Reviews list for Eremit - Carrier of Weight (2018)

Some things cannot be digested, absorbed or truly understood in just one sitting. Most of my favourite records are ones that I glean something new from with each spin. Whether that is the “clicking” of a track that I have been wrestling with for some prolonged period of time and suddenly understand the brilliance of it or simply just hearing notes or even instruments that I had no previous recognition of.

Other records are simply too long for my tiny human mind to take in all at once. Bell Witch’s last two records are great examples of this. Rightly championed for their punishing and emotionally dredging output those albums set a theme and constantly progress it and evolve it whilst maintaining an absolute dirge throughout. I cannot sit through them in one sitting as I need the breathing space to absorb the music, process it and return for more.

Eremit, as well as sharing the shame artist for their album cover as Bell Witch also share this lengthy format to their debut album. Opening with a twenty three and a half minute track is a fucking bold move for your first release and certainly sets their stall out well for anyone in hearing distance. The dead march pace to the album encapsulates the very essence of sorrow and grief. Although not nearly as clever as the aforementioned Bell Witch (which is perhaps an unfair and inaccurate comparison on my part), the consistency to Carrier of Weight is undeniable and unapologetic.

For straight up, no thrills doom/sludge you could hardly hope for more. With an all-round sound that is very reminiscent of Conan the band still carve out an interesting niche just for doing such a solid and impressive job on their opening foray into the world of metal. Vocally, the style is almost blackened. Raspy and throaty utterances are the order of the day here and they match the pacing well across the three tracks. The hazy and heavy riffs are like huge waves smashing against rocks, their vapour absorbing into the atmosphere, adding thickness to the very air.

For a long while after listening this record stays with you, like weighty cobwebs or cold residue on your skin. If I close my eyes I can hear it still, and even pick out some of the transitions from the individual tracks. This is one of the albums key strengths, the three tracks all feel like separate entities, inextricably linked together though they inevitably are, they still feel like all have unique elements and bring their own value to the overall piece.

It may work better for me in piecemeal but inevitably you always end up appreciating the bigger picture that much more when the component parts are so well put together.