After arising from the ashes of the post-metal heavyweight Omega Massif
in 2014, Cranial are now about to release their fi rst longplayer „Dark Tow-
ers, Bright Lights“ that combines 45 minutes of thick and heavy sludge and
doom.
When the four members of Omega Massif split up, their musical future was
vague but soon Phantom Winter, Blacksmoker and lastly Cranial came to
life. For the latter, Omega Massif‘s Michael Melchers (guitar) gathered Julian
Weidhaus (bass and vocals), Cornelius Merlin (drums) and Sebastian
Kröckel (guitar and vocals) to work on the first material which was later
recorded by Tobias Anderko in his Black Disc Studio. The two songs were
mixed and mastered in the Tonmeisterei in Oldenburg and later released as
the band‘s fi rst physical release. The „Dead Ends“ EP came out in the end
of 2015 via Moment of Collapse Records on CD and tape, while the vinyl
version‘s appearance was enhanced with a screenprint on the B-side, a
printed innersleeve and an inside out cover with a die-cut logo.
The EP was highly praised by the international press which enabled the
band to play the Droneburg-Festival among several other festivals and
shows. In the summer of 2016, Cranial then booked the Tonmeisterei for a
week to record the EP‘s successor „Dark Towers, Bright Lights“ with Role
Wiegener. Similar to the „Dead Ends“ EP the four songs on „Dark Towers /
Bright Lights“ are gloomy, heavy and abundant with a threatening atmos-
phere. When there is a leitmotif on Cranial‘s latest release, then it is a muddy
and bloody plow that draws relentlessly through everything that gets
in its way! This beast of an album leads the listener through an almost cine-
matic dramaturgy by stacking soundscape on soundscape. In the face of
these sonic monliths, the tension becomes almost unbearable. Only then
Cranial crush them to ruins just to repeat the procedure. Again and again
with no time for relaxation. With that „Dark Towers / Bright Lights“ is highly
recommendable for fans of Neurosis, Isis, Cult of Luna and the likes.
CD version comes in a 6 panel Digipack with a golden pantone print!