Turpentine Valley – Alder

Turpentine Valley
Alder
(White w/ Red Center 180g Vinyl) (Limited Edition of 100)
Release: 2022

Track Listing:

1. Veeleer I
2. Sereen
3. Parabel
4. Teloor
5. Tremor
6. Neuron
7. Respijt
8. Veeleer II

More info:

Alder marks the devastating, meticulously sculpted sophomore full-length from Belgian instrumental post-metal power trio Turpentine Valley. Following their acclaimed 2019 debut Etch, the Kortrijk three-piece strips away any lingering post-rock excess to focus on a muscular, rhythm-driven sonic architecture where crushing post-metal grooves and doom-laden weight intersect with dark, melodic fragility. Guitarist Kristof Balduyck crafts monolithic walls of analog fuzz, weaving melodic, delay-soaked leads and sharp dissonant accents that hover eerily above the pummeling, locked-in foundation laid down by bassist Thomas Maes and drummer Roel Berlaen. Rather than drifting into endless ambient loops, the eight tracks move with disciplined, hard-hitting economy, detonating into volcanic crescendos on standout pieces like "Sereen," "Tremor," "Respijt," and the two-part bookend "Veeleer," which features rare, ghostly spoken-word vocal contributions from Pieter Jan de Paepe. This limited physical release arrives housed in a tactile matte jacket with red hot-foil detailing, delivering bone-shattering low-end clarity, razor-sharp transient snap, and expansive dynamic headroom that lets the band's dense, atmospheric heaviness shake the room with punishing precision.