Throwing a twist on a tried-and-true genre is something I crave, and the new album from Arð presents their vision of the doom genre in a blessed and beautiful way. It’s not just the vocals; there’s greater differences than even that. The new album is called Untouched by Fire, and it released on April 26th.
Arð is essentially Mark Deeks of the UK, specifically of the Northumbria region. He handles vocals, guitars, piano, keys, and bass here, but does bring along some guest musicians: Dan Capp on lead guitar and backing vocals, Callum Cox on drums, Robina Huy on cello, and Beverly Palin on Northumbrian pipes. There is a live lineup that differs from this, as well.
The music here is definitely doom, but it sounds different than most. Yes, the vocals are mostly a light, very pleasing monastic style. It sounds quite gentle and wonderful. The music has some bite to it with riffs and other metal elements, but the album isn’t a driving or heavy experience. No, there’s more to it than that.
I think one of the unsung heroes on the album is Robina’s cello. There are great guitars and solos, and the keys are a hovering beauteous atmosphere of church organs and pianos. There are ambient portions and folk elements that make this album feel both classy and full of shadows. But Robina’s cello truly brings gorgeous and introspective light to the whole affair. It breaks up the vocals and doomy guitars into layers and provides a more expressive element. Due to the nature of monastic albums, her cello brings in many of the hooks, as does the guitar work, too. It really works. The album sounds exquisite and is strangely catchy.
There are six tracks, though I’ll admit that the album feels very much like one long track because of its style. It’s not an easy album to distinguish between songs. The first half is strong with the opener “Cursed to Nothing but Patience”, a piece with a more aggressive doom tone and some wonderful piano portions that I love; “Name Bestowed”; a solemn song that slowly builds itself into a reserved heaviness that works; and “Hefenfelth”, a track that transitions several times from riffs to piano to even nothing but vocals and organ melodies. It’s a haunting piece that I really like.
The second half is pretty interesting. I like the storytelling tone of “He Saw Nine Winters”; I like the drumming hook on this one, and the catchy piano, too. “Beset by Weapons” is something of an interlude, even though it is over three minutes long. It features Northumbrian pipes, which sound amazing, and some hovering vocals and ambience. It’s a gorgeous lead-in to the closer “Casket of Dust”. This piece feels like it revisits the more recognizably doom sound of the opener, and so feels satisfying in that full circle fashion. It waxes and wanes and transitions, and the second half is a floating atmosphere of organ and cello melodies. It isn’t a bombastic ending whatsoever, but the quiet way in which it eases to the finish jives with me.
Arð have a sound that few other doom bands possess, and it is soothing in effect. I like the layering of melodies that brings out the flavor of the vocals, and the album just feels hallowed and thoughtful and mythical. Fans of the doom should give this a shot, and even people who haven’t tried the genre may find themselves hooked, also.
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Find Arð online:
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