(c) Dimwind
With great ambitions approached Dimwind her second album. Andreas Hansen and Jonas Eriksson wanted to musically explore emotions of grief after the loss of an imaginary loved one. The sudden death of Hansen’s wife during the making of this record cast a chilling shadow on the songwriting while eerily fitting the intended leitmotif. „The Futility Of Breathing“ is dedicated to particularly oppressive post-rock worlds.
Outshined by a human catastrophe, the six tracks automatically move to new levels of meaning. The tender opening of “First Light Never Stays” searches for hope until reality sets in. Dimwind not only create a fascinating, engaging atmosphere, but also strive for musical magic beyond that. Heavy metal-tipped post rock swells steadily, with the final minute surprising with astounding brutality. Eriksson tans the skins with growing enthusiasm, a bit of Post Black Metal resonates, and that somehow fits.
Another masterpiece is the constant trouble spot “Withering Unseen”, which is constantly in search of the aha moment and is confronted with its fragility in the process. This is expressed in hard, occasionally even slightly tool-prog guitar walls, which skilfully break out of the expectations of the genre and surprise with a bit of groove. On the other hand, “A Feelble Frame Remains” serves post fare in its purest form, albeit with a certain personal touch. Roasting heaviness, short spoken word samples and majestic anxiety create great art.
Not every idea is so spectacular, but that shouldn’t bother you any further. What Dimwind are doing here commands respect, and not just because of the tragic story behind The Futility Of Breathing. Artfully arranged Post Rock, which likes to break with convention, spreads out in this three quarters of an hour. Demanding, sometimes rock-hard and always stirring, that’s how the second of the two northern lights shows, whose grieving work unfortunately received a real background. That alone is impressive.
Rating: 8/10
Available from: 04/21/2023
Available from: Trepanation Recordings
Website: www.dimwind.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/dimwind.official
Category: Magazin, Reviews