Written: 20th October 2024
Having formed in 2017 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, atmospheric black metal / post-metal quintet One With The Riverbed have previously released one EP (Solace – 2018) and one full length album (Absence – 2021). Seeking to further push the boundaries of the post-metal genre, they return with their second album, Succumb, on 25th October.
Across the album, One With The Riverbed experiment with the juxtaposition of harsh black metal, ambient moments and more ethereal post-metal textures. First track, Infested is mostly based around black metal influenced vocals, rapid riffs, frantic blast beats alongside guitars which spiral and eddy with infectious dark, melodic variations. While there is harshness to their music, One With The Riverbed never threaten to lose control or for the layers of their instruments to confusingly entangle. Lyrically, Infested sets a tone of pervasive remorse, suggesting the protagonist is engulfed by a sense of failure. Infested with guilt / Forcefully mounted upon our being / Wrongfully made / In the eyes of the order / Searching for a semblance of the unfamiliar. Midway through the track, there is a short break from the metallic salvo and the band reveal their post-metal tendencies. This begins to build once again and this intriguing opener ends as it began.
Dominion displays the band’s love of old school black metal, macabre and biting with furious vocals from Jared Koons, who ranges from guttural growls to shrieks of pained fury. During the central section of the track, the band fully display their love for post-metal. Beautifully structured, one guitar floats with delicate arpeggiated wings and another, more distant, draws out notes like a menacing harbinger. Such is the effect of this quieter segment, the returning attack of the full band is like an unexpected, crash of thunder on a seemingly clear day.
One With The Riverbed clearly enjoy playing with the shape and structure of their songs. Resolute has distinct sections, beginning with the raw aggression of black metal. Drummer Jimmy Welty and bassist Lisa Bridenstine combine to create a relentless foundation that provides a driving undercurrent. The production is such that each instrument can be heard and there is never a time when it feels as if any one overwhelms the other. As the song progresses, we follow the band through almost thrash like moments and with two minutes left in the track, we are left as if standing atop a misty hill looking into the distance as the instruments peel away once more. There is a feeling of a coming storm as an almost tribal drum beat begins but it never arrives and the final notes fade away leaving the listener contemplating their fate.
Purified examines the sense of being weighed down by the burdens of existence yet finding a form of ablution through imagination. Distorted vision / Succumbing to the changing air / The breeze passes through the open window / Swirling around the body / I am a bystander / Gazing upon the ever changing. It opens with one delicate chord and slowly builds on a journey that is among the most volatile on the entire album. Following the misleading, quiet opening section, John Scott and Bryan Neterer’s guitars ignite and barely rest for a moment. Koons’ vocals are unleashed in a cathartic purge of emotions as One For The Riverbed show just how abrasive they can be.
Adaptation gives insight to the quintet’s ability to have two opposing feelings playing out during the same track. Instrumentally, the opening two minutes meander gently with atmospheric guitars accompanied by some amazing bass work from Lisa Bridenstine. She draws notes from the deepest reaches of the abyss, helping to create a vast aural scenery of woe. Slow and deliberate, Koons tells his tale with guttural and drawn out syllabic pronunciation. Distance calling / Eyes trace the line of the horizon / A better life on the other side / Ruthless / Assault / On the senses. As his cries become ever more anguished, the band surreptitiously increase their dynamic and almost without realising it, the listener is drawn along on the wave of despair.
The first five songs on Succumb are not short, all hovering between the five and six minute mark. However, the final trio of tracks vary from eight to ten minutes. As such, this allows One With The Riverbed to extend particular ideas and motifs. Erode opens with an unsettling, dissonant riff that grips the listener with a sense of foreboding, making us squirm, uncomfortable, wanting to escape. The band push this to its limit and halfway through the track, there is the feeling of reward for surviving this as we enter a segment with melodic guitars and synths. However, we are never truly allowed to relax as Welty’s persistent percussion alludes to returning jeopardy, which is realised during the final third of the song and following track, Burden.
Closing the album with Sunlight, One For The Riverbed save the best for last. At ten minutes, it is the longest track on the album and its multi-faceted approach embodies everything the band are about, with each member having the opportunity to take centre stage. Lyrically, Sunlight paints a vivid picture of struggle, transformation and fleeting moments of connection. The imagery of the sunset serves as a poignant reminder of the transient nature of life and the ongoing search for peace. Feet walking the same roads / A subtle need of reassurance / Clinging to promises uncertain / Hands interlocked / The touch becomes absent / Missing direction / The void gazed upon / Hallowed mind searching. Wonderfully structured, Sunlight highlights the band’s commitment to experimentation, which keeps the listener engaged from start to finish. Merging aggression with atmosphere and melody, Sunlight is an immersive soundscape, which unfolds like a sonic odyssey. A perfect end to the album.
Succumb masterfully blends the different genres it inhabits. Seamless transitions between blistering riffs and ghostly passages create a dynamic experience, enhanced by layered guitar work and varied vocal styles. There is also much to enjoy in the drumming of Jimmy Welty; he does not merely rely on blast beats and speed and across the different timbres of the album, there is a thoughtful diversity to his approach which cannot be understated in regard to the creation of mood. One With The Riverbed deserve a wider audience and will appeal to fans of atmospheric black metal and post-metal. Engaging, redemptive and potent.
Succumb is released on 25th October.
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