“Take your time to damage me with your existence.“
Fearing are an odd one out on Profound Lore’s roster, a post punk band standing beside occult black and death metal galore. Their first EP Black Sand and LP Shadow presented a fully formed band with a simple sound, and on this release, the production isn’t too different – don’t fix what ain’t broke. But the vestiges of hope on songs like “Pictured Perfect” have been erased. On Destroyer, the atmosphere has turned to 3 AM gloom, grotty basements, and gothic staring contents. Indeed, the attitude is almost a caricature of post punk’s most downtrodden stylings, like someone pulled the “frown” slider to maximum in a cyberpunk RPG. The overall result is a min-maxed album that conquers a particular mood and nothing else.
In true post punk style, most guitars play a note at a time, and the bass sticks a mean groove. Rhythms are all the work of electronic drums, which couldn’t be much simpler. They step between between an A track and a B track, presumably so that the musicians can focus cranking the fog machine. For example, on “Scars”, the beat includes a few endearingly dated Casio tom drums, with slight dynamics coming from an opening hi-hat near the end. The result is a noddable rhythm granting a stable platform on which to weave a dark atmosphere.
Grooviness has been present on old tracks like “In The Fog” but the production here makes it extra danceable. Title track “Destroyer” oozes swagger, with two guitar lines thoroughly complimenting one another. Some tracks are up-tempo, like “Let it Grow” and “Gravity”. The latter has the catchiest combo of rhythms, hitting the hats on the upswing to cement the bop. “The Sun Sets on Me” and “You See Me” are slower numbers that let the textural aspects breathe, which aren’t overly indulgent, usually limited to some sympathetic keys and pads.
The vocals commit fully to the gloom, from the dejected delivery to the lyrics themselves. The title track croons over unhealthy relationships, and their unfortunate magnetism: “I can’t wait to feel your pain / projected on me / take your time to damage me / with your existence”. “Gravity” takes place in the mind of someone contemplating leaving it all behind (“Solid concrete / pull me under / nowhere to go but down / no one find me now”). Lyrics feel almost fated on “The Flame”: when you hear him sing “I am the flame, and I’m burning…”, you just know it’s going to reprise with “and I’m burning for you”. Whilst that one did make my eyes roll, it’s all in dedication to the vibes.
Fearing’s Destroyer is a step into the darkness, somewhere they’ve been before, but now they really live in it. Your enjoyment of this one will completely depend on your tolerance for the tropes of post punk. An opportunity was missed to push their sound further, even for one or two tracks, so that they might stand out from the crowd. Still, this record is at least dependable if you’re craving a certain je ne sais punk.
6.5/10
Destroyer releases through Profound Lore records on the 29th September. You can pre-order the record here.