Ungraven – Hollows Made Homes In Their Sunken Cheeks
Release Date: 18th April 2025
Label: Heavy Psych Sounds
Bandcamp
Genre: Experimental Drone, Dungeon Synth.
FFO: Sunn 0))), Godflesh, Entombed.
Review By: Hillary Wisniewski
Ungraven is not a project that one can really put into a box, neatly wrap it up, and present it to the masses. Yes, this project is fronted by Conan’s Jon Davis and former member David Perry, but it is not the same animal. In fact, this one is dead, foul, and rotting. It’s the sort of putrid scent that you might catch whilst in the woods, and it makes you equal parts curious and disgusted. It’s off-putting, but you also recognize this is just the nature of things at times because not everything can be pretty and pure. A smidge of Conan is present, and the duo were also influenced by acts such as Tangerine Dream, Circle, Zombi, and Harold Budd. It’s a clash of titans between the electric madness of Perry’s mind and the crushing, doom-laden riffs of Davis. The result is, in my humble opinion, amazing.
Extremely atmospheric, Hollows Made Homes In Their Sunken Cheeks definitely makes one feel like they are in a foreboding and dark place, with the only light cutting through coming periodically when the guitar rings out. The use of synths and the layering of tones and subtle melodies is done masterfully; at times it was reminiscent of something from an 80s sci-fi or horror flick. There were several moments in which I was reminded of my childhood. Specifically, it was memories of watching The Neverending Story repeatedly, and the Tangerine Dream influence made sense. There are points of disjointed and unsettling piano, which adds to the overall ambiance. Each time I listened, I was able to pick up on something different, which made this experience all the more magical.
Typically I don’t have the patience for drone metal. It isn’t that I don’t appreciate it, but rather I have to be in the right mood and mindset. Ungraven really challenged my viewpoint on drone because the guitar is such a critical piece of the puzzle, and the molasses pace allows breathing room and movement. The variation of tone also kept it interesting as well. It was equal parts crushing and flowing. It wasn’t expected, but a nice surprise.
Vocals are pretty sparse, and only appear on the first track. They fade and blend into the electronic elements, so any humanness is stripped away. It adds to the sinister and unsettling nature of the overall work. Clean vocals, or more prominent ones, would have detracted from the overall dynamic. It would have been a totally different record, so it was a wise choice to keep them limited.
Overall Hollows Made Homes In Their Sunken Cheeks is a solid album. It isn’t something I would put on every day, but that’s fine. Sometimes how we listen to music, and what we choose, is dependent upon where our head is at and what we need at that moment. This would be a fantastic soundtrack for a time in which one needs to disconnect and decompress. On a comical note, I think my husband summed things up best when he said, “Who is this? It sounds like John Carpenter and Sunn 0))) had a baby.” That sums it up nicely, and I highly encourage you to give it a whirl.
(4.5 / 5)
