[a short review (once again), yet dealing with another unique recording]
Country (for what it’s worth): Spain
Members: David Muñoz (everything; also known as keyboardist for Sun Of The Dying Sun and Arwen)
Type: jewel-case compact-disc
Duration: 46:21
Genre: Dark / Gothic / Doom-Death Metal
Yermo is a solo-outfit by Sun Of The Dying / Arwen member David, who started this outfit during the pandemic. His untitled debut consists of six quite lengthy compositions, with lyrics in both English and Castilian. His Castilian roots did influence both the poetry, as well as some parts within his Music.
From stylistic point of view listen, Yermo (the album) is a remarkable adventure through different sonic domains, yet surrounded by a convinced organic cohesion. Atmospheric Black Metal, Gothic Death Metal, Symphonic Metal, Doom Metal, Gothic Black Metal, Folk, Doom Death Metal, Post Metal and so on; it’s just a glimpse of Yermo’s approach.
The album is based on very ‘full’ symphonies, and with ‘full’ I do mean: powerful, overwhelming, multi-layered and abundant. The whole of the time, several levels of strings (both lead riffing and rhythms structures), of percussions (with thundering drum-blasts, esoteric beats and pushing rumblings), and of voices (especially harshly blackened and deeply grunting, yet with harmonious, choir-like, and epic vocals as well) get mingled into a timeless, yet especially modern-sounding symphonia of melancholic / sensual / introvert / romantic / introspective / spiritual, sonic voyage. Melodious orchestration, extravert outbursts, integer feedback and extremer passages evolve, develop, expand, and collide, through both slow-paced and energetic passages, through both emotional and harsh excerpts, through both illuminated and abyssal movements.
Conclusion: Yermo is a sensitive, delicate, breakable yet forceful and imposing soundtrack. Even-though it’s a one-person effort, the result sounds enormously organic, as if a whole team of musicians was involved within the recording process (and not just David). Besides, the sound-quality (read: production and mix) is really cool: well-balanced when referring to the mix (all voices and instruments are equally of importance), and when referring to the production (no background noises or unforeseen reverberating sounds whatsoever). And at the very same time – and I think that’s an important element – the whole does not sound too cheesy, smooth, neatly either.