Sometimes, an album contains all great songs, no filler, no skips. Sometimes an album has a few good songs. Sometimes you buy an album because you saw one good video on MTV Headbangers Ball in the 90s, and the rest is terrible. Sometimes an album has one really killer song that makes the whole thing worthwhile. This is one of those.

Now, to be clear Corroding Soul, the debut atmospheric black metal album from the UK’s David Lovejoy (who released quite a bit of similar material under the Sorrow Plagues moniker), contains four, 9-11 minute songs, 3 are decent, but frankly, three songs in, I wasn’t even going to review this.

It is OK, it’s clearly inspired by Deafheaven’s Sunbather as well as bands like Unreqvited, Vallendusk, Numeron, and Christian Cosentino, styled Black Metal. It’s shimmery, uplifting, emotive, jangly, and very light on the traditionally ‘Black’ side of things, other than the vocals, but it has some decent, crescendoing 6/8 tremolo riffs that cover the bases if you like the bands I just mentioned. But Black Metal purists will surely hate it.

“Tempest”, “Shadow” and “Bound” are certainly listenable, with “Tempest” having the best jangly 6/8 and mid-paced riffs of the three. It’s all laden with acoustic/keyboard/ introspective moments and certainly, Lovejoy is clearly a fan of Deafheaven’s, “Dream House, and “The Pecan Tree” songs (and Lovejoy’s voice is a dead ringer for George Clarke. It’s enjoyable, if a bit ……Nice? Wispy? Twinkly?…. even for me.

But just as I am ready to just sort of write the album off, and not put energy into reviewing something that I’m not totally into, the fourth track “Sapphire”, kicks in, and I am ready to jump online and buy the album immediately.

Listen, it’s still the same overall Deafheaven -y sound, so there’s no departure from the rest of the album, but holy fuck does Lovejoy deliver absolutely perfect, slightly more aggressive melodies and beautiful chord progressions here. After a slow acoustic build, about a minute in, the shimmery, slicing riff kicks in, and blows me away, to where I audibly say ‘WOW’ to myself. It’s 11 minutes of utter bliss, and truly one of those rare songs I don’t want to end.

If Lovejoy can build on the momentum of “Sapphire” and keep recreating its stunning prose, he might be an artist to keep an eye on in the scene that rivals Unreqvited and Woods of Desolation.

[Visit the band's website]

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