I want more doom! And that’s a good thing.
Old World New Wave is the new full length release from Ides of Gemini since their 2012 Constantinople and considering it took them about two years to produce the new record I took an entire day to fully adsorb it! The outcome is that I really want more doom in my life. Ides of Gemini are a trio coming from the streets of Los Angeles and composed by the lead singer and bassist Sera Timms (of Black Math Horseman), drummer and backing singer Kelly Johnston, and guitarist J. Bennett.
Musically the band is known for its dark, “dream doom”, as their sound is mainly described. In practice they produce a very rich, compelling sound of their own and finding a proper common tag could be difficult. I think I have a good idea though: imagine a Saturday evening and it’s a little cold outside. You decide to go for a walk and, whatever it is that made you decide to go for that walk, that’s what the album sounds like. Old World New Wave becomes more rewarding with multiple listens, as there are several things you might miss on the first time around. People who like metal/doom music will enjoy it and, at the same time, people who find themselves more on the alternative-rock and shoegaze end of the spectrum will have something to enjoy as well.
Those of you who have followed Ides of Gemini since their 2011 debut EP The Disruption Writ will recognize their musical style. Their music suggests wide open spaces and you’ll easily find yourself traveling in those vast landscapes. The point is that you won’t be free to run away because these songs will follow you. The arrangements are notable and I do appreciate the minimalistic drumming and backing vocals. As the band declared “the album was sequenced with vinyl in mind, so the ‘old world’ songs are on side one and the ‘new wave’ songs are on side two”.
A standout track from Old World New Wave is “The Adversary” and it comes from the ‘new wave’ side of the album. With this track Ides of Gemini create a curtain of sound with the guitars acting as a lure to reel the listener in, and then it hooks you with the drums and female vocals. It’s a great track and definitely my favorite from the 10 movements that compose the album.
“Black Door” opens up the album with a pursuing rhythm that won’t abandon you. The guitar riffs become sort of psychedelic groove and the vocals fill in the space between the other instruments.”‘Black Door” slowly builds in tenseness before dissolving into the following song “The Chalice & The Blade” that follows the same path of the opening track, but in a slower manner. At the end of these tracks you will recognize that you have been on a sonic journey.
The tone remains more or less the same through the first four songs and it changes with “May 22, 1453” that is heavier and darker and has an amazing military drumming. This song has a stoner groove that commands you to close your eyes and sway to the sound. Its really good. “Fememorde” and “Valediction” have the same tonal palette: there are dynamic shifts, but the tone remains the same and it requires careful listening to be fully appreciated. In general the song structures are highly uniform across the whole album. The closing “Scimitar” brings something different; this song is slightly more upbeat. It’s a sort of an orgy of instrumentation covered by the glistening vocals.
Ides of Gemini succeed with Old World New Wave, the album is an enjoyable dream-doom filled sonic journey from start to finish.
Old World New Wave will be released on CD and digitally via Neurot Recordings and on vinyl via SIGE Records on 15th September.
Rating: 4/5