Have you ever heard a debut album from a band and wondered how they will, if possible, top their material in a follow-up record? Lesser Glow provides us an excellent example of consistency and development in their sophomore record Nullity (Pelagic Records), full of heavy, melodic, and huge wall of sounds that will keep you wanting more. The band, originated in Boston, Massachusetts, brings a different perspective to the Doom Metal world, adding the different influences of other sub-genres of Metal like Hardcore, Post-Hardcore, Post Rock, and more. Coming up from their amazing debut Ruined (Pelagic Records) Lesser Glow keeps bringing a fresh and new perspective in a genre that arguably has a lot of bands sounding the same.
The main high points of the album are the vocals; sometimes melodic, sometimes harsh, sometimes pure noise. Singer Alec Rodríguez brought a new approach towards his singing for this album, where we hear him not necessarily relying so much on the reverb and delays, which of course is not a bad tool to use, but a track like ‘The Great Imitator’ shows us a more of a cleaner approach, production-wise speaking, in the vocals, which brings a very diverse range of what Rodríguez is capable of doing with his voice.
Another distinct detail is how massive the guitars sound in this album. The different arrangements that the strings, including bass, have in this album gives the vibe of a Post-Rock album, but with an even heavier and more ambient tone, with the sudden stops and then the heavier riffs, i.e ‘Toba’, which may be the main reason why your neck won’t stop hurting after listening to this monster of an album. Drums are not to be left behind, Seth Botos‘ work behind the kit is exceptional, proving once again that he is completely capable of doing whatever he wants in the instrument, but keeping it good enough for the song, having drum lines that make sense, with purpose and in line with the other instruments and, occasionally, bringing some Jazz chops here and there, i.e ‘Fostering This Nullity’.
My absolute favorite track of Nullity (Pelagic Records) is ‘Versterven’. This track is the climax of the album, where all the musical elements of the band become one and everything makes sense. In a way, I think this should Lesser Glow’s “go-to” track, where you can grasp the different influences and the general concept of the band in one song, absolute genius.
In conclusion, I’m not sure I can say this album is better than their debut Ruined (Pelagic Records), or vice-versa, but I can surely say is that this album is extremely well done, with great music to sing, cry, scream, and headbang along. I can’t wait for what else this band brings us in the future, I’m excited! In the meantime, let’s replay this album again. Cheers!
9/10
WESLIE NEGRON