There are always a few characteristics you can extract from an album before pressing the play button, and WHAT THE BLOOD REVEALED are no exception. At first glance, the debut full length by the Scottish quartet may imply that the band have followed a step-by-step guide to post-rock; an ominous four word moniker, a selection of songs that average out at the seven or eight minute mark, and song titles that wouldn’t be out of place on a Norwegian black metal showcase (see: ‘The Streets Ran Red with the Blood of the Pious’). The one characteristic of the album which does surprise is the sheer elegance of the atmospheric post-rock on offer, managing to step back from the formula perfected by EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY and THIS WILL DESTROY YOU, which is often imitated but rarely matched.
On ‘Harbour of Devils’, WHAT THE BLOOD REVEALED fit somewhere between the two extremes of post-rock. Rather than simply resigning themselves to one style, each song takes elements from the cleaner end of the spectrum and combines them with doom inspired drudgery. The majority of compositions follow a unique pattern which offsets the styles against each other, managing to deliver a mesmerising and gargantuan sound. The complete lack of electronics keep the sound at its purest form while maintaining the dense atmosphere that truly defines the record.
Regardless of the airy and often euphoric elements of the LP, the musical references to doom and death metal shape the record. There isn’t a single moment on ‘Harbour of Devils’ which doesn’t feel as bleak and sinister as it does beautiful. On occasion the lead guitar delves further into classic rock territory, yet somehow this compliments the overall quality. WHAT THE BLOOD REVEALED have injected all the necessary originality and classicalism into their brand of post-rock to make ‘Harbour of Devils’ an absolutely blinding experience.
BEN TIPPLE