This Detroit-based Sludge band Pillar Of Light moves into their brand of Metal like a storm cloud on their debut full-length Caldera (Transcending Obscurity Records) with a hypnotic manner of riffing that allows the songs to flow.  

The vocals feel more obligatory, as they are delivered with the kind of hoarse bellow you expect from this sort of thing. “Leaving” does offer an even greater range of dynamics, but the vocals maintain the howl from the first song, creating more of a uniform sound.   

“Spared” steps further in a melodic direction, though the howled vocals retain the narrative of the previous song. These guys are not the first Metal band to use vocals in a more obligatory manner, to give the overall sound the human element, and there is a certain contingent of Metal fans who just listen for the guitars and do not really give a shit about vocals. For these fans, they might not even notice this unless someone points it out as we are doing here. 

There is still an effort at songwriting and musically employing dynamics allowing things to build up into heavier climaxes. “Eden” opens with a more Industrial-sounding ambiance, with reverb-heavy Post-Rock guitar melodies. As an instrumental, this proves to be time better spent without the vocals making it sound like all their other songs.

The first shift in the vocals is very marginal but might even just come down to a matter of phrasing, but they sound more shouted  on “Infernal Gaze.” The song is more intense sonically, giving the vocals space to fade into the background, as a static narrative. Though it moves at a slower Sludge lumber. 

“Unseeing” works best when the band falls back from the stomping pound and allows the song to ebb and drop down to the bass line carrying the song; this takes it in a darker direction that works well.

The strummed guitar on “Certain End” creates a more effective mood that is complemented by a Post-Rock shimmer playing to the band’s strengths.

However, where they could have taken this in more interesting directions, the monotone yell of the vocals remained a static constant and anchored it in one dimension rather than allowing them to soar off into a more sweeping place. 

Even lower growls or higher screams would have proven effective in this regard. It might be a sticking point for you in regards to this album, though it depends on how much stock you put in vocals. They may or may not be a deal breaker. 

This album’s strength lies in the guitars. They have the kind of raw crunching fans of Sludge want, but also manage to create some nice sonic spaces and more post-rock-flavored atmospheres. 

Fans of late nineties Sludge will find plenty to celebrate here. 

Buy the album here:
https://transcendingobscurity.bandcamp.com/

7 / 10
WIL CIFER
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