Album Review: Bell Witch & Aerial Ruin - Stygian Bough: Vol II
Reviewed by Oli Gonzalez
Bonnie and Clyde. Bert and Ernie. Batman and Robin. Morecambe and Wise. Iconic duos who have shaped pop culture. Bell Witch and Ariel Ruin is nowhere as iconic, admittedly, though the two combined forces in 2020 to release a record admired by lovers of the riff globally. An underground cult classic; “Stygian Bough Volume 1”. Blending the darkened melodic acoustic passages of Eric Moggridge’s Ariel Ruin with the crushing funeral doom edge of Bell Witch made for one of the more unlikely yet remarkable combinations in the world of metal. 5 years later, the follow up is here, “Stygian Bough Vol 2”, and this is what we’re in for…
The album kicks off with ‘Waves Became The Sky’ (which has already been released to the public). With Bell Witch being a two piece, Dylan and Jesse have limited tools at their disposal to add a melodic focal point to their music. Dylan has to pull double duty in providing melody and bass lines with one hand dedicated to each task in a unique twist to the bass. Meanwhile, Jesse operates a rather impressive collection of foot pedals to trigger synths in a live setting. Now though, they have a third member in Eric. They make that count with a denser and more immersive sound featuring clear lead guitar and syncopated bass lines that simply wouldn’t be possible as a duo.
What strikes me is the vast upgrade to the production values! Whereas “Stygian Bough Volume 1” felt a little too rough and demo at times, the trio have clearly learned lessons from that and applied them here. The end product is a much smoother cleaner sounding second volume.
Bell Witch are hardly the most radio nor child friendly music. However, the opening to ‘King Of The Wood’ was dark even by their standards! Carved from the most bleak and sadistic of scales, this feels like an insert from a black metal track played at ¼ speed! Though calm is ensued when things slow to a glacial drip, and the volume is cranked right down. Here, we enter an almost post-rock movement. Just the glass like guitars and Jesse’s voice to lull you into tranquillity. Tranquillity that is eventually shattered by the returning tsunami of doom infused noise!
Soothing. Calm. Tranquil. Suitable adjectives to describe the opening acoustic passage to ‘From Dominion’, along with Eric and Dylan’s softer vocals adding to this effect. All before your world get’s flipped upside down with the most punishing low end of the Dylan’s demonic 7 string bass! Genuinely, this made me jump (and would have been hilarious to see as a react video), and you should be ready for such a sharp and hasty transition! Once my blood pressure and heart rate settled, it was back to becoming engaged in the splendour of the simple yet powerful riffs played with the most gorgeous of tones. Genuinely, Eric and Dylan must have spent some
serious hours crafting their sounds and rearranging their pedal boards. Time well spent!
A similar tandem flip between heavy-as-hell monstrous doom and calming melodies is another prominent feature in ‘The Told and The Leadened’. At nearly 20 minutes long, this can be a tough sell for casual listeners, feeling like a slog and a chore. Conversely, this offers a deeper and richer exploration into the combined creative genius of Jesse, Dylan, and Eric. Depending on your perspective.
This anecdote is probably the best way to describe the polarising experience of “Stygian Bough Volume II”. The fast food Spotify generation may not have the patience nor desire to sit through songs sailing way north of 10 minutes. Though lovers of the riff and those leaning towards the bleaker darker side of music will be more than satiated by a monumental effort from an artist continuously redefining the standards for the genre.
