It still strikes me when someone mentions they read one of my reviews, hey Mum! It’s even more wild that a band suggested me as one of a couple of writers at Echoes and Dust who may enjoy their music. In the case of Flesh Of The Stars their assessment was correct and their fifth album The Glass Garden is a bleakly uplifting affair which covers a few flavours of doom with a superb drumming display and five quality songs spanning 50 minutes and I did really enjoy it.
The tone of the album is a bit more on the sombre side but it’s equally rich and warm. The opening two tracks give a bit of a Warning/40 Watt Sun sound but the guitars aren’t given as long to hang on each note yet the vocal performance is just as stunning. With its narrative creating a southwestern ghost story the vocal melodies are a significant instrument in the album’s makeup. With its diversity it becomes a tough album to pin to a genre as even though ‘Terraforms’ and ‘Overworld’ mix up the slowcore and distorted doom, ‘After The Dream’ seems like it is trying to pull the pace down before joining the two in that gloriously warm glow of distorted doom and rousing vocal lines. Even within its own structures everything keeps on moving but at a very laid back pace.
There are certainly hints of bluesy doom in here too with vibes of Messa flowing through the opening tracks. With those hints other flavours are also added as ‘After The Dream’ mixes some Pink Floyd through synthetic beats and keys. Closer ‘Unseen’ melts perfectly to the laid back feel with a beginning of acoustic guitar and breathy vocals before crunching into the heaviest distorted doom on the album. The controlled pace and warm recording allow these transitions to flow as majestically as the mighty Rio Grande does over varying terrain.
One of the great highlights is the drumming of Sam Corman Penzel on opener ‘Terraforms’ where the drums actually take centre stage in a tremendous display. Added to that is a delicious ever present atmosphere which emphasises the brilliantly executed song writing and storytelling. For bands aspiring to go the DIY route Flesh Of The Stars shows a great example of how to go about it from releasing music and the hard work of getting themselves heard, it really does help their cause that its musical talents are exceptional and The Glass Garden is one of my favourite melodic doom albums of the last few years.
