Ride Their Second Wave
There is no light in Maudlin's world. Conjuring up a host of atramentous musical apparitions within a swathe of doom-laden progressive rock and crushing post-metal, A Sign Of Time sees the Belgian quintet creeping away from the noisier, full-on eclectic assault of previous album Ionesco and ushering in a whole host of fresh sounds and atmospherics. Yet the embraced darkness is tastefully alluring and full of hope, rather than shrouded in mournful melancholia.
The intro track might trick one into thinking otherwise, however, with Isla Cameron's chilling rendition of O Willow Waly from classic British horror flick The Innocents sampled to create an unearthly atmosphere for the impending aural experience. The album's concept reflects Maudlin's ambition here as much as it bolsters its feel, tying itself to the disturbing tale of experimental lobotomy created for the band's debut album.
The diversity that can be heard throughout A Sign Of Time is a showcase for Maudlin's songwriting strength and their ability to forge a well-crafted path through listeners' emotions, rather than a haphazard attempt at experimentation. She Whispers Treason is yin to Lilith's yang; the former a pounding progressive rocker with an abundance of melody, the latter a noir and dreary life-drainer, the only constant being Davy De Schrooder's haunting baritone melodies and the sense of yearning that envelops the music. The glimmer of genuinely uplifting melody that peeks through on A Perfect Sky of Black lasts barely over a minute before retreating back into the cold abode that Maudlin so comfortably dwell in. A heavy Pink Floyd influence begins to take shape yet never manages to overpower their personal identity, becoming a slick amalgamation of scuzzy, downtrodden progressive rock and haunting gothic sensibility.
The Pink Floyd worship continues whilst the album settles for a moment of contemplation with the dreamy guitar lick of Become Minutes, before Ride The Second Wave sees their collective feet fully on the doom-rock throttle. This is the sound of Maudlin taking their influences and driving the music in less-expected directions, without losing sight of what they want it to achieve. The result is a wash of down-tuned riffs and classic rock solos, laced with the ever-present modern progressive rock of their reinvented persona. Every instrument is pronounced without anything ever becoming overbearing, creating a sound similar to what Cave In achieved with their highly-acclaimed album Jupiter.
Goddess Of The Flame continues with more gargantuan riffs, catalysed by an opening narrative describing the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and fading out with a crawling Sabbath-style riff to boot. Closing song Chasing Shades sees Maudlin losing direction slightly and as a consequence isn't as strong an end to the album as it could have been, but overall A Sign Of Time is a triumph. It takes that special something for a band to bring life to sadness, isolation, and pitch black melancholia. A Sign Of Time feasts on emotions before dashing them unceremoniously upon the rocks. It might not maintain absolute focus throughout, yet Maudlin's ambition and delivery are both highly commendable.