On Earth and Heaven

To some extent, Ember Sun (a one-man project from ex-Order Of The Ebon Hand guitarist Lorthar) exists at the softer end of metal, mingling despairing funeral doom with mellower gothic touches, and recalling a more relaxed Paradise Lost at times. Some of that softness transpires to be spaciousness as opposed to light sounds, since some of the 9 minute long cuts tunnel through passages of grimly monotonous riffing and knuckle-dragging grunted vocals that - due to seemingly programmed drums - bear a similarity to the murk of the Belgian Gateway. Heaviness can emerge unexpectedly however, and a cut like ‘Ember Heart of Me’ suddenly escalates into blinding melody, airy chants, and distant double bass that scatter all the emotions I’ve built up beforehand, somehow redoubling them as a result. On that theme, the bouts of grim riffing that frequently return help remind me that On Earth and Heaven is at heart a hymn of solitude and sorrow.

In the end, the variety on offer proves a terrific treat of atmospheric control, yet the 45 minutes occasionally loses focus, such as during the entirely ambient ‘The Chapel’, which might have finished the album better than arriving before the long closer. Indeed, it’s one of those tracks that takes a calculated risk, coming close to what My Dying Bride attempted with ‘Le Cerf Malade’ and only narrowly feeling superfluous in the grand scheme. That’s due to the already varied sonic and emotional palette that the other tracks portray, where place-setting seems unnecessary in light of the poised balance between heavy despair and buoyant hope. At over 10 minutes, ‘My Essence Fades in Time’ shows that the best route to success might be the longest, contrasting a tender female voice and warm guitars à la The Cure with rigid harsh vocals and a mechanized stomp. An album of great ideas just seeking a more cohesive presentation.


Originally written (in edited form) for Metalegion #10 - www.metalegion.com