Four Phantoms
Four Phantoms finds its weight in the space between its elements. Bell Witch let the bass ring out, give drums time for an accent to land and alternate deep voices with cleaner singing. The music moves extremely slowly without becoming motionless.
Bass is both foundation and melodic instrument. Distortion gives the lowest parts weight while higher lines give songs a recognisable shape. The drums do not need to fill every space with a complete pattern. The placement of each strike determines when the music develops and when tension can remain suspended.
Suffocation, A Burial: I - Awoken (Breathing Teeth) immediately establishes the large scale. The record's long opening uses slow, heavy movement and harsh vocals, but also leaves considerable space between instruments. Melodies can stand out without continually lightening the sound.
Judgement, In Fire: I – Garden (Of Blooming Ash) gives cleaner, almost choral singing greater emphasis. This changes the character of the heavy music. The slow foundation remains while the voices introduce a different movement above it. Moments like this show how few additional elements are needed to make a large difference.
The four extended pieces require plenty of attention. The music offers few immediate points of entry and maintains a sombre intensity for long stretches. Accept that approach and there is much to discover. Bass lines and voices give the heavy sound enough colour to support its long forms. Four Phantoms is especially convincing because melody never feels like an addition to the weight. Both emerge from the same playing, supported by a rhythm section which knows when space can say more than another strike.
