When No Birds Sang
When No Birds Sang represents a joint studio effort between the American grindcore group Full of Hell and the shoegaze ensemble Nothing. This album was issued on December 1, 2023, via Closed Casket Activities.
Background
The relationship between these two bands dates back to the 2010s and has been reinforced through multiple shared tours, culminating in this collaborative release. The production was overseen by Fit for an Autopsy guitarist Will Putney. Domenic Palermo from Nothing remarked that both groups face comparable "genre-phobia" challenges yet come together to produce powerful music. Meanwhile, Dylan Walker of Full of Hell emphasized their mutual identity that fuses "lush and beautiful" sounds with "sad and ugly" tones.
The album's themes are heavily influenced by the September 11 attacks, particularly inspired by the iconic image The Falling Man, widely thought to portray Jonathan Briley, who worked at Windows on the World. Palermo sought to examine "a situational event," focusing on an ordinary individual’s final moments amid catastrophe, capturing his feelings and perspective. The cover art’s understated appearance intentionally contrasts with the album’s somber themes, highlighting this juxtaposition.
Critical reception
Olly Thomas from Kerrang! likened the album’s "ethereal sound" to early works of Mogwai and My Bloody Valentine, combined with the "intense heaviness" characteristic of Swans. He observed that while the album carries their influence, it maintains a unique voice, drawing attention to its "stunning conclusion" and notable diversity. Danielle Chelosky at Stereogum selected it as "album of the week," commending how When No Birds Sang turns "tragedy into haunting beauty," balancing themes of mortality with an "endless descent into uncertainty." She described the result as a flawless fusion. Pitchfork’s Sadie Sartini Garner highlighted the record’s subtle interpretation of metal, underscoring the pervasive melancholy within both bands’ heavy sound as its primary strength.
Personnel
- David Bland – composer, performer
- Doyle Martin – composer, performer
- Dylan Walker – composer, performer
- Samuel DiGristine – composer, performer
- Spencer Hazard – composer, performer
- Domenic Palermo – composer, performer, creative direction, additional production
- Jackson Green – art direction, design
- Will Putney – production, sound engineering, mixing, mastering
- Steve Seid – additional sound engineering
- Tommy Vasta – additional sound engineering
- Alex Oatman – additional tracking