Brave the Waters – Chapter II: Days of Solitude (Self-Released)
Sunday, 27th January 2019
Back in 2015, Brave the Waters gave us some solitude and reflective space in Chapter I and laying the groundwork for future material. Now four years later, the Buckshot Facelift/Grey Skies Fallen duo of Tom Anderer and Rick Habeeb bring us an equally serene return with the second chapter. Be warned that it’s not really metal in the least, more of a lush ambient piece than anything else.
Picking up right where the debut left off, Chapter II sticks to the same sort of layout. A mixture of acoustic and electric guitars with dream-like qualities and some occasional Pink Floyd-ian psychedelia encompasses the main qualities that you will find. With some melancholic tendencies as well, it’s not the type of thing that you listen to when its time to get the blood pumping. Instead it showcases a different side to Anderer and Habeeb’s usual stomping grounds, and writing this during the middle of some snow on a winter’s day seems to provide the perfect mood-setting ground. Something introspective and slightly space-y, with the tracks blurring in such a way that it feels like more like a explorative trip moreso than anything else. Not that there aren’t some standout moments with some beauty to them, such as the gentle build on “To Be Alone,” or the strumming melodies present on “Maze of Winding Roads.”
Certainly not the everyday listen, Days of Solitude (an apt title by the way) is more for those moments when you just want to escape from it all. A meditative listen that will let you just drift away, or sit with your thoughts for a little while.
