We often hold fast to the compass of life, to steer the soul in a desired direction, so rigid may the spirit become, grasping so tightly that it ceases to recognize the wonders that surround it. Then there exist certain pieces forged, be it through poetry or even a sculpture, that you can delineate, which in their essence pass the map of nowhere—a journey into the sojourner’s land, where the mind roams without direction. But it is this dive into the unknown, into uncharted waters, where consciousness truly finds its essence of guidance.
‘Blotters in Saline Water’ by Spere transforms its energy into a vast sea for the soul to set adrift, and the very sound that is emitted becomes the cardinal points that dictate its course. Flowing in a similar current to such bands as Kroda and early Månegarm, with conjoining energies akin to some parts of Dødheimsgard and Mesarthim, Spere creates a Black Metal album which reflects the inner search within oneself, where the journey becomes introspective, exploring the sea of self-consciousness.
A defining trait which flows throughout the album takes shape in the synths and keys, resonating with a cold yet vibrant energy. This becomes the soul’s nautical star as the mind embarks upon this voyage of sound. The cadence exuded from the keys radiates a throbbing yet expansive tone, for it can be likened to a beam of ethereal light, ever-changing in its conflagration of colour. But when fused with the obsidian sky, a beautiful wonder emerges, like the aurora borealis lining the ink of night, its rays stretching forth in splendour. So too do the synths exhale as they change form from a humming tone to a more sombre, lullaby-like resonance, shifting to a more chamber-like, ominous echo, as experienced on ‘Those Rations Came Foul’ and ‘Our Days Are Dripping From the Drums.’ However, the numinous glow of the keys is built not merely upon the manner in which they transform, but rather upon their placement in this vast body of sound, as their transmission of speech complements the dialogue of their other musical counterparts and, by extension, enriches the colours, giving texture and vibrance to that which is created.
An abstract approach is undertaken through the guitars and drums, where, instead of presenting themselves as a dominant force, they act in support of the synths, rendering their texture and shape. Accentuating the aura, the guitars exhibit a polished sound but remain jagged at their edges, adding an honest resonance, where the sound feels organic in its melodies. However, a symbiosis is achieved between the keys and strings, where the energy of the synths creates the path for the guitars to fill the striations, furthermore bestowing a sense of tangibility upon every note churned from the strings. In the same vein, the drumming mimics the language of the keys, further strengthening their speech while imbuing depth and density with its pummelling and direct tone. ‘When at High Speed (En Route Towards the Vortex)’ is the perfect example, showing the harmony between the drums and keys, where the drums move in a fluttering motion, furthermore enhancing the synths, which also resonate at a similar frequency. However, it is the tonal difference between these two elements, showcasing different shades yet conjoining into one movement, which becomes a pinnacle of the album, whereby the same trait spreads throughout the album.
While the harmony of the strings and percussion, intertwined with the synths, forges the very waters that the mind is set adrift upon as it heeds a constellation of sound made into stars that illuminate the atmosphere, the vocals become the narrator of such creation and the might and perils that its waves may bring. Standing firm and robust in stature, the vocals carry within them weight, a sense of urgency intertwined with wisdom. For it is like the soul that is bred from the brine of the earth and the salt of the sea, where the flesh is hardened by the suns; this is a being that has been cursed with time and the secrets of the landscape at his feet, and so too are the vocals cast in this imagery. Therein exists a certain might and gravitas to the vocal delivery, where rage and vehemence exist naught in its manifestation; instead, what is summoned forth is crude yet elegant in its texture, roughened and hardened by the elements, as heard on ‘Boneless Casket.’ Yet in its expulsion, an epic tale is woven into every note expressed, every word enunciated. The beauty of this arrives in the atmosphere the vocals foster, as though in their resonance they feel aged, as though the words spoken will be calcified in history; where everything withers, this sermon that roars above mountainous waves will still be Herculean in might.
What Spere achieves is the weaving of an epic tale fashioned from the vibrant sounds of Black Metal, often warm and at times undulating. Yet the unorthodox approach works in submerging the consciousness, allowing it to take part in that which is being unveiled, where you feel the reverberation of the percussion as well as the radiance of the synths. It is in this method of letting the soul be enfolded through these currents that the beauty of the album flourishes. Even though prowess is evident in arranging the elements to paint this story, Spere instead lets the mind become part of the very colours and currents that flow unanimously.
Let consciousness construct its vessel, and from the constellation painted through the transmission of Spere, let the mind assume the shape of the sojourner, voyaging amongst the stars through a sea of arcane wisdom fashioned into sound.
