I haven’t picked up a dark wave record in a long while. The last record that might come close is a Bauhaus collection, and that’s actually a goth record. Chelsea Wolfe’s Abyss is a great way for me to get back into the dark wave game. It’s a stunning, sexy, scary debut.
“Carrion Flowers” slides into your ears with bass and drums you might hear from the armies of Mordor as they cross the Misty Mountains. It grabs your attention and won’t let go. “Iron Moon” moves from Wolfe’s near-lullaby vocals to some of the heaviest doom metal riffs you’ve heard since your last trip to Norway. “Dragged Out” is a great title for the third track, as the bass and pace sound like some…thing dragging itself out of the primordial ooze to bellow at the moon. “Maw” opens with Wolfe’s Dario Argento film-style vocals before floating into a pretty space that reminds me of cathedrals and dust seen in the light through stained glass.
“Grey Days” introduces some cello to excellent effect and keeps the album from having too much low-end guitar as the main force behind Wolfe’s vocals. “After the Fall” could be about a fallen angel. It definitely belongs on the soundtrack to that new Lucifer show because it’s dark and brooding.
“Crazy Love” seems to be Ms. Wolfe’s tribute to Mazzy Star. Her vocals curl around the track like clove cigarette smoke and the instrumentation reminds me of a creaking haunted tall mast ship. “Simple Death” is another quietly disturbing, yet lovely track that shows off Wolfe’s vocal talents. It needs to be on the soundtrack for the Twin Peaks relaunch. “Survive” might be the most haunting song on the record. Wolfe’s vocals are often layered in reverb as the drums and synths build to ritualistic fervor.
“Color of Blood” pays tribute to another woman who has obviously influenced Ms. Wolfe – Siouxsie Sioux. The song is like a snake in a dark corner – dangerous, menacing, and mysterious. The title track closes the record, and it’s complete with creepy, slightly out of tune piano that’s right out of that creepy clown dream you have at least once a week.
The Abyss is a great name for the record, because it’s easy to fall into it and get lost. Wolfe has spoken openly about her struggle with sleep paralysis and how this record is her exploration of her affliction and dreams. It’s like pitching over the edge of the Marianas Trench – terrifying at first and then strangely peaceful as you let it consume you.