It takes not only balls but talent too, to release a one-song album. When it's a demo, it requires an extra dose of cockiness. Aussies Encircling Sea showed they did have all that, talent included, when they put out their self-released 'I', but it didn't quite work. However, there was something to it, well hidden as it was. If you're one of those obstinate types who won't ever skip a song, even if it's 50 minutes long and mostly uneventful like 'I' is, you'll understand how I got to the last ten minutes of it where the good stuff was. After 40 minutes or so of slow-developing, post-rockish doom, female vocals show up, moods change, the drums surge forward like a crazed shaman and suddenly it's like you're dropped in a more tribal Wolves In The Throne Room moment.

With this glimmer of hope, I kept the name Encircling Sea in the "to follow" list I have in my head, which turned out to be a very good decision. Their first proper album 'Écru', released recently through An Out Recordings, takes those last ten minutes of 'I' and launches the Melbourne band into another dimension. Yet another one-song thing, 37 minutes long this time, it still brings to mind a sort of Wolves In The Throne Room vibe, or more specifically Altar Of Plagues during the more furious black metal parts, but it also flutters between styles effortlessly, with a sludge-like dirty heaviness being thrown in with great effect and captivating atmospheric parts, not to mention the gorgeous female vocals that give the final dash of colour to the ensemble. Most of all, it's well written. Not only do all those different elements gel together nicely, it's also a teasing album - when they seem like they're on the verge of dragging something on for too long, either a quiet bit begging for a crescendo for a couple of minutes or a droning riff, just a second before you shout "get on with it!", they do get on with it and move on. As a final touch of good taste, the packaging of the album and even their t-shirts are all wonderfully well-designed and really fit the mood of the music, so that's a bonus point.

As far as my knowledge goes, these people have never played outside Australia, even if they've supported Monarch! and other great bands there, so if some promoter would care to fix that, it would be nice. Also, the guitarist's last name is Beard. So all this text wasn't really needed to prove Encircling Sea are great.

(photo by Matt Scheurich)

Encircling Sea website, with a streaming clip of 'Écru'
An Out Recordings
Get the album and a t-shirt at the band's webstore.

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