Album Review: Loss by Pijn

Manchester experimental rock act Pijn released their debut album Loss on 26^th October via Holy Roar. The album was recorded and mixed by Joe Clayton and was mastered by Magnus Lindberg with artwork by Michael Ribeiro.

From guitarist/vocalist Joe Clayton – “For us, this album has been a long time coming. As a collective we had been writing towards this release before our first EP was released, and through the extensive touring we have done since then, we found our focus for the record. Recorded and mixed through the first half of 2018 at our own studio, we expanded the collective by opening our arms to contributions from anyone that could take solace in talking through their experience of loss. We wanted to reach people on a personal level, and for them to share in the catharsis that making the record had given us.”

It’s an album that will take you on a journey through grief – it’s bleak and dark at times with other parts being uplifting and having a sense of acceptance and a light at the end of the tunnel. Each listener’s experience of Loss will be personal and you’ll, most likely, take something different from each listen.

With the album being divided into four sides, each pair of tracks are designed to standout as one complementary piece. It’s particularly evident in the opening pair of ‘Denial’ and ‘Detach’ with the former bringing in the heavy riffs and refined chaos whilst the latter focuses on strings and atmospherics. It works wonderfully and gives a sense of ambition and expansiveness.

The grandeur and expansive atmospherics are carried through to the ambitious ‘Distress’ which marries churning and devastatingly heavy riffs with moments of post rock ambience. It’s a dark and brooding post metal track complemented beautifully by the serene and heart-breaking tones of ‘Blanch’. While it’s been an impressive album up to this point, this double header really confirms the strength of Pijn.

You can’t get much more ambitious and atmospheric than ‘Blush’ and ‘Unspoken’. Coming in at a combined 30 minutes there’s all the expansiveness and experimentation you could ever need. The former is one of the best post metal tracks of 2018 while ‘Unspoken’ combines all the best post rock, ambient rock and post metal tones into a sprawling, emotional track. There’s so much in there that it’ll take you more than a couple of listens to fully appreciate.

‘Squalor’ starts of with tones of gentle Americana before the thunderous riff turns it into a different beast. The track features a sample from Heartworn Highways of Uncle Seymour Washington, neighbour of legendary singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt, whose down to earth worldly advice represents the life those trying to live for their music are surrounded by. Closer ‘Squander’ finishes things off in style with some delicious post metal riffs and atmospherics that cut right to the heat. You’re going to be hard pushed to find a more ambitious and emotional album than this.

AD Rating 8/10