Independent Release
Review by Warren Mayocchi
The Visit are Raphael Weinroth-Browne (cello) and Heather Sita Black (vocals). It is a sublime pairing creating an intense and delicate listening experience. There is a marvellous range of expression available in a cello – from the rapid heavy metal like passages to mournful cries, and all in between. The basic arrangement of vocalist and cello contributes to a passionate and primitive sound. Though it is not of the same genre, the raw power reminded me of Sinead O’Connor‘s first release – “The Lion and The Cobra”. There are five songs on the album which runs for just under an hour. All of them drift between various moods tending to the sombre, but this is as you would expect with longer running tracks. Vocally there are operatic moments, ethereal melodies, whispers, and chants. As a whole, there is a definite Eastern folk vibe in the performances. This can all be observed in the music video for “Offering” – watch it, even if just to observe the musical mastery. In this type of music everything must be exact, and there are no false moves from The Visit. The album is titled “Through Darkness Into Light” – it is a good evocative phrase for the music contained within. You could imagine this as the soundtrack for primitive life through an extended polar night…will the sun ever return?
Rating – 86/100
Tracklist
- Without This Flesh
- Offering
- Cast Off the Veil
- Through Darkness
- Into Light
Line Up
- Heather Sita Black – Vocals
- Raphael Weinroth-Browne – Cello & piano