Uncompromising, crushing doom metal. World Keeps Sinking (Gilead Media) is probably going to end up as one of the heaviest releases of 2013. Northless have always been heavy, Clandestine Abuse was a good album, but they have undeniably surpassed it here, for a number of reasons.
The most immediately noticeable improvement is the songwriting. The crushing heaviness is now balanced with some melody, as well as more varied pacing. This is demonstrated particularly well on ‘Communion’, where swirling melodies and rumbling bass interplay beautifully. Whilst Northless never veer into post-rock territory, the melody gives ‘Communion’ a triumphant aura that any fan of post-rock should be familiar with. Moments like this offer a little relief from the otherwise unrelenting weight of the record.
‘Kuru’ is probably the most immediate, and heaviest song on the album. The delivery of the line “FLESH! MADE! WEAK!” is reminiscent of the excellent Triptykon song, ‘Goetia’, where Tom G. Warrior bellows “Lord! Have mercy upon me!”. Yes, it really is that good. Passage is another album highlight, showing that Northless are perfectly capable of writing interesting songs that stretch as far as the 15 minute mark. A dreamy, gently plucked melody gradually builds into another sludgy monolith. Every song has something to offer here, even the brief Wither and Escape, which adds some faster riffs to the mix. Overall, World Keeps Sinking sees Northless develop into an even more confident and interesting doom band. If you weren’t taking notice of them before, now would be a good time to change that.
8/10
Tom Saunders