Cassette Review: Underwater Escape from the Blackhole "Resonance" (5cm Recordings)

[$5 // Edition of 25 // https://5cmrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/resonance]

I've not paid too close attention to how many times I've heard Underwater Escape from the Blackhole if only because I feel like I was typing something similar not that long ago when the new Underwater Death cassette came out.    Regardless, I do feel as if UEFTBH is growing on me in a sense, in a way that no other artist is, because I can at least usually predict that if nothing else this is going to have some sort of sound to it that channels being, um, underwater.

"Resonance" begins with loud, glorious ahhh's and then a whirring and ringing into carousel loops.    It's got this certain meditation vibe to it, where I assume one would play something similar to meditate but I am also under the impression that meditation is to be done in silence.   (To clarify- I feel like soundtracks for meditation do exist but personally I meditate in silence)     Some sonar blips come into play next and like I said, you kind of get used to these pieces taking place underwater and it's not a bad thing.

From underwater bliss we travel to celestial flows like the MOTU key and end up on a string of sad piano notes.   I'm not sure how exaclty but it feels like there are cello beats coming through and then there is also some scraping.    Side A ends with some beats ala The Brood, somber bliss ambience and just an overall feeling of coming home.    Could it be the quest of the diver coming back up to the surface?   Perhaps, but I feel the water in these songs has always been metaphorical and not literal.

On the flip side we begin with the tapping of beats and then static and rhythm play a role.    There are some just flat out terrific harmonies in here next and then drum beats take control with grinding synth.     This begins to turn into something heavy that I can't quite place and even though my mind would seemingly take the turn to Nine Inch Nails here ("The Fragile" is a bit of a go-to album for me) I feel more like it's something out of Stabbing Westward.

Dark rhythms bring "Resonance" to an end which seems only fitting because when something has that reverberating feel to it I often say it resonates but the word also means "the quality in a sound of being deep, full and reverberating".    Well, it doesn't get much deeper or fuller than UEFTBH.