EP Review: GodFrost – Hanging Doll
Reviewed by Matthew Williams
One of the many joys of writing album reviews is the amount of selection we get to choose from, so when I saw some industrial metal available, I couldn’t resist a bit of a delve into a genre that I’ve always loved. There’s something about huge industrial beats, dramatic drums, crushing guitars and pounding bass that I enjoy, so I was intrigued by this one.
GodFrost are based in Tokyo, with Frost contributing guitar, bass and programming, with guest vocalists Luna Midnight and Sara. Both bring a different sound to proceedings, with Luna kicking things off on opening track “Nefarious” and it’s got pretty much everything you want from an industrial metal song. The vocals add variety over the hypnotic beat with an almost nu-metal style rap in-between the cleaner words.
Sara adds her prowess on the next two songs, “Escape from Reality”, which is slowed down, and has a menacing element, before her higher tone bursts over the top, like a temptress luring you into her trap. It’s emotional and contrasts well to Luna’s style, as the raw, cold and atmospheric music whirls around in the background. “Hanging Doll” sees both credited for their vocal and lyrical contribution, and again it offers a slower paced beginning before the soaring vocals take over, with a spooky spoken word element incorporated into the track.
Signed now to Brutal Records, the EP is impactful and innovative, mixing doom and gothic noises, and “Bloodcurdling Scream” has a proper 90’s industrial base to it. With a mix of low and high vocals from the returning Luna, it’s both heavy and engaging, as the intensity ramps up and the words and intermittent screams flow across the composition.
The final track, “Seasons End”, caught me completely off guard, as the solemn, sobering somewhat melancholy track, doesn’t follow what has already happened. However, it is sung with clarity and feeling by Luna once again and provides a stark contrast to the harsh industrial nature of the previous songs, yet it allows the music to flow effortlessly as the words are both dramatic and heartfelt.
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