‘Less’ revels in space, indulging in soporific slowcore that feels empty whilst profoundly full of life’s experience.

‘Less’ slowly lulls you into Deathcrash's sonic space. Drums, guitars and bass move seemingly independent of each other at first; almost like you’ve walked into the band's warmup. ‘Pirouette’ starts with erratic drums, harmonics and droning notes spinning and dancing in place. Suddenly, it all floats into place. Drums are louder than ever before. Sparkling guitars alternate between the left and right speakers as the half whispered vocals whir into the track throwing the listener into the album.

Recorded at the UK’s ‘most remote’ studio on an isle off the north coast of Scotland, the album feels completely removed. Its isolating space prompts the listener to separate themselves from their surroundings. The album cover, featuring a stark metal sculpture against the desolate Northern landscape, proves an effective representation of the sounds contained within. Jagged, sharp tones contrast with the soft guitar work and hushed singing, forming a barrier against the all encompassing silence. This sculpture was later burnt for the ‘Empty Heavy’ music video after recording had finished. Its final form now forever rests against the seven tracks that create ‘Less’. 

Beginning quietly, ‘Empty Heavy’ indulges in sweet slow melancholy until it’s sharply interrupted by smothering distortion; crashing, like waves, over the once soft instrumentation. Deeply emotive vocals fight against the sonic tide as cymbals wash and ring high above the crushing bass. ‘Distance’ begins with mounting instruments, increasing their intensity until a sharp silence; punctuated by twisting distortion and doubled murmur screamed vocals. Lead singer Tiernan Banks’ intention was to focus on songwriting rather than atmosphere but fortunately, the former runs smoothly into the latter. Misty highlands weave their way between the tracklist punctuating the twanging and sparkling guitarwork.

‘Less’ revels in space, indulging in soporific slowcore that feels empty whilst profoundly full of life’s experience. Ringing chords and held notes populate the murky depths between explosive instrumentation. Deathcrash are never in a hurry. Throughout the album melodies and progressions are held for a minute or more, allowing the listener to fully immerse themselves into the music and hear subtle human touches that alter between repetitions. On the album’s stand out track ‘And Now I Am Lit’ guitar harmonics ring out, like bells through the fog. Drums slowly meander in, shortly accompanied by crunchy bass as the melodic progression cements itself into the ground.

Deathcrash have created a lasting emotive landscape. Still air intertwines with the instruments, creating much more than the sum of their parts. The album casts the listener deep into the floor. In this case ‘Less’ is certainly more.