Burning Bright – Domesday LP
Can one write a review on a crust-record without mentioning Tragedy and/or From Ashes Rise? Well, I can’t. If I was going to try I failed at the first sentence this time. Now that we have established that: Burning bright can be compared to Tragedy or From Ashes Rise. Let’s use that as a starting point and see how they differ from those bands. Yes, Burning Bright’s sound is a bit different from the well known bands in this genre. They achieve this by adding a bit of post-hardcore (think Sparta), a bit of screamo (think Daïtro or La Quiete) and a lot of melody.
I’m really fond of that epic sounding crust made by Tragedy and From Ashes Rise. Burning Bright managed to maintain the thundering energy and the epic feeling of these bands while at the same time making the music more accessible. Some songs have a bit of a melancholic feel to them, which makes the music even more attractive to me.
What makes this album stand out are the details that are woven into the songs. “Lights” and “Kalopsia” for example have a really cool guitar-effect that reminds me of Rosetta due to the spacey sound created here. Another example is the closing seconds of the album. The horns used there make for a perfect ending of the album.
Another point where Burning Bright is a bit different from what you’d expect from your typical crust punker is the lyrics. I expect politically charged lyrics in this genre, but Burning Bright begs to differ. Instead of politics they tell somber tales that sometimes feel personal. It adds to the melancholic feel of some of the songs.
Domesday is Burning Bright’s debut LP (after a split with Death Mercedes in 2012). You can hear this band brings a lot experience to the table though. Burning Bright features members of a number of bands such as Amanda Woodward an Aussitot Mort. As I do not know these bands I cannot tell you if the sound of these bands shine through on this album, but you can hear these guys are no rookies.
All in all this is a strong debut by this promising French band!
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