"Shamanistic rock with punk energies was my first, unlasting,
impression. It was still true three tracks in: long, very repetitive,
trance-inducing music for shamans and others wanting to reach a higher
or altered state. The slow beat of the drum keeps you anchored. You
don't want to float off entirely. Not a lot is happening, but a purpose
is forming. What sets the tracks apart the most is intros and outros.
Track titles don't really support my first impression, except "La danse des sorcieres" ["Dance of the sourcerers"].
Other track titles, as well as the album title, suggest the ocean being
a theme and especially giant sea creatures. The wall-of-text album
description, which I skimmed through, supports this. The description
also mentions stoner rock, which seems fitting. Mostly instrumental:
drums and what sounds like electric guitar and bass (with emphasis on
bass). Standard rock set-up, expect a few samples and maybe an
occasional keyboard or synth on a few tracks for sound effects. Most
tracks are at least 10 minutes long. Shortest is 8:59 and longest 21:38.
Make sure you have at least two hours free before you embark.
First track, "Under pressure", starts with water and a
croaking bird, I'm guessing a black crow or a raven; nature worthy of a
ritual rooted in ancient history. Non-verbal wailing-like vocals, but
mid-pitched, like that of a human mimicking an animal? Otherwise purely
instrumental. Second and third tracks ["La danse des sorcieres" and "Últimas palabras" ["Last words"]
respectively], have the same set-up, except with vocal samples of
someone speaking, not sure about what. Track #2 starts with what sounds
like glockenspiel.
Track #4, "Godzilla", still has that lo-fi distorted
punkrock energy, albeit slow, still long and repetitive, but the trance
is broken. The tempo is fleeting. Seems unstable. Sometimes faster,
sometimes slower, just slightly. Our ship is sailing off to wherever the
sea decides. You earn your sealegs. Why is it named after a giant
lizard-creature? Are we out to sea hunting it down?
Track #5, "Eye of the storm", delivers some of that
variation I crave and starts with a more easy-going electronic sounding
synth loop slowly fading in from silence and eventually being
accompanied by harsher drone-like sound effects and distorted guitar
drones. The sounds of a storm, if you will [because title]. This goes on
for quite a while. It's one of the longer tracks, clocking in at 21:20.
The album finishes with three tracks about "dubwhales", bringing
onboard more variation. Some cool disruptive drumming going on here,
most prominent in dubwhale II & III. Any deviations are mostly like a
drop in the ocean, though. Not sure what a dubwhale is, other than a
whale listening to dub or a large creation with slight dub-vibes.
All in all, "Dive:two" by GHOST:WHALE, is like a nice warm
blanket of sound, noise-cancelling and as brutal as it is soothing. Deep
and bass-heavy rock for stoners and others ready for a long journey out
at sea—or inside it, under it, deep below the surface."
By Maskinkultur / _nsigned.com.
Take a look at this review posted on _nsigned! GHOST:WHALE - 'Dive:two' album review by Maskinkultur.
