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Review: 'Welburn, James'
'Hold'   

-  Album: 'Hold' -  Label: 'Miasmah Recordings'
-  Genre: 'Rock'

Our Rating:
A heavy, ultra-slow beat crashes hard against a thunderous, bowel-shaking bass and a mesh of sheet metal guitar as ‘Naught’ slices open the cranium by way of an intro to James Weburn’s ‘Hold’. I’m immediately reminded of ‘Cop’ era Swans. It grinds for what feels like an eternity, but also builds until it reaches a skull-splitting roaring mass.

‘Peak’ sounds like an instrumental version of Joy Division’s ‘day of the Lords’ with the tape slowed to half speed. It’s one of the album’s lighter, most accessible tracks. ‘Shift’ ups the tempo, but doesn’t exactly lighten the mood.

To describe the atmosphere – or sound – as ‘doomy’ would be misleading. There’s grace and beauty here, as well as immense weight. IMMENSE weight. It’s heavier, starker than anything you’re likely to find associated with what we know as ‘doom’. I’d also wager that Welburn has spent some time listening to JK Broadrick’s work, particularly his output as Jesu, although there are moments that emerge from the tumultuous squall that evoke the first Head of David album.

Ambience overlays powerhouse grind to stunning effect to create an album you don’t so much listen to as feel, experience and yield to.

James Welburn Online
  author: Christopher Nosnibor

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Welburn, James - Hold