There’s something special about Northumbria and their latest, Bring Down the Sky. The ambient metal drone duo of guitarist Jim Field and bassist Dorian Williamson sound like the heavens conversing with subterranean realms resulting in the ying/yang earthly experience we know. Structurally independent and devoid of solid forms, the listener’s mind is thrown open to experience the songs in their own unique way. The song titles give some direction but ultimately what the listener envisions is entirely in their own mind. It’s beautiful. It’s emotional and most of all, it’s inspiring. Thusly it has inspired me to express my experience with Bring Down the Sky as a series of poems based on each song. I hope you enjoy them.
N.B. I know next to nothing about poetry.
“Transcendence”
Detach
Cast aside earthly tethers, for something greater lies within reach
Expand
Leave behind the cruelty of absolutes in a world of black and white
Rise
Destiny beckons from beyond the grossness of the senses
Immerse
Feel and accept the greater existence connecting all that is known and unknown
Transcend
Eternal peace unlocked from within
“The Ocean Calls Us Home”
Sun rises in splendour
Warmth, awakening, fresh and full of hope
Darkness lurks, ominous
Waiting to ensnare and defeat
Light spreads
Illuminating all, both ugly and beautiful
It reaches for the far horizon
Through the valley it travels as the world turns below
The ocean feels its warmth
Light penetrates the fathomless depths
Colours emerge and shimmer in the shallows
Oppressive darkness beckons from beyond the drop
The endless expanse humbles
Possibility knows no bounds
Beauty and danger, life and death in harmony
The balance is tipping, death gains the advantage
Deeper into despair, the darkness calls
The glorious light dies a slow death
Cold, a cold from which there is no escape
Deeper and deeper, the ocean calls us home
“Ostara”
It’s safe here, high among the clouds
Drifting, floating above a crude existence
Peacefully detached from the courser senses
Yet a tether remains, grounding
The bodily form held in proximity
The mind, free, meanders through the heavens
All is fluid here, nothing sharp
A blissful state surrounds the whole
Separating, maintaining a sobering lucidity
Oh! How the bond remains ever present
It’s safe here, serene and eternally tranquil
There shall be no return, this moment is forever
“The Silver Forest”
The wheel of time is ever turning
Even the strongest are no match
A gentle breeze blows through the forest
Dancing unobstructed through the once proud pines
But time has drained their life away
Standing still, they’ve turned to ash and stone
Behold! The Silver Forest
Sorrow sits heavy upon the Wind Spirit
Turns to dread and anger and lust for revenge
Unknowingly this negativity arises
A revelation, knowledge of time’s ravages
What is done is done and cannot be undone
Embrace and find beauty in transformation
“Bring Down the Sky”
Darkness hangs heavy, eternal
Motes of light burst gently
Cracks form and expand, groaning against the strain
Something is wrong
The colours are restless
Sorrow and hopelessness dominate, dread slows time
In the distance something rises, faintly
Bringing strength
To rebuild we must destroy
Gather courage and resolve
Rise and forge on, no matter the cost
But in the end it all fades to nothingness
Northumbria’s music does not exist on the plane upon which we place our feet, but above and below where wistfulness and darkness mask the tangible. It comes from an unknown place deep within its creators. When the conditions arise, a seed from ages past sprouts and takes form in this life. And a power uncontrolled and uncontrolling blossoms as a manifestation of sound.
How will Bring Down the Sky inspire you?
Released November 21, 2014 by Consouling Sounds
Bring Down the Sky on Bandcamp
Follow all Matt’s exploits on Twitter @KingdomofNoise
