Slow Wake comes to us from Cleveland, Ohio, bringing some of the best music you’ll hear this month. Their upcoming album is called Falling Fathoms, will be available on June 30th, and truly deserves a place in your music collections.
About Slow Wake and Falling Fathoms
Slow Wake came to life during a time of great upheaval. We were amid the Covid-19 pandemic, with lockdowns in place across the globe, and things seemed bleak for the foreseeable future. Yet there came a bright light from Cleveland, which originated with guitarists Dan Simone and Matt Merchant, who decided it was time to start the project they’d been talking about for so long. This was the genesis of Slow Wake, and according to their bio, when they got together, “those first few jam sessions were an intriguing blend of styles, Matt’s post-rock/americana and Dan’s stoner doom offering a compelling counterpoint to each other in passages that were simultaneously ethereal and psychedelic, yet powerful and cathartic.”
Eventually, the band was rounded out by bassist Joe Fortunato and drummer Jeff Larch, and the work of assembling an album’s worth of material began. The result of that work was a four-track EP called Falling Fathoms that was released on May 27th, 2022, and now that Argonauta Records is involved, it is finally getting a well-deserved physical release. The only difference between the original digital album and the physical copies is one killer track named “Black Stars.”
The Songs
With the first song, “In Waves,” Slow Wake draws listeners in with a mellow, post-metal section that had me thinking of Sólstafir. This is an incredible piece of music with gorgeous vocal work and a light, airy feel that lasts for about three and a half minutes before they begin adding a more riff-oriented guitar part. Soon afterward, things get a bit heavier, and this song’s power comes to the forefront. The riffs may fluctuate accordingly, but the groove never stops, with Slow Wake showing you precisely what you’re in store for during this strikingly good album.
“Controlled Burn” hints at the third Danzig album for about the first two minutes before the band switches gears. They then drop in a riff that is as catchy as it is heavy, a fact that is doubled when the vocals come into play. The deeper timbre of Dan’s vocal approach has a familiar sound while not sounding like anyone else, and it fits the section like OJ’s glove was supposed to.
As things progress, we find the music moving in and out of these incredibly mellow and heavy sections, and the contrast in dynamics between the two creates a listening experience that is simply astounding. I hear a mix of influences, including Mastodon, Helmet, Chevelle, etc., and the tempo feels like the quickest of the five songs. This one is tied with the title track for being the best on Falling Fathoms.
Like the intro to “In Waves,” the beginning of “Falling Fathoms” has a major post-metal approach that borders along the realm of heavy psych, once again bringing Sólstafir to my mind.
That stylistic choice stays mostly the same as the music moves forward, though the intensity and potential of the song rise and fall in a dynamic way that will keep anyone listening invested in the track. The last section is massive sounding and slow, like the enormous footsteps of a brontosaurus, slowly losing strength but never lacking in its overall power as the song reaches its inevitable ending.
“Relief” starts with a calm that resonates deep within my soul and immediately lets me know that the band is masters of the chilled-out mellow feel that is a staple of the post-metal genre. Thankfully that’s only a part of what Slow Wake is about, and they soon evolve into a groove-laden section that displays the power of the riff.
The verse sections pull things back a bit, a slick change that creates a valley, making the song’s high points seem even loftier than they already are. The chorus is exceptionally singable, probably the best on the record, and will be stuck in your head for days after hearing it.
“I see myself
carved in stone.
I realize,
I’m alone.”
Those lines grab me on many levels; the vocal performance is incredible.
“Black Stars” is the one that wasn’t on the original release. Slow Wake had intended to release it as a stand-alone single, but when Argonauta Records became involved, they decided to add it to the album’s end.
The music has a slightly different sound than the first four tracks, and I wonder if that’s because it was written and recorded after them, displaying the band’s growth, or just a byproduct of their natural evolution at the time. No matter the reason, “Black Stars” is twelve and a half minutes of awesomeness, with the writing, performances, and overall feel all coming together to entertain music fans in the best way possible.
Final Thoughts
Slow Wake creates music that hits a lot of different genres, feelings, and emotions while ensuring you’re enjoying every one of them. One thing that strikes me is just how much this one-time EP now feels like a full album, a fact that I believe is due to the addition of “Black Stars,” a song that goes a long way in adding to my overall enjoyment of Falling Fathoms.
Hopefully, you’re as excited about Falling Fathoms as I was last year when it was originally released and as I am about it getting a physical release from Argonauta Records. There are currently two singles available, “Controlled Burn” and “Black Stars,” so go give them your attention and prepare for the full release on June 30th!
Support Slow Wake by finding them on Bandcamp, their official website, or social media (Facebook, Instagram).
This review was written by Tom Hanno, who has been writing reviews for the last 7 years but has been sharing his love of music for the majority of his life. Originally starting out at the now-defunct Chimera Magazine, he is currently contributing to Doomed and Stoned, The Sleeping Shaman, The Doom Charts, Tom’s Reviews, and The Third Eye. Read more of Tom’s reviews by checking out his Linktree.
Parting words: “America, how can I write a holy litany in your silly mood?” – Allen Ginsberg
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