Reflector – Turn LP (Noise Appeal Records)

A new batch of records from Noise Appeal Records recently arrived at our headquarters, so now it’s time to start this rainy day with some heavy music. I was fully aware of the Reflector‘s existence but simultaneously unfamiliar with their sound. They’re one of those bands that seem like they nurture some calmer sonic aesthetics, but once you delve deep into their catalog, you will be blown away by the heaviness, aggression, and power. Also, I was shocked once I realized how many recordings Reflector actually have. Previously, I knew only about Turn LP, but there are also self-titled debut, Phantoms, Flugangst, Pass, 15, The Heritage, and then the Turn. The band also shared split releases with bands such as Stahlhelm Surfers, Bug, The Stiggles, Zuchthaus, and Doomina. Of course, it’s also good to mention a single sided cassette release called Short Grief. As you can see, Reflector keeps its activities as prolific as possible. Noise Appeal Records published the majority of these recordings.

Turn carries seven excellent compositions that will unquestionably appeal to those listeners who love their music heavy and slow. Reflector nurture a specific sound built upon the fundamentals of doom rock, but many other sonic ingredients lurk around in the mix. You will notice some of the finest properties of sludge, stoner, post-rock, and post-metal included along the way, or these are some of the genres you could expect to affect their tracks. Of course, it’s up to you how you will perceive this material, but doom, sludge, and stoner are unquestionably three main factors when it comes to this particular material. I adore how Reflector keep their compositions low and slow. The downtuned guitars and bass undoubtedly shape that dark, heavy, neverending ambiance, while the drums are solely responsible for downtempo rhythmic sequences. It’s also mindblowing how these guys don’t use too much distortion. Therefore, Turn might sound fuzzy at particular moments, but it is much cleaner, polished, and more listenable than most recordings by other contemporaries.

Perhaps Reflector explores the mentioned genres, but their music stands out from the remainder of the doom, stoner, and sludge scene. Sure, there are some similarities because the aesthetics are nearly the same, but you’ll hear how Reflector have that almost post-rock/post-metal ambiance included along the way. It’s not ambient and reverby as it could be, but Reflector have found a fine line where all these music genres work harmoniously. Each composition includes a set of perfectly arranged, heavy riffs capable of breaking all the bones in your body. Of course, nothing would sound so massive without almost equally distorted low-end tones that also serve as a glue between guitars and exceptional drumming performance. The vocals are totally up my alley as well. These vocal harmonies might remind you of the early nineties grunge, stoner, sludge, and alternative rock scene. However, the vocalist sounds fresh and unique, like anything else related to this band.

Visually, Reflector explore some regular doom rock graphic aesthetics. You’ll notice monochrome front cover artwork, consisting of a skeleton holding an hourglass. The back includes a band photo, tracklist, and some information related to the Noise Appeal Records. The standard black vinyl comes housed in a black protective record sleeve. It perfectly reflects the audio aesthetics of the band, and honestly, I can’t think of any other imagery that would work this well like this one. Turn is available in a Noise Appeal Records shop, so head to their site and order this gem.