renkls
Drone doom metal is one of my favorite subgenres when done 'right', which is actually quite difficult given the apparent simplicity of the music at hand. Minimalism can quite easily equal boredom if the droning aspect of the genre is overplayed, and many albums I've encountered in the genre do overstep the boundaries. Pussygutt's full length debut, She Hid Behind Her Veil... is a 46 minute instrumental, a sonic dirge that embraces the drone side of doom to comparatively great effect. The album takes its sweet time warming up itself with a series of bass rumbles signalling its agonisingly slow coming into life; reminding me of Black Boned Angel's album length exercises in drone doom minimalism, but here the effect is somewhat less alienating.
The centerpiece of the album enters at the twenty minute mark, a sole violin that aches along with the proceeding drone; this aspect makes the album stand out from countless other drone albums I've heard, the gothic, classical influence gives it a truly errie vibe, like a long form performance piece to an audience of ghosts.
The final ten minutes sees the album return to its minimalist beginnings, a sustained low bass rumble that slowly sees the album to an anticlimatic close. Though it's company with many drone doom albums that outstay their welcome, the classically inspired middle of this album certainly gives me enough to recommend it to an adventurous doom fan, or anyone who is aware and receptive of drone doom metal.