The Boathaus - Slasher

Review by Karl Magi

Overall Album Impressions

The Boathaus’ Slasher captures all of the seething danger and dark power of a horror movie, but leavens it with emotions that are gentler and more tender. The mixture of muscled guitar with an interesting series of different synth sounds creates atmosphere while strong percussion and deep bass provide support. Topping it off, there are melodies mixing darkness and melancholy that move through the album.

Atmosphere is at the heart of Slasher. The way in which the gritty, surging guitar charges combines with synths that can feel haunted or gleaming helps cement the cinematic landscapes of the album. The music weaves together contrasting emotions of fear and growing energy. When the thundering drums and shadowy bass are added, an element of forward motion and urgency is created to move the sonic storytelling along.

The melodic content of Slasher is another reason I enjoy the album. The melodies move between emotional states in a way that interests me. They aren’t content to stay in one feeling, but often combine shadows with gentler sensations or feel simultaneously triumphant and pained. This could have been a simple darkwave album, but is more interesting because it adds extra elements into the mix.

I also want to mention the way that The Boathaus creates contrast in the music. The overlay of lighter, more diaphanous sonic elements with heavy, aggressive elements balances them out and forms a deeper overall emotional connection with the listener. Each element helps the other to be more distinctly expressive.

My Favourite Tracks Analyzed

“Rise Of The Machines” comes into being with thundering drums, colossally heavy bass and a rough-edged, medium high synth spinning in slowly arpeggiating patterns.  All of the sonic elements coalesce into a throbbing pulse below hollow, twisting synth carrying an undulating pattern.

A shining guitar cries out, carrying a melody that mingles victory, melancholy and a sense of imminent danger, which works well for me.  The drums pound heavily, the bass growls and the guitar unfurls in intertwining, majestic notes. There’’s a drum fill as the pulsating bass rumbles and the guitar cuts sharply through undulating, nasal-sounding synth.

The drums guide the music with their steady, heavy beat while the arpeggiating synth notes add shape. Gruffly whirling guitar churns out a repeating pattern that hypnotizes me. Now elevated, rapid arpeggios whirl while the guitar’s hard edges vibrate and then fade into quiet.

Densely interwoven arpeggios form a gravelly, textural background as “The Overlook” starts off. Ethereal, ghostly synth carries a wandering melody that effectively emanates a sense of loss and pain. The guitar adds a thick, powerful series of chords beneath the howling, drifting melody that haunts the music.

The guitar’s growl fades as quickly dancing arpeggios weave a sonic tapestry. Now the guitar plays a churning pattern beneath the lead synth melody’s spectral float and the drums propel the music over the steady bass pulse. Drums fade, interleaved arpeggios flicker and the lead melody combines a bereft feeling with an aching emotive quality before silence falls.

“Dream Warriors” opens with elevated, bright arpeggios whirling as a steady drum pulse moves behind rapidly growling guitar as mad laughter dances through the music. The drums are massive and have a distinct heartbeat while the arpeggios unfold with wild abandon. Tight, metallic, distorted synth plays notes that burst in over the hard-hitting drums and a minor key, round synth plays a shadowy melody.

I enjoy the way in which the twisting, nasal-sounding synth that comes in carries a melody mingling yearning with hurting feelings another, slower arpeggio pattern continually spins and the tense, metallic synth lightly touches the music before the track ends on gentle chords.

An angular, slowly moving note pattern unfolds before the guitar cuts into the music with similarly angular, shifting chords to kick off “Dancing Dead.” Nasal, medium-low synth carries an energized melody with an aching feeling that I feel works quite well to create atmosphere here.

Twisting, metallic chimes ring out and the angular note pattern below them repeats. The drums add a chugging beat over the surging bass. The guitar charges in chords that underpin the lead melody’s dynamic, but slightly sad feeling and the angular synth pattern below fades away into silence.

“The Shape” commences as jagged bass throbs slowly while gigantic drums batter. Hollow, empty sounding synth repeats a howling, haunting note pattern and the guitars surge with sinewy energy. A worried, high synth plays a nervous pattern as the charging guitars churn below the open-voiced synth with its ghostly sensations.

Now gleaming, tightly wound chimes play a terrified note pattern as harsh guitar trembles below them. There’s a profound sense of unease within the music that I find darkly engaging. Battering drums add motion below the heaving guitar’s muscle and the horror-filled, hollow synth as it cries out. The guitar has a huge, heavy presence that underpins the ethereal, spectral presence of the lead synth. After the jagged bass pulses once more, the music fades.

Conclusion

Slasher takes me on a trip through soundscapes that move from darkness, through loss and gentleness, into terror. I enjoy how The Boathaus is able to create all of these different sensations through sound and maintain a storytelling feeling as the album unfolds.

To learn more about The Boathaus and to purchase their music, find them here.