It’s never not intimidating to look into the night sky, see the ocean of stars (that is when the haze of pollution isn’t obscuring such majesty), and wonder about the history that unfurled as that light made its way to be visible on our earth. It’s easy to feel microscopic as a result, our own existence paling in comparison, our life cycles over in a blink of the void’s eye.
Colorado-based doom dreamers Oryx also stand in front of that chasm of space and contemplate life, death, and what’s in between on their engulfing new record “Primordial Sky.” This is the band’s fifth album and one of their most realized, playing atmospheric doom over four mammoth tracks and 41 minutes that easily ignite every cell in your body. While the music is heavy and devastating, there is catharsis buried into each corner as the band—vocalist/guitarist/synth player Thomas Davis, bassist Joshua Kauffman, drummer Abigail Davis—does musical and mental contemplation, stretching beyond this world and into the stars, appreciating the majesty and might of what lies beyond and within ourselves.
The title track opens amid sounds burning in the atmosphere, doomy fire unleashed as the growls rumble through the earth, at times trading off with shredding shrieks. Haze thickens and hangs overhead as the tones darken, letting the barometric pressure strengthen as leads char before everything blooms in full again. An emotional surge pushes forward, gushing with heartfelt fire, the howls crushing as burly waves encompass everything. “Myopic” is engulfed in total blackness, and then the low end comes to life, shaking your guts, the growls smoking as grim reality takes control. The pace pummels and leaves bones aching, and then an acoustic passage washes over, adding a respite before the shrieks drive anew, every element unloading in full. The power floods as the battering spills blood downward, guitars glowing before turning into embers.
“Ephemeral” opens delicately, softer guitars creating a pathway, and then the heaviness clogs veins, growls retching as the remaining sunlight is strangled, dirty, yet fluid melodies bubbling to the surface. The drums then hit even harder, a gutting pace laying waste, screams coming unglued and torching prone flesh. The corrosion doubles as a bruising beating is served, screams rippling before a vicious end. “Look Upon the Earth” is the closer, opening in deep space before the crunch hits terrestrial terrain, punches landing even as stardust continues to fall from the sky. The guitars thrust and accelerate the heat, sizzling through a thrashy wasteland, battering chaos seeking willing victims. The tempo explodes, spitting magma as the guitars dazzle, moving into a penetrating fog, slowly squeezing through wormholes and back into space.
As we make our way through life’s journey, contemplating where we stand and what impact we make to the universe is only natural, and “Primordial Sky” is the musical equivalent of that venture. Oryx make efficient use of their time, and even amid the longform doom template, they never waste a moment and make everything feel impactful. This is the most intense step on their journey so far, and spending time with this record can provide both a physical shakeup and a psychological mind storm all within the same dynamic experience.
For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/theeoryx
To buy the album, go here: https://translationloss.com/collections/oryx
For more on the label, go here: https://translationloss.com/
Meat Mead Metal 