Album Review: Shane Embury – Bridge to Resolution
Reviewed by Dan Barnes
Whilst best known for his colossal presence within the extreme metal community, Shane Embury has proved himself a man-for-all-seasons with his drone, dark ambient project, Dark Sky Burial, to add to him many, many side-hustles beyond Napalm Death. Written during the enforced downtime of the Covid-era, Bridge to Resolution takes the spirit of Dark Sky Burial and turns its focus inward, shaped by the upheaval and disruption of the time and how he as a creator reacted to it.
Taking the frank and open approach of his autobiography Life…? And Napalm Death, in which he lays bare his inner conflicts concerning mental health, personal identity and struggles with addiction, this debut solo record is an artist trying to sort things out in the best way he knows how.
Bridge to Resolution is a journey of self-discovery and draws its inspiration from the Jungian concept of Shadow Integration, the process of bringing hidden parts of the self into consciousness and to do this, Shane has removed himself from his day-job as a Grind Monster and looked instead to the music that shaped and inspires him beyond the Metal world.
Bands like The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Swans and Killing Joke, and scenes like the New Wave and Post-Punk colour all the record’s eight tracks, with Shane providing vocals, synths, guitar and bass, and ex-Cancer man, Carl Stokes, providing the percussion.
Opener, Spasm Prayer, hits with some heavy and choppy early electronics, built around a driving rhythms and powerful energy, it is softened by intersecting piano lines and an easy ambience, with a distinctive Eighties pop sound fizzing in the background. The Dreaming Abyss continues the electro pop feel, upbeat and even festive with the jingling bells at the start; but it doesn’t take long before gothic overtones can be heard in the raw vocals, and dark, gritty post-punk takes over.
Later, those poppy vibes return on Illusion Guillotine, this time with a harsh underscoring, even though the track feels like an exercise in musical restraint. Haunting female vocals and delicate keys soften the low set thick bass and Shane’s Gary Numan delivery. There’s a baroque feel to How to Corrode Memories, fairground melodies and layered vocals reflect the New Wave/ Post Punk influences throughout.
Both Thorns of Despair and Taurus lean heavily into harsh electronics , with Thorns… embracing the industrial sound of Shane’s hometown and its manufacturing history; dissonant noise re-enact the crashing, smashing machines as they build the Industrial Age, but there’s also an ominous warning hiding in plain sight, evoking the neon cityscapes of Blade Runner and the out of control creations of humanities’ hubris. Taurus, on the other hand, has a trippy dance vibe, reminiscent of With Sympathy-era Ministry.
Bridge to Resolution is not all doom, gloom and darkness, as its title track lands early in the piece as a wistful slice of Americana; easy guitar and heart-felt lyrics show a different side to the album, through notes loaded and rich with emotion, yet as dry as a desert wind.
It’s all leading to the closing tune, the eight-minute summarisation – maybe even the resolution of the title – that is The Gift of Shame Wrapped in Guilt. Hypnotic and mesmeric, the opening phrases establish themselves in a repeating pattern, the introspective lyric continually questions the narrator, seeking answers. It feels part confessional as the piano lines overlap, forming a progressive platform for the inevitable turn to a heavier mood. Shane would be the first to admit he has limited vocal range, but these work in the song’s favour as a more competent singer might have over-sung it, whereas Shane’s voice comes over as one seeking – and possibly finding – absolution of some sort. Classical strings bring the album to a conclusion.
A world away from what you’d expect from a Shane Embury solo record? Not really, but one that gives up its secrets slowly and makes the listener work to pull out the full nuance of the piece. It’s one of those albums that will burrow itself into your mind and have you reaching for it again long after you’ve moved on to other things.
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