- Genre: Blackgaze / Post-Black Metal / Post-Metal / Progressive Metal
- For fans of: Alcest, Sadness, Draconian, Sylvaine
Cairiss – Wilderness
Cairiss are a new band from the United Kingdom and with “Wilderness” they take their first step. Here we have blackgaze that marries the melancholy of post-black with beautiful melodies, progressive passages and plenty of folk touches.
The two vocalists, Lydia Williams and Freya Brown, play an important role. Williams moves in clean, more airy vocals, while Brown comes in with wild black metal screams. This contrast is one of the best elements of the record and gives the tracks sometimes beauty and sometimes intensity.
The guitars move between tremolo riffs, more melodic points and clean passages, while there are also progressive moments that don’t seem to be there just to make an impression. On “The Guide”, for example, there is a bluesy solo in the middle that briefly changes the atmosphere before the track returns to the familiar blackgaze guitars.
“Retrace” is another strong point, while “Wildfire” closes the record in a calmer way. Acoustic guitar, clean vocals and then the two voices join, before the track takes on a more intense form. It is one of those endings that leave a nice feeling without needing excess.
The main problem is that after a few tracks a slight repetition starts to appear. Cairiss have a good sound and several beautiful ideas, but they lack a few truly distinctive moments that would make “Wilderness” stand out from the pile of blackgaze releases.
With a duration of about 43 minutes, though, the record doesn’t get the chance to tire you out. It is a beautiful and melancholic first work, with plenty of intensity when needed and a band that seems to have a road ahead of it to develop its sound even further.
Press Play Here and Listen 👇
Tracklist
- Nervosa – 08:08
- The Guide – 08:51
- Integrate – 03:25
- Dissociate – 07:18
- Retrace – 08:43
- Wildfire – 06:13
Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Label: Independent
Cairiss is:
– Connor Frapwell (drums)
– Ethan Bishop (guitars, vocals)
– Freya Brown (vocals)
– Martin Williams (guitars, vocals)
– Alex Taylor (bass)
– Lydia Williams (vocals)
