Album Review: Gift of Blindness – The Lake (Blindsight Records)

The third album by Gift of Blindness entitled “The Lake” is to be released on the 10th of May on CD and digital formats via Blindsight Records.

Gift of Blindness is project of Umair Chaudhry (Xmas Lights, Abandon, Futureproof, Monday Morning Sun). The album features the singles “Hide”, “Germs” and “Pathway” along with 5 previously un-released songs.

Crafting abject melodies and blending them with emotive ambience, post-metal highs and lows, crushing doom and industrial noise elements. Gift of Blindness’ The Lake is a thrilling, heart-wrenching and noisy release that constantly surprises. Even when you’re sure you have control of the experience, it slips out of your grasp to scurry off in a brand-new direction.

Is it brilliant? Absolutely. Is it polarising? Potentially. Will it create conversations and analysis? Without a shadow of a doubt. You may find you love it; you may find it hate it but regardless of what side of the fence you fall on, you’ll be thinking about it long after its 70 minutes have passed by. Which might sound long but for the most part, this is an album that flies by.

It’s music for a rainy and dull day. Music to hide away in the darkness too. There’s nothing particularly feel-good about it even if the poignant qualities do reach compelling highs at times. Dark music for dark minds in dark times.

Uncomfortable a lot of the time but seemingly only when it needs to be. The Lake is a resilient listen with such an array of thickness. While not exclusively a doom album (as stated at the start) a lot of the tracks certainly lean towards that sound. Always though, with a ton of layered effects and atmospheres to make things even more uncooperative.

One of 2021’s most challenging but interesting releases.

Gift of Blindness – The Lake Full Track Listing:

1. Hide
2. Tailchaser
3. Receptable
4. Germs
5. Warpath
6. Pathway
7. Impulse
8. Fear and Pride

Links

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