EMBRIUM
Timekeeper
Independent

Blackgaze as a genre has always been so interesting to me. As a huge fan of shoegaze, and a huge fan of black metal, I could have never dreamt of the cocktail these two antithetical genres could have made. Alas, the atmospheric and wall-of-sound aspects of blackgaze are just a few of the elements that keep me coming back to the genre time and time again. This being said, when I find that there is a new blackgaze band plying their trade, I become ecstatic and want to take a deep dive. This is what happened with the American band EMBRIUM and their very strong debut album “Timekeeper”.

THE BAND

Founded in 2019 in San Francisco, EMBRIUM creates a hauntingly beautiful amalgamation of black metal brutality with the ambient aura of shoegaze to perfection. The moody quintet consists of Joey Menicucci on guitar and songwriting duty, Matt Baird and Ayani Hayashi tackling the rhythm section of drums and bass respectively, Mosahefu on vocals and guitar, and Jade Forsythe taking on lead vocal duty.

THE ALBUM

The album kicks off with “The End Of The Lane”, which begins with a beautiful, nearly-two-minute instrumental overture before that familiar wall-of-sound hits the listener right in the eardrums. This kind of trickery is what is so fascinating about modern metal with influences outside of the genre. Getting the listener out of their comfort zone helps to keep the track listing fresh and revitalized.

As the album progresses, we are treated to gorgeous and eerie instrumentation along with harsh and crestfallen tones. Tracks like “The Witchening” and “Dream Hunters” utilize a dreamy clean vocal, reminiscent of an episode of Twin Peaks to cut the tension of the harsh black metal soundscapes.

My standout track on the album would have to be “Eclipse”. This five-and-a-half-minute masterpiece plays with the conventions of the genre by manipulating that wall of sound. As a drummer myself, I am amazed by the work of Matt Baird, consistently switching between blast beat sections to tasty licks throughout the length of the tune.

THE VERDICT

EMBRIUM’s debut pleasantly surprised me. It is complex and fresh enough to catch the eye of seasoned listeners, yet approachable enough to not seem too out of the realm of mainstream acceptance. I really enjoyed it and I think you will too. “Timekeeper” is to be independently released on March 14th. Give it a listen and a buy!

Matthew McCune