Eight Bells – “Captain’s Daughter, The” – [Flenser]

Thurston Hunger   1/15/2014   12-inch, A Library

Post-Arachnoid Space Syndrome, part two? Melynda Jackson and
Chris van Huffel unite with bassist Haley Westeiner and forge
a metal more heavy than black or death or crusty or avuncular
or etc… Jackson’s guitar leaves ripples like deuterium,
plenty of dramatic patches flooded with arena reverb, add
enough furious technical forays to pay for a lifetime
subscription to Guitar Player. I dig it when the trio
harnesses their power for some start and stop surges, like
after guest vocalist Kris Force (Amber Asylum) completes
the lyrics on the title track leading off the B-side. After
that piece, the closing number sort of had a Cure T-shirt
hiding in the “Yellowed Wallpaper.” Well, maybe in my ears.
But I’ll hang my head on the door to this album, the first
two tracks on the A-side, which move with some heavy-duty
purpose. On those two, both Melynda and Haley add wordless
vocals that haunt with the heft. Fashion followers, which
do you prefer here? The oxygenated blood red vinyl or
the crypto-cyclo band logo? Both are snazzy on this
factory-fresh Flenser ear peeling.

-Thurston Hunger