Cloakroom’s “DISSOLUTION WAVE” Album Review

Relapse Records titans, Cloakroom, have quickly taken modern music by storm, garnering notoriety across the map since their 2017 effort, “Time Well.“ Beyond having their own, unique, forward-thinking sound that blends elements of doom metal, sludge rock, shoegaze, alternative, and even some bits and pieces of indie pop, I personally regard Cloakroom as one of my new most-favorite bands ever. So as difficult as this one may be in some regards, I still promise to maintain my unbiased transparency in rating this album. Just don’t be surprised if I gush over it a bit because there’s been nothing, so far, that this band has done that I don’t find amazing in some way. Maybe this album will change that? Who knows? Read up below!

(Photo of band from their Twitter account, photographer unknown)

“Dissolution Wave” saw a January 28th, 2022 release, and here I am, late to the party as ever, finally working up the courage to write about it. Even though I’m certain it’s been well covered by now. At any rate, the song “A Force at Play“ and its cleverly crafted accompanying music video setup a fair amount of hype for Dissolution Wave’s release, and the album that followed is truly something of magic.

Starting the spin, we are greeted with opening track “Lost Meaning,” which features a driving, groovy, chunking guitar cycled through guitarist Doyle Martin’s almost-signature-like OG Sovtek “Green Russian” Muff Pi V7C distortion pedal. (I’m a nerd for pedals, being a guitarist myself, and virtually everything on Doyle’s board, at least that I know of, gives me jitters. A true man of cultured tone-shaping, that one!) This rhythmic ear candy gives us a sweet taste of nostalgia consumed audibly; Hints of Nirvana, Bush, Alice In Chains, and perhaps even some Soundgarden feel reminiscent in the overall vibe of this and proceeding riffs found in following songs like the title track, “Dissolution Wave“ and “Dottie-back Thrush.” Perhaps this seems a bit cliche to mention, but the riffs and the overall sound give that sludgy, carefree, 90’s feel.

I’m immediately taken back to childhood days of riding in a station wagon, windows down, in a hot, muggy, humid-as-fuck Southern summer, with a heatwave haze tinting everything around me getting soundtracked by whatever the alternative station on the radio was playing; At the time it was probably the latest Stone Temple Pilots track, but this time it’s Cloakroom. I love where this album takes me in that regard, not just for the nostalgia, but that feeling of getting lost in a swaying haze like that. Much of this album provides all the pleasantries of a hallucinogenic, mind-altering substance and the introspective, lighter-than-air feeling those sort of things are said to create, heightening the serotonin while delving deep into the most abysmal emotional territories; And you never had to take a thing, and never have to come down from it.

Bassist Bobby Markos aids in the dazzling dreamwave of decibels, rumbling away with some of the coolest bass lines thinkable in tracks like “A Force at Play,” “Lambspring,” and “Doubts.” Markos has, as I’ve also picked out in songs from “Time Well,” and their track ”Bending” from the ”Infinity“ EP released by the band, a distinguished bass tone that blends beautifully with Doyle’s guitars, yet stands out enough as well for where Markos supplies his own little melodies and turnaround. Not to mention Tim Remis’ seismic drumming all throughout the record, which accents all the high and low points for each track with precision and tasteful time-bending, where songs feel as if they speed up and slow back down.

Cloakroom don’t even feel like just a band anymore, Cloakroom is something of an experience, a phenomena; A gloomy cloud hovering over a garden of lavender. This powerful trio sounds out and carries much wider and further than what you‘d expect of any sort of 3-piece.

(Photo of band performing live, taken from Sophie’s Floorboard, http://sophiesfloorboard.blogspot.com/2014/11/cloakroom.html?m=1)

Then we get to “Fear of Being Fixed,” which feels almost like a shoegazey Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats track for me, personally, mostly due to the driving, doomy riff paired with a higher range of ghostly vocals overtop. It’s enough that we can still definitely tell it’s Cloakroom we’re listening to, but this one hit a little more on the metal territory than its predecessors in the tracklist. Yet again, the band achieves a catchy, hooking, dreamy sound that manages to punch and grit with noisy, nasty guitar chunks that force you to headbang ethereally.

The band transforms their wavelengths just a bit more two times on the album, with tracks “Lambspring” and “Doubts.” The song “Lambspring” almost feels like a Cocteau Twins track featuring Billy Corgan on additional guitars, and no matter how you feel about Mr. Corgan, I mean that in the best way possible.

The big thing that stands out with “Doubts,” for me, is that it almost doesn’t even feel like it’s from this decade. I don’t know how much the band were listening to The Eagles or Fleetwood Mac during the conception of this album and its songwriting, (I can’t wait for people my age and older to read this and get big mad at me making so many mentions of legendary bands that I’m taking mere moments or passages of Cloakroom and kinda-sorta comparing them to, lol) but this song genuinely does remind of like a 70’s ballad classic. Waltzy, slow, memorable, and emotion; This is one I could see played at someone’s wedding as the bride and groom dance, though I’m not sure the lyrical themes here were meant to match that.

I feel instantly connected to ”Doubts” on a weirdly personal level because it reminds me of something my parents would have listened to together religiously in their younger years. (My parents were both hippies and helped me discover a lot of the “good stuff“ at a very young age, and I should again mention I mean this comment also in the best way possible) There’s a real Southern, country-esque tinge throughout virtually every moment of the 8-track album, but it’s especially felt here. On top of being a “last dance” kind of atmosphere, I foresee many-a good strong drink being drank at last call as this one plays on the old-school-style jukebox. This has a finesse to it that, honestly, the older you get, the more you’ll understand. Beautiful, absolutely genius work, sonically and lyrically.

(Still from music video for “A Force at Play”)

Cloakroom have been described before as “the band of the future,” and I couldn’t agree more. This release, though shorter in span from 2017’s “Time Well,” further cements Cloakroom’s esoteric sonic manipulation; A unique and emotional blend of lovely and harsh sounds, contrasting constructively, that is sure to embed itself under your skin and work its way through your nervous system. Some tracks feel perhaps a little more background to me, but the mental peace I find even in the “less eventful“ tracks that might drone on a bit, I don’t feel anything is lacking. From my perspective, the band has once again cut us 8 new tracks of true art.

My only complaint is that I’m currently missing both of the closest shows on their current tour in support of the album. But that gives you, the reader, a chance to take it from me and go see them live ASAP! You have about till the end of May to do it! Hopefully someday I’ll be able to catch these guys live and annoy the shit out of Doyle as I talk for hours about all the little things I appreciate in both his lyrics and general songwriting, but until then, make me jealous and go see them for yourself! Fun fact: Doyle currently supplies additional guitar duties to yet another favorite band of mine: Nothing. If somehow you’ve missed the many memos on them, definitely check them out ASAP as well.

Overall rating: 9/10. I hated it. This album is too good and that upsets me. SIKE, it’s the best album of 2022 and all other bands should hereby be barred from releasing anymore music. Sorry, kings, we can’t all be Cloakroom. No need to bother anymore, music has been saved for life, now. (Thank you for reading and all other bands reading this please keep making music I promise that last statement was in jest)

Find full tour dates and more on Cloakroom at this link: https://www.twitter.com/Myndfuneral

Also here’s a link to some good stuff on Nothing, too: https://www.bandofnothing.com