Hailing from Austin, Texas, Glassing is an intriguing band who have released some quality music across the albums Light and Death (2017), Spotted Horse (2019), and Twin Dream (2021). They’ve always shown that they are not one to be musically pigeonholed, as they convey a wide range of sounds from Post Metal to Hardcore, Sludge to Black Metal while often breaking up the chaos with moments of drone atmospherics.
And with From the Other Side of the Mirror (Pelagic Records) – it is business as usual, as Glassing once again delivers all of the above in their own alluring fashion. “Anything You Want” provides a deep and powerful introduction to the new record, with the agonising vocal style of Dustin Coffman dominating the abrasive music, while the rumble of his low-slung bass keeps the rhythm alongside the drumming of Scott Osment. Coffman introduces soft, angelic-like clean vocals in the chorus, as soaring melodic leads from guitarist Cory Brim provide an uplifting aura before the vocals turn to blackened screams once again for the turbulent climax.
To contrast, melodic twinkling leads provide a softer, laidback Shoegaze vibe on “Nothing Touches You” before a thumping bass drum builds the pressure into a fury with contorted screams and blast-beats with avantgarde drum rolls. This is powerfully emotive Blackgaze with a post-Metal twist. Glassing takes their music further into ferocious waters on both “As My Heart Rots” and “Defacer”, which is aggressive from the off as the guitars swirl with a tempestuous rage before the band reminds us they have many surprises up their sleeve. Firstly, with the deep droning bassline and soft mellow pads of “Sallow”, providing a Dune–like cinematic score, and then with a melancholic NIN-style piano and the sound of gentle wind chimes on “The Kestrel Goes”.
Highlighting the impressive nuance within the writing of Glassing, “Ritualist” initially provides a dark crunching riff alongside clean vocals, with the two sounds beautifully contrasting. While “Nominal Will” delivers a harsh, stabbing Deftones-esque rhythm with Coffman screaming his lungs out before dropping his clean style once again, it flows with sweeping melodic lead hooks on a fantastic song that reminds me a little of Pupil Slicer’s “Blossom.”
“Circle Down” is a slower cut, loose sound like a garage jam that turns to pure contemporary Black Metal, drawing comparison with the likes of Calligram and Kopse. Before the song breaks, there are clean vocal chants that could have been lifted straight off of The Omen.
There is much variety across the record as a whole which ebbs and flows perfectly as one complete piece of art. And this is highlighted again with the closing Blackgaze of “Wake”, which comes clattering in after the long building drone of “The Kestrel Goes”, rounding off From the Other Side of the Mirror perfectly.
Buy the album here:
https://glassing.bandcamp.com/album/from-the-other-side-of-the-mirror-2
8 / 10
ABSTRAKT_SOUL