We Are Among Storms

The I In We

Written by: PP on 29/05/2021 00:53:50

Among so many other things, one of the greatest qualities of The Psyke Project was their ability to capture the freezing misery of Scandinavian winters into an expressive, brooding yet picturesque soundscape of cold, metallic fury, accentuated by post-metal inspired atmospheric passages, best exemplified on "Dead Storm" back in 2009. Once they went on indefinite hiatus, vocalist Martin Nielskov formed Église together with Lukas Frederiksen, Lars Mårtensson, and Mathias Tehvik Ernst, but they were largely focused on being as loud and abrasive as possible, landing closer towards the chaotic origins of their early days than the brilliant atmospherics of their later output.

And here's where We Are Among Storms and their debut album "The I In We" comes into the picture. Mårtensson is out, but otherwise, it is the same lineup as Église, yet stylistically they've re-invented themselves entirely to fill the void left behind by The Psyke Project. In fact, you could go as far as dubbing "The I In We" the spiritual successor to "Guillotine", given the thick, desperation-laden brawl of a scream by Nielskov that spreads far and wide in their far-reaching soundscape.

Instrumentally, we're deep in the post-metal world, with wavy, ambient soundscapes painting a similarly cold, Nordic landscape as TPP did through brilliant use of atmospheric melodies contrasted by crushing distortion. Together with Nielskov's razor-sharp, distressed howls, the expression is one of pure melancholia and anguish, capturing equal parts windy, dark, rainy October evenings as it does the blue-sky, frozen waters of February. Like beautiful paintings, the record is captivating from first listen on, leaving its listener dazzled at the brilliant instrumental prowess as all pieces, including the vocals, just work together seamlessly. It's the kind of record destined to be criminally underrated here in its year of release, but will ultimately be remembered as a modern classic. A true gem in the making within the Danish scene.

Download: The Wind Beneath, Bølger, Clouds And Compass, The I In We
For the fans of: The Psyke Project, LLNN, Eglise, Møl, Zao
Listen: Facebook

Release date 26.02.2021
Over The Under Records

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