Silent Cities

Apnea is a new signing for Immortal Frost Productions and a very solid find. The band plays a blend of shoegaze, post rock and black metal and they do it very well. Apnea was formed by Drew Reid (All instruments, vocals) in January 2011 who was quickly joined by Ben Mikkelson (guitars) the following month. One year later the guys have released their debut EP Silent Cities through Immortal Frost Productions.

The production is quite nice. It has an edgy rawness to it but still maintains just the right amount of crispness and clarity. At the same time the softer tones of the shoegaze/post-rock melodies add warmth and a certain dreamy quality to the mix. Apnea does a nice job of blending the contrasting styles and sound to create good flow throughout the songs. Nothing seems forced. It’s all very natural sounding.

The vocals are strong and powerful black metal screams/growls. They add a ferocious amount of anger and aggression to the music. Combined with the blast beats and distorted tremolo picking of the black metal sections the vocals create an onslaught of negative emotions. This of course works in contrast with the softer, warmer tones of the slower sections. It’s a nice break from the cold, harsh heaviness and it brings out new emotions of melancholy and sadness. The entire EP has a deep sense of longing to it and the mix of shoegaze and black metal becomes a mirror ever changing thoughts and emotions.

Each of the 5 songs on the EP has something unique to offer so picking a favourite is hard. That is a good thing because it means the EP is solid from start to finish. Of course this is easier to accomplish with 5 songs rather than a full album with twice the amount of songs. the first track “Mediums” starts the album of on a mellow note before unleashing a some black metal fury upon the unsuspecting listener. Obviously I expected the music to contain black metal elements but I didn’t really expect it to be so fast and aggressive. Especially considering the mellow intro of the song. The next track “She is…” continues on with more blast beat lead black metal fury with only a pause or two for some very mellow and sorrowful melodies. The third track “Mibi” is really the first full taste of the post-rock/shoegaze side of Apnea’s music. It’s warm and fuzzy and full of sweet sorrow and melancholy. It’s a repetitive song that for some strange reason conjures up odd and distant memories for me. The fourth track “Sleeping Horses” once again picks up the pace but eventually goes back and forth between softer passages and steadier rhythms. It’s the longest track and perhaps the most diverse on the album as far as arrangements go. The EP ends with a beautiful track called ” Sve”. I have no idea what the the title means but the song is full of that sweet sorrow and melancholy of the third track “Mibi”. It’s short and simple, made up of only a softly strummed guitar and some subtle atmospheric elements.

Silent Cities is a very impressive introduction to this relatively unknown band from New Zealand. If this is the sort of music we can expect from Apnea in the future then it is a very good sign of things to come. Sometimes music strikes you in a way you never expected and there really isn’t words to describe why you like it so much. Silent Cities has become on of those releases for me. This EP is well balanced with just the right amount of everything. I have a hard time finding any major fault to the music and it has quickly become one of my favourites of 2012. It will be interesting to see how Apnea evolves and how they will be able to follow up on this EP. For now I will just enjoy this amazing EP while I eagerly await of full length release. Hopefully I don’t have to wait too long.

Originally posted on MidwinterFires.com