TAG DIVING: SHOEGAZE PART 1

“Good shoes take you good places.”

Welcome back to Tag Diving, the weekly column where I, the maximum hand size-less Reliquary Tower, peruse the putridities of Bandcamp as one might a dumpster, except instead of rooting through a refuse repository for a receptacle of retro raisins, I delve into dark depths of digital doodoo to discover demonstrably delicious, delightfully danceable ditties. Check these choons!

As you may have discerned from my bio, I’m big on shoegazey metal, and as Roldy told me at our first Discord Tunes ‘n’ Tell night, “We are pro -gaze genres ‘round these parts.” It’s no secret to either of us that some weeks there’s better stuff than others—such is the nature of the trash!—but this week we’ve got some real bangers. So many bangers, in fact, that you can expect a part 2 next week!

Caelestra – Bastion

Hoooooo boy did I have fun with this one! The way that Caelestra layers vocals on this album is something I don’t think I’ve ever quite heard before. There’s a really beautiful atmosphere to this record that kind of reminds me of The Contortionist. I’m a sucker for long songs too, so Bastion has me feeling right at home. I want to spin this album some more. I could see it becoming a regular night time driving record for me. There’s so much about it that’s so, so beautiful, so I really hope you give it a listen!

Sadness – I Want To Be There

This one’s a classic. Sadness is probably one of the most well-known (and certainly one of the most prolific) acts in the blackgaze scene. I Want to Be There is Damian’s most well-known album and considered by many to be his best. I always like telling people it sounds like black metal Passion Pit (and if that name doesn’t ring a bell, go fix that). This record is gorgeous. The washed out guitars, the triumphant-sounding riffs meshed with the lonesome, dreary lyrics, and Damian’s use of less traditional instrumentation makes for an incredible combo. After years of listening to it, I still haven’t gotten around to buying a CD or something. I should fix that.

Faetooth – Remnants of the Vessel

I didn’t expect to see this record in here! I don’t know how shoegazey it is, but it’s getting included nonetheless. Remnants of the Vessel was one of my favorite albums from 2022, and somehow it’s always even better than I remember it being. “Echolalia” might be one of my favorite doom songs ever man, I mean this thing is an absolute ball-crusher. The guitar tone hits like a truck, those harsh vocals at the end are slimy, and the lyrics are just eerie. I’m so excited for Faetooth’s upcoming album, and I definitely can’t wait to see them this October!

Planning For Burial – Below the House

I’ve heard the name Planning For Burial whispered in the underground for years now, but never got around to checking it out until this week. Boy was I wrong to put it off. I’d describe Below the House as doomgaze with a bit of a blackened flair. Back on the subject of driving music, this makes me feel like I’m driving at home in the dead of winter at 2:00 a.m. after a horrible breakup. It’s that good. I know I say this at least once per Tag Dive, but I’m for sure going to be checking out more from this project, and you should too.

And there you have it! See y’all next week for shoegaze bangers round 2! And if you feel so inclined, drop some shoegazey sauce of your own down in the comments!

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