Release Date: 4th October 2019

Formats: LP / DD

Label: Orindal Records

Mat Sweet is the solitary figure behind Boduf Songs. Abyss Versions is the seventh album from his pen and it is a wonderfully dark journey.

Recorded in the depths of a basement, this album is one for the dark nights. Vocals are menacingly whispered throughout and the guitar motifs that revolve around the hushed vocals are haunting. Standard superlatives I know, but they are the truest way to portray the atmosphere.

You Are Always On The Edge Of A Precipice adds in sparse keys whilst the subtle echo of the vocals is reminiscent of Radiohead’s Kid A/Amnesiac era; in particular Pyramid Song. This is also true of, if not more so, on Black Nails; brooding electric guitar strums and deathly drones really pack a punch.

If you thought the previous song title mentioned was lengthy, the tension is ramped up even further on Behold, I Have Graven Thee Upon the Palms of My Hands; Thy Walls are Continually Before Me. Glitches, bleeps and a whole host of pulsing electronica drive this song to the dark edges of the Earth; it is full of dread.

In the Glittering Vault, in the Flowery Hiatus again employs the electronic side of the dice. The pulse is more urgent this time and feels more orthodox musically; the vocals are still brutally quiet and the blackness that surrounds the album in general feels a lot more dense. The composition is something that you could see Trent Reznor putting his name to.

Abyss Versions closes out to the sound of clasps of thunder and pattering rain on Highlights Of Void; it’s somewhat fitting that miserable weather bookends the album!

Whilst this is a dark trip, the music is extremely enjoyable. It is an album crafted out of love and allows you to be carried to wherever your imagination takes you. Like the best albums, you can switch off and float away.

Boduf Songs: Online / Bandcamp