Sometimes, only darkness will do. The new album from Chelsea Wolfe has that in spades, and it is easily one of the best albums of the year so far. It is called She Reaches out to She Reaches Out to She, and it released on February 9th.
Chelsea Wolfe has been a mainstay in the Gothic scene for almost 20 years now. Her work seems only to get better with each album, though. For this album, you will hear her on vocals, Ben Chisholm on piano, synth, and programming; Bryan Tulao on guitar; and Jess Gowrie on drums, synth, and guitar.
Chelsea makes shadowy, spinetingling music that will raise the hairs on the back of your neck. Some call it Gothic industrial, but there are elements of doom and folk in her work, too. This album is quite electronic, as well. You will hear lots of distorted textures, sprawling cathedrals of emotion, buried coffins of cold pain, and confident spikes of humanity and freedom.
The album title is odd, I know, but it makes sense. The album is about severing ties with toxic people and places, and it emphasizes the idea that grief and healing are cyclical in nature instead of linear. So, the title seems to reference that circular path of healing and emergence from the gloom.
The album has ten songs, and they are all excellent, though my favorites are at the beginning and the end. The singles include the fantastic opener “Whispers in the Echo Chamber”, a track replete with atmosphere, hushed vocals, and industrial textures; “Everything Turns Blue”, a song with electronic drive and powerful lyrics; and “Dusk”, the amazing closer with its casual gait, subtle melody, and explosive final minutes. I love all three of these singles.
As much as I love every song on the album, I would say the middle section of “The Liminal”, “Eyes Like Nightshade”, and “Salt” lose a little bit of steam in that they sound similar and are more repetitive than the rest of the songs. I really like the atmosphere on each of them, especially the edge of “Salt”, but I’ll admit that these three songs make the album feel a little longer than it really is.
My favorites of the album appear early and late. I love “House of Self-Undoing” for its faster pace, and various transitions between beats and ambience. I like “Tunnel Lights” for its subtle piano and delicate feelings. My favorite overall and one of my favorite songs this year is “Unseen World.” I love how lumbering and dark it feels, and when the synth melody slices through the thick atmosphere, the song really goes places for me.
This is the type of album I need right now. Chelsea Wolfe has built an album full of emotions, soft vocals, and searing edges, and I love it. If you like doomgaze, industrial, or ambient metal sounds, you will love this.
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The PROG Mind 
Thank you for this beautiful recommendation!
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