CHELSEA WOLFE レコード& CD

Review: Following on from 2019's muted, folk-leaning Birth Of Violence, as well as the weighty Bloodmoon: I collaborative LP with experimental hardcore heroes Converge, which arrived in 2021; the Wiccan mystic that is Chelsea Wolfe returns with her highly anticipated seventh full-length She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She. Shying away from the acoustic or metallic sonics of prior projects in order to embrace a blistering new era of frosted trip-hop, chopped and screwed with industrial tinges, echoing a more ugly, gothic interpretation of Portishead at their most macabre, the endeavour also marks her first since departing long-time label-home Sargent House following a litany of controversies, in favour of the ever-expanding dynamic roster of Loma Vista (HEALTH, Militarie Gun, Soccer Mommy).

Review: Gothic songstress Chelsea Wolfe makes her illustrious return on the much anticipated seventh full-length She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She. Following on from 2021's immense collaborative project with artcore auteurs Converge, the album shall serve as Wolfe's first solo endeavour since the minimal, folk-centric Birth Of Violence released in 2019, while serving as her first output since departing long-time label-home Sargent House (following a diatribe of controversies best saved for another time) in favour of Loma Vista; home to outsider artists of numerous sonic shapes. As this new chapter appears to be marrying elements of industrial fury with complex trip-hop motifs akin to Merzbow producing for Portishead, all the while maintaining her sultry, Wiccan hypnotism; 2024 looks set to be the year of the Wolfe.

Review: Trailed by her label Loma Vista as "a rebirth in process", Chelsea Wolfe's tenth studio album wears its weighty and deeply personal inspirations (cutting ties with friends and lovers and the extensive period of healing that follows) as a badge of honour. While these themes are most explicitly explored in the lyrics (and shine through her delicate, frequently weary vocal performances), there's a darkness and brooding intensity to some of the music on show that undoubtedly suits its subject matter. For proof, check the gnarled, raw and fuzzy Nine Inch Nails-meets-Tricky flex of 'Whispers In The Echo Chamber', the claustrophobic sound design and razor-sharp guitars of 'Everything Turns Blue', the Mezzanine-era Massive Attack growl of 'Tunnel Lights' and the breathlessly brilliant closing cut, 'Dusk'.

Review: Chelsea Wolfe's latest album, She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She, is a rebirth in process. It's a powerfully cathartic statement about cutting ties, as well as an important reminder that healing is cyclical and circular, and not a simple linear process. From the opening emotes of 'Whispers In The Echo Chamber' - which give electro-gothic Blair-Witchy plods conveyed over lost media - to the closing black-metallic, trip-hop eventide of 'Dusk' - this is everything you could possibly want from a new Wolfe album.