Happy Wednesday, extreme fans! Just a quick reminder that you can find all editions of Extreme Of The Extreme right HERE. Typically, this space is used to discover the extreme in the sense of a genre, black metal, death metal, and whatever else. This week, it's time to take a gander at something a little different, an emotional extreme. Morgan Rider And The Deep Dark River are set to debut their new album Leviathan & The Deep, Dark Blue. To go along with the album stream, the band have also readied a premiere for the music video of "Dread" one of the songs on the new album.
To start with some background, Morgan Rider is most well known for leading his band Vesperia. While Rider has also taken place in other projects, such as SIG:AR:TYR, Crimson Shadows alongside others, Vesperia was home. In recent years, Rider branched into a more folk sound, birthing The Deep Dark River which takes influence from the likes of Katatonia and even finds a way to blend in some Enslaved style tones. Finding himself a bit of help with this release, while Rider does majority of the instrumentals (vocals, guitars, bass, piano, percussion), Nathan Morrison was enlisted for cello work on the album.
Leviathan… is described as "a story of an oceanic guardian who has taken the form of a colossal grey whale." This is where the emotional depth of the album begins, following a story of mankind's destruction of the world and specifically causing the waters to "sour and darken". "Dread", which can be heard below, follows this guardian whale across the ocean. The guardian watches other sea creatures die due to the toxins from humans and in a massive sense of dread, creates a massive storm. The instrumentals push this sense along blending progressive metal and traditional folk to make something unique. Leviathan… enters heavy territory instrumentally, but never leaves it emotionally.
[youtube=https://youtu.be/s2BsqUP9Sns][/youtube]
If you're just here for riffs, "Ignite The Tempests" is definitely the song to check out. Morgan Rider And The Deep Dark River don't back down from having impressive musicianship throughout the album, it creates a great soundtrack to what is such a well written story. For anyone looking for something even more emotional, the album also comes with acoustic versions of each of the songs. Stripping down the metal touch and creating a much lesser soundscape for someone who may want to specifically hear the story of the album.
The good news is, if this is what you're looking to hear and Leviathan… is up your alley, this is part two of a quadrility. The bad news, if you absolutely hate this (how could you!?) this is part two of a quadrility. If this is your first experience with Morgan Rider And The Deep Dark River, the first album Deep Dark River is also available on Bandcamp and is just as emotionally damaging, even if a little more stripped than this one.
