On their sophomore album, The Churning Blue of Noon, Dunedin/ Melbourne duo, Ov Pain, move from the icy post punk of their self-titled debut from 2017 to a sound which immediately comes across as the most elaborate, boldest and most intimate work they've released thus far. Longer songwriting forms, a firm placement at a more elusive, psychedelic sound, and an avant garde darkwave approach ultimately result to a downright obscure endeavor.
No matter how many or how intense the new album's parallels to some of dark underground music's pioneers may be, Ov Pain, have signed this one with their own marks, and it carries their distinct aesthetic. The Churning Blue of Noon benefits from an unconventional for the genre instrumental approach and the band's lyrical sophistication to convince and appeal to the cynical, the discontented and the perturbed, and offer scores of unease unrestrictedly for everyone else.
Without being directly related to extreme metal, the album comes with an air of exceptional heaviness which equates with instances of weighty, atmospheric sludge, while the cinematic post rock aspect of it is conspicuous throughout its entirety, mixed with no wave distinction and nuances of apocalyptic goth and neofolk. Above all, there's a concentrated, fervent ritualistic feel which endows the record with its unearthly character. Prime example of that ceremonial aspect. are the two tracks titled Ritual in the Dark, dubbed Part 1 and 2.
Singles Excess and Expenditure and Daytripping definitely stand out, but so do other moments on the album, like Ever the Twain Shall Chafe, a Lynchian nightmare of mystical properties which sounds edgier with every listen.
Renee Barrance and Tim Player created something tough to consume and metabolize, yet, a challenging and thrilling ride of an album. Out through It Records, The Churning Blue of Noon is a transcendent, prominent sophomore album, better absorbed as a whole, and the levels on which it immerses are more than a few.
Band photo by Josh Watson
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