DarkWater - Album Review: Turning Point
Turning Point is a complex, dynamic album that takes the listener on an intense ride. There are mysterious, fragile, powerful and gritty moments to discover on this ten-track offering that sounds both balanced and refined. Recorded at DWHQ in New Plymouth and then mastered by Marvin Menz at Tide Studios, London, this album not only presents what to expect at a DarkWater show, but also the very best examples of their magnificent songs.
DarkWater is Nathan Waipouri (vocals, guitar), Merran Holden (bass, keys, vocals) and Ross Kilgour (drums). Now operating as a trio after cutting down from a four-piece, the band’s sound is clear but vigorous, using a tasteful overdrive for their guitar sound and placing instruments in various amounts of swirling reverb. Turning Point is melodic, intelligent, but heavy; telling the story (it would seem) that passes through the five stages of trauma – Denial, Anger, Fear, Bargaining and Acceptance.
F.O.O.L. (Falling Out Of Line) begins the album with an ominous tone. The band utilizes dramatic pauses often, like taking a collective breath, especially when the intensity changes. There are some beautifully overdriven guitar tones to enjoy with some tasteful drum playing and bouncy bass, all soaking in reverb. The chord changes at the chorus are superb as it contrasts with the simple, driving verse riff. There’s influences of Tool, Perfect Circle and Shihad to be found here. Waipouri sings in a heartfelt moment asking, “why are we so convinced of it all?” as the tale of becoming disenchanted with reality unfolds.
Optic Fantasy continues with this theme, questioning what we see around us. The song kicks off with an exotic sounding riff, with floating washes of layered guitar for an ethereal ambiance. Waipouri exhibits some incredible screams on this track, while the band showcases their huge dynamic changes. A clean solo offers the perfect break from the vigour of the moment proceeding it, then the lyrics “the abstract of memory, that optic nerve of fantasy” reinforces the theme of simulation theory, questioning your senses and Cartesian doubt.
Third track Presence of Fear begins with a complex synth cloud that guitar and driving drums give form to. The song keeps returning to some muscular riffs with the dramatic pauses and small breaks that the band utilizes so well across this whole album.Eye of A Needle is the single, and there’s a brilliant music video available on YouTube to check out that features some wonderful abstract graphics, comic book style speech bubbles and scary, satanic imagery. Like the band’s lyrics, it all somehow works. An example of words that seem like they shouldn’t work are: “and those questions answered in silence, it’s silence where the truth that seems to hide in the shadows”. Sung with two harmonized vocals, male and female, (Waipouri and Holden) , the words take on a more poetic element. The song is anthemic and catchy, nearly sounding patriotic at times. There are a few moments that are remnant of early Iron Maiden melodic breaks, but the majority of the song makes use of the chugging of Tool with a little classic AC/DC for good measure.
While The World Is Bleeding features some tasteful guitar tones (that wonderfully warm overdrive again), with some Abe Cunningham style drums, especially some fancy hi-hat work. This is my favourite track on the album due to the range of emotions the band offers up. “A little sign to give some meaning, for peace of mind, but it's hard when the world's already bleeding” is a great example of poetry on the album. The song has a great Mastodon-like guitar star gazing solo, dripping in timed delay, followed by a more conventional rock guitar solo. There’s even time for a piano break.
I, The Beholder, Final Thread of Hope and Always Will are more ballad like, but they all demonstrate the ability of the band to turn quickly into an intense riff orientated section. The songs showcase some great heartfelt lyrics and vocal performances, and the sensation of listening to these songs on the latter half of the album is one of melancholic turning into anger, then ultimately acceptance.
Seas of a Fallen Concern has a different vibe, with a hypnotic and complex riff in an interesting time signature complete with tempo changes. One that may be hard to pull off live, perhaps, but I have a feeling this band likes a challenge.
Final track, (and the title track of the album) is an absolute stand out song and brings the story to a close after the anger, denial and fear of the first half. Lyrical delivery of syllables is quite complicated here, such as: “but you’ve never seen or heard of me, not once before, in this o'le cynical approach with all my enemies, and I’ll make my enemies sacred and conform to my needs” but I couldn’t imagine a band with such a complex sound having anything less unusual for their lyrics. Although the song goes hard, by the halfway point we are ending the journey, and the band is playing delicately as the song (and album) draws to a close. The song ends softly, the final release and acceptance the album has been working toward.
Turning Point is a fantastic album worthy of international praise. It is both intricate and weighty, with thought provoking lyrics and emotional performances. Watch this band blossom.
About DarkWater
DarkWater started life as a four piece, after a line-up change, they are now a hard hitting three piece. Their first year together was spent developing their sound and style, which has developed into a gripping yet gritty sound with a heaviness that enfolds melody.
DarkWater have already started making a name for themselves having played at G Taranaki and opening for Shihad, The Feelers, I Am Giant and The Checks in their home town of New Plymouth.
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for DarkWater
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