In 2020, Canadian Post / Avantgarde Black Metal collective Respire, released their memorable third album Black Line. A record with a spin on the genre that stood out as the works of a band who were comfortable in pushing the boundaries of what was possible with the Black Metal sound. Hiraeth now follows, four years in the making and diving deeper into the use of experimentation, with grand orchestral arrangements creating a sound that owes as much inspiration to the likes of their fellow countrymen Godspeed You! Black Emperor, as it does classic Black Metal bands such as, well Emperor.

Respire band 2024 from PR with permission ghostcultmag

The record has been crafted meticulously over some time, with the current members of Respire split between their native Toronto, and Austin Texas. With ideas passed back and forth remotely in between collective writing sessions. And the end product is something really quite fascinating. A study in eclecticism and experimentation, personified in opening song “Keening” – which comes in like a demented Blackened sea-shanty, incredibly quirky with lots of different styles all merging together. At moments the music is thoroughly chaotic, and then it will break softly with a beautiful violin and provide a soothing melancholy. The arrangement is all over the place yet everything remains perfectly aligned, and at times the vocals are powerful and emotive while always sitting comfortably deep in the mix, and are never overbearing.   

“The Match, Consumed” kicks in like a mule on steroids, full of rage, aggression, and chaos as it blends Hardcore, Screamo, and Black Metal – until once again it all gives way to a gorgeous string section. “Distant Light of Belonging” opens with shimmering guitars and trumpets, before being joined by a funky bass and horns. The song is definitely Black-gazey with a mix of light and dark vocal styles providing a haunting blend – and it is quite impossible to second guess where Hiraeth is going to take you next.  

It brings you down with a soft meandering instrumental intro on “First Snow,” once again heavy on the strings with a Folk-like quality, before eventually giving way to Blackened menace, wonderfully all over the place with a heavy dollop of Jazz. “Home of Ash” opens with the feel of something like The Smiths, building into a twisting turbulent blend of emotional Black-Gaze with orchestral cinematic soundscapes, a bizarre concoction – but something that works. And this continues with “Voiceless; Nameless,” and “The Sun Sets Without Us,” and a style that not only sounds unique, but also fresh and exciting. 

“We Grow Like Trees in Rooms of Borrowed Light” takes us on a real journey of Respire’s unusual arrangements, after opening with a sample that personifies the over-arching lyrical theme of Hiraeth – as it comments on human connectivity, migration, and the hope for a better future. The climax of this alluring record begins with the sombre “Do the Birds Still Sing?” – where prominent strings build a slow-burning dread, before exploding into up-tempo Blackgaze. Before a final palette cleanser is served, with three minutes of the subdued “Farewell (In Standard)” – on what is a wonderfully diverse, thought-provoking and inspirational album. 

Buy the album here:
https://respirefamily.bandcamp.com/album/hiraeth

9 / 10
ABSTRAKT_SOUL