Dead Inside

Whether we consciously realize this or not, to understand the creation of music is to understand alchemy-specifically the transformation of the world's mundane dross into something approaching the sublime. Doom metalists Frayle understand this better than most-witchcraft and alchemy are key to their creativity.Frayle's core duo of Gwyn Strang and Sean Bilovecky met in 2015, when both were clothing designers. They became a couple in 2017, and after Strang gave Bilovecky recording software for Christmas, they began making music together in early 2018. Bilovecky had previously spent several quality years in Man's Ruin Records' should-have-been-famous heavy groovemongers Disengage, and now crafts the hypnotic riffs and drones over which Strang sings in a gorgeously eerie, spectral croon that all once recalls the breathy atmospherics of Rachel Goswell (Slowdive) and the babydoll voicings of Alison Shaw (Cranes). The duality of The Great Horned God of Bilovecky's bludgeoning, primal riffing and The Divine Feminine of Strang's exquisite, almost intangible singing creates friction, resolution, and transcendence. In their first year of existence, they released the EP "The White Witch" and the digital single "Witches." Both sound like the output of a far more mature band, and if you've detected a theme, that's quite intentional-on their website, the band describe themselves as "Heavy Witch Doom." Strang's lyrics, though they can often touch on themes of heartbreak and anger, are greatly informed by spirituality and interest in alchemy, and their next release, "Dead Inside" b/w "Godless" reflects those interests not just lyrically, but in its elaborate presentation. The 7", jointly released by the Aqualamb and Lay Bare labels, comes housed within a custom "alchemy box" containing a signature Aqualamb 100 page printed art book created for the release as well as a collection of other spell kit ingredients formulated specifically by Strang, the band's own white witch.