Communion consists of just five (albiet mostly rather lengthy) tracks, each of which could be described using terms such as ambient, drone and post-rock, although such terms do little to convey the emotional heft that the album carries. The album has a tangible substance, a weight, something that Reaume describes as  “a glacial, mountainous, almost monolithic quality that reflected my mood and state of mind.“ For an album recorded in his bedroom, this is no mean feat. Lo-fi bedroom pop this is not. This may be due in part to the help Reaume received from James Plotkin, who mastered the album (having previously worked with bands such as Sunn O))), Isis, Earth and Oneohtrix Point Never).

There are very few conventional lyrics on Communion. The closest thing we get are the vocals on Field Two, but even here the lyrics are abstract and opaque (’I much prefer the truth, ‘cos you know they say we’ll die by the sword’). Some of my favourite vocals on the album come on PTSD, where they have an almost hymnal quality, like some kind of monastic chant, bringing some semblance of peace to an otherwise powerful and lonely record.

For all the grief and pain on display, this is still a very beautiful album. There are occasions where the sonic landscapes feel bleak and desolate, but there are also glimpses of something else. Communion is a very human album, borne out of fear and confusion, but ultimately a testament to inner strength. It takes courage to sit down and record something like this, and it is this spirit which ultimately shines through.

You can buy the album right now as a digital download on the Black Walls Bandcamp page, or on vinyl via Pleasence Records.

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Palms is sort of like what you would get if a post-rock band covered stadium rock hits, drawing out words and phrases so they are no longer sing-a-long anthems but big sprawling monstrosities that are weird and unsettling as well as soaring and uplifting.

It is a loud album. The lyrics are howled and yelled into the swirling soundscapes, the instrumentation constantly trying to force it’s way forward, lunging for quicker paces, louder summits. Even the more restrained tracks feel unstable, bubbling under the surface with a violence, itching to spew forth.

Featuring members of ISIS and The Deftones, this isn’t usually the sort of music I find myself listening to. However, by whatever means, it has grabbed me and made me listen to it’s chaotic blend of intimacy and elemental force. Try it out.

The album is to be released on the 25th June on Ipecac Recordings.

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