Behold, Cosmic Horror! Lovecraftian or otherwise, this is one of the great and overflowing fonts of inspiration for many a fledgling metal band. Invoking the descent into a knowledge so vast it unravels sanity and reality is an ironically understandable theme that appeals to many metal bands, especially in the progressive and psychedelic corners of the endless. yawning void of the metal-sphere. Thus, Farseer approaches, slithering and undulating out of their chasm located somewhere in the windy city, and ambushing the mind of their unsuspecting listener with a dizzying array or progressive, psychedelic and somewhat blackened doom metal.
On their sophomore album, Portal to Cosmic Womb, Farseer spin their own intricate web of progressive threads and silky snares, boasting influences of Huntsmen, Dvne, and Barishi where the riffs plunge and pummel, while flirting with the more contemplative tones of We Lost The Sea and Elder where the ephemeral melodies surface and breathe. The first and most obvious feather in Farseer’s cap is the fantastic production that immediately graces the albums scintillating opening melody, offering the deep toms and bass drum, the shimmering cymbals and the tectonic thrum of the bass each their well-deserved place in the mix. Surging through this mix, the guitars are intermittently thick and nimble where needed, and the vocals are wonderfully intelligible while retaining a delectable phlegmy and blackened bite.
Between the wonderful lilting riff that opener "The Supreme Note of Suffering" bulldozer-waltzes into, the delicious Dvne allusions of “Endless Waves of Obliteration” and the spine-restructuring stomp of "The Gentleman's Bookshelf" (which might very well compete for my coveted “Riff of the year” award) there is plenty of heft and brawn here. Equally impressive are the gorgeous, crystalline melodies that offer reprieve from the crushing pressure of Farseer's low-end assault and knotty time-signatures, especially on "The Abomination Renders the Poor Man Speechless" with its scintillating post-rock coded melodies and the second half of "Endless Waves of Obliteration", which conjures peak era Elder in its psychedelicism while remaining firmly tethered in groove and never descending into anything too jammy. Lead single and and recommended track “A Shattered Orb Signals the Erasure of Parallel Timelines” is indeed a good starting point (cumbersome title notwithstanding) for anyone wishing to ease themselves into this adventurous dive into the gaping maw of untold truth and horror, as the track provides a remarkable microcosm of Portal to Cosmic Womb’s excellence within less than five minutes. For the busy, modern day explorer, sometimes the vast unknown needs to be pint-sized and digestible.
Aside from providing an expertly balanced mix of blistering bulk, galloping groove, and magnificent melodicism, Farseer wield a deft balance in the presence and absence of vocals, inserting these where they are most effective but without overcrowding the ever engaging instrumentals. This choice to not overindulge on vocals is further supported by perhaps my only criticism of this album: the vocals can err on the thin-sounding side, although this might be a side-effect of the otherwise impeccable production, and for the most part the vocals sound fierce and the lyrics are surprisingly clear even without a full lyric sheet provided. As closer "The Daneri House" slams and slithers into the willing eardrums with more wonderfully uplifting math-rock melodies that even bring to mind And So I Watch You From Afar and a subtly astounding drum performance, before unleashing another rollicking groove and gratuitously fuzzed out guitar effects, my only other criticism is dragged, slimy and sporting innumerable tentacles, into the light. Clocking in at just under 40 minutes, I want more of this!
For my part, Farseer could have doubled this album's length. Between the songwriting and deeply pleasing production, I could go on a voyage into the unknown with Farseer for two hours straight and probably come out with the same urge to immediately hit that play button again. Gaze into the scrying orb, and devour voraciously what these Chicagoans offer you on their mesmerising sonic bookshelf. While prophecy is a fickle foundation, I’m expecting Portal to Cosmic Womb to draw its listeners in and leave them with a manic and unhinged urge to include this album come list season.