely new introduction to their work and this feeling of insight, mastery and a bit of a leap forth beyond some manner of actualization was admirable to start. Though I’d ultimately felt parts of the album began to bog down in the excess of their core device, or deviation from it, this didn’t end up marring the overall takeaway too severely as they’ve still ended up with a decidedly modern doom metal record with a distinct classics-minded edge to it. A different thing in many respects but a very high standard sustained nonetheless. A high recommendation.

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