Album Review: Brave the Waters – Chapter II: Days of Solitude (Self Released)

Chapter II: Days of Solitude is the upcoming second album from New York-based ambient guitar/bass only post-rock influenced duo Brave the Waters. It is set for release on February 1st 2019.

Brave the Waters consists of New York metal scene veterans Tom Anderer (2018 live bass for Artificial Brain at times) and Rick Habeeb who’ve spent years building up musical chemistry together in groups such as doom metal outfit Grey Skies Fallen and experimental deathgrind outfit Buckshot Facelift which is fronted by Artificial Brain vocalist Will Smith.

After playing in multiple projects together for years, the duo decided to embark on a new project in 2014 informed by their mutual love of ambient music, post-rock, and rock under the name of Brave the Waters.

The band had this to say about the album:

“These songs are sad and sombre but reveal hope in the darkest places of self-consciousness and are very thoughtful. The album tells a detailed story without words, allowing the listener to evoke the settings and characters their imagination creates from the ambient soundtrack. Artwork again is amazingly-handled by Travis Smith (Amorphis, Opeth, Strapping Young Lad, Megadeth, etc.), and we hope to release this both in digital and physical formats.”

This is an emotional record. One dripping in sadness, self-reflection and sombre thoughts. Across 10 tracks, Brave the Waters take the mind and soul on a journey that is part beauty and part suffering. Chapter II: Days of Solitude is a thoughtful listen with melodic highs and lows.

Like water flowing down a mountain-side, we seamlessly move through peaceful locales as each track moves from one to another smoothly. There are no individual tracks to point at and say “that’s the one, listen to that one” as out of context they won’t sound as good.

The best and only way to fully enjoy and appreciate what Brave the Waters have done here is set 40 minutes aside, put the phone down, sit down and close your eyes to the melodies of Chapter II: Days of Solitude. You won’t regret it.

It might not leave you feeling happy but it’s not supposed too. The atmosphere it creates is simply heart-pulling and soul-affirming.

Brave the Waters – Chapter II: Days of Solitude Full Track Listing:

1. Endless Pursuit
2. Above the Broken Clouds
3. Written in Stone & Locked Away
4. To Be Alone
5. Transcending Horizons
6. Vague Shadows
7. Trials of the Sunken Swamp
8. Out of Nowhere
9. Maze of Winding Roads
10. Arrival at the Gates of Torment

The album can be ordered over on Bandcamp here and more information can be found via Brave the Waters Facebook Page.