When I come to whittle down the countless releases from 2011 to produce some sort of 'best of' list I can guarantee that Chelsea Wolfe will be in the shortlist not once, but twice, which is why not long after posting about her, I'm doing so again. That's one of the advantages of running your own blog, you can go on about artists you are in love with without fear of annoying your real life friends. What triggered this was the discovery of a fantastic live video from New York recorded last month (which you can watch below)...
I don't think Chelsea has played in London yet, that has to change, this is just breathtaking:
Chelsea Wolfe | NYC @ St.Vitus | 17 Aug 2011 from (((unartig))) on Vimeo.
Her most recent release 'Ἀποκάλυψις' (pronounced “apokalypsis”) caught the watchful eye of The Guardian amongst many exemplary reviews. Listening to it, it's not hard to see why. Cloaked with mysterious, eerie melodies it's certainly not a party album. The overriding mood is bone-chilling and dark. Though amongst the droning electronics, reverbed ambience and thunderous rhythms are these delightful ethereal moments, for terrifying and harrowing it maybe, it is also soothing and beautiful too.
Chelsea's vocal range is superb, capable of varying from soft and delicate whispers to demented, intense howls. Intense is definitely the right word to describe listening to Chelsea's music, her work is laid for all to see. If I were to pick a few it would have to include the exquisite "Moses" with its doom-laden drums, heavy guitar chords swathed in distortion, the equally slow paced "Pale on Pale" highlights the sinister foreboding atmosphere that Chelsea creates best and "Mer" with its rumbling beats and fast-paced guitar comes close to letting in sunlight amongst the gloom, but then I'm neglecting to mention "Demons" and "Tracks (Tall Bodies)".
Get the limited edition vinyl from Pendu now. The debut LP 'The Grime and The Glow' is now sold-out (although a CD repress is due) so don't dilly-dally for too long.
Listen:
Another live version, this time an intense, moving version of "Halfsleeper" from the debut:
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