Deadspace is a young band, founded in 2014. At first this was a solo-project by Chris Gebauer (Earth Rot/Sensory Amusia). As many one-man black metal bands, this project was formed to create an outlet for his continuous feelings of depression. However, soon after the project arose, Gebauer seemed to realize that his music deserved a full band. Other members were brought in, making Deadspace a solid act in the Australian underground.
Typical for this type of black metal albums, the atmosphere is grim, eerie and downright ireful.
Guitars create a blackened wall of sounds while drums accompany the intense rituals. The tempo usually is pretty slow. Because of this slowness, a song like 'The Clouds Won't Share The Pain' becomes an epic depressive black metal ballad, borrowing elements from post-rock to enhance the upcoming sonic burst of energy.
Yet, this is not really post-black metal, or how people want to define a subgenre these days. This is haunting, extreme, but most of al deeply personal music, focusing on the darkest regions of the innerself. You can almost feel the nihilism, the growing insanity and the hopelessness that eat away nearly everything that is positive in the worldview of this band.
Comparing Deadspace to other bands if difficult, mostly because this band incorporates elements from gothic rock, noise and ambient. The piano in 'Schadenfreude' makes the music almost accessible, almost. Yet the vocals display an immense sense of terror, unbearably for most of mankind. 'Pain's Grey' nudges towards sludge and is one hell of a song, so evil, so intense, so grievous.
'In The Coldness Of The Darkest Night' is the final track on the album and, like most tracks, this is a perfect example of powerful depressive black metal. To some level, I'm even reminded of Pink Floyd, mostly in the dreamy guitar solo. Other bands that come to mind are Tiamat, Vinterriket, Summoning, Nortt and Xasthur. Yet, Deadspace gives the whole it's own, personal, spin and does it with an impressive attitude. By all means, as far as I'm concerned, this is the future of black metal...
Serge