- 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 weds the melancholy of post-black with beautiful melodies, progressive passages and several folk touches.
The two vocalists, Lydia Williams and Freya Brown, play an important role. Williams works in clean, airier vocals, while Brown comes in with fierce black metal screams. This contrast is among the record’s best elements and gives the tracks beauty at times and intensity at others.
The guitars move between tremolo riffs, more melodic points and clean passages, while there are also progressive moments that do not seem to be there just to impress. In “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 unite, before the track takes on a more intense form. It is one of those finales that leave a nice feeling without needing excess.
The main problem is that after a few tracks a slight repetitiveness starts to appear. Cairiss have a good sound and several beautiful ideas, but they lack a few truly standout moments that would make “Wilderness” rise above the pile of blackgaze releases.
At around 43 minutes, though, the record does not get a 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 to develop its sound even further.
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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)
