Drowning The Light – Enslaved By The Cave [EP]

Both this new EP and the ‘Violet Mercury & Moonlit Sorcery’ EP were released at the very same time, clock in around 20 minutes each and feature female vocalist Strix, but that is basically where all similarities end. Its twin EP sounds pretty much in line with most of band’s latest recordings, showcasing a much mellower approach to the acclaimed Drowning The Light’s formula. But by contrast, this new EP represents the Australian maestro’s much-loved far rawer and edgier sound.

Also, while ‘Violet Mercury & Moonlit Sorcery’ is a non-conceptual 2-tracker, ‘Enslaved By The Cave’ is brought to us as a spiritual successor to the ‘Paradise Slaves’ EP from 2017. That EP was mainly about the masses entangled in their own delusional ideas surrounding “paradise”. This same mass, the plebs if you like, is again the focus but now it is about their (lack of) understanding about the concept of “reality”. Azgorh takes us into the world of Plato and his vision of the modern world going down for a lack of spirituality and ultimately enslaving us all to that same downfall.

With this concept in mind it might not surprise that the music on offer is a thoroughly bleak and melancholic affair. While being a spiritual successor of ‘Paradise Slaves’, it also sounds close on a musical level, though sounding a little less muffled in overall sound. But the main thing is that the 20 minutes of playing time on offer are filled to the brim with typical Drowning The Light shrill sounding riffs and, above all, melodies. It is always about those beautiful and melancholic melodies. And while Drowning The Light never will be a band that will change dramatically, its musical progression is found in Azgorh’s craftsmanship in forging those delicate and almost dream-like melodies. This is also what basically what ties the more crude side of the band with its latest more soothing-sounding output.

‘Enslaved By The Cave’ can be marked as a certain return to form compared to those last few releases that showed the band in slightly different fashion. Those who prefer Drowning The Light at its bleakest, its harshest and most Lo-Fi can indulge themselves with this new offering. Judging from the amount of recent releases in its “new” style, ‘Enslaved By The Cave’ feels like a welcome switch to a familiar past – without short-changing the band’s other recent work, just saying.