My first impression of Bleak was that it sounds very raw, and a little rough around the edges. It seems to just be a basic beat, with some lack-lustre guitars playing over a simplistic bass and the occasional bit of vocal growl to break it up a little. It is quite well balanced in terms of vocals against everything, but the vocals are predominantly spoken rather than sung, and all other instruments seem to be clumped together on a separate channel.

To be fair, it reminds me of early Emperor and takes me back a few years in that respect. The thing is I can’t actually slate this offering because there’s nothing bad on it. I understand that this is the work of 2 individuals; that’s right, 2 people make up this band. Sarcamon handles the vocals, whilst Thorn does everything else. That, in its own right, is something to be commended; I’m not sure how they’ll perform on stage, but it could be interesting.

For me, personally, I do actually like the album. The title track “Bleak” is just that; not in terms of the skill in playing it, but in the feeling implied by the ghostly rhythm. There isn’t much to actually identify each track individually, but you can close your eyes, listen to the album in its entirety, and not get bored.

By far the most interesting track on the offering is “Empty Infinity”; it seems that Thorn was locked in the studio on his own, for a few days and decided to play. You know what? It’s 10 minutes that could easily have come from a science-fiction horror movie; I liked the way it changed the feel of the album right at the end when you think you’ve heard it all.

Despite possibly production flaws, and a lack of separation of the instruments, this is quite an enjoyable album.

Highlights: Bleak, Empty Infinity

Rating: 3.5/5

By Andy Palmer