Clouds Collide
All Things Shining

“My name is Salmon, like the fish; Susie Salmon. I was fourteen years old when I was killed, on December 6, 1973”.
It was a quick thing, a flash, I have only vague memories of that moment. The hands of my murderer, filthy, trembling with excitement, his shrill voice that until a few minutes before had been friendly, like a good neighbor, his brutality and animalistic ferocity that led him to abuse me and kill me. Luckily the pain lasted only a moment, at least the physical pain: now it's the soul that hurts, it's the heart (if I can still talk about a heart), it's the spirit that groans seeing my parents and my sister struggling, as they seek solace in what happened. But I also feel anger, a lot of it, towards my murderer, and I wish I could do anything to see him suffer as I did, to see him flounder in the dirt and mud searching for a way out, to see his eyes wide open as life leaves him, as it happened with his other victims.
Fortunately, the anger only overcomes me at certain moments: here where I am it is beautiful, I spend my days in the gazebo in the middle of the lake, the same gazebo where I was supposed to meet Ray, if it hadn’t gone the way it did. The sky, the meadows, everything changes in tune with my feelings, the dry leaves of the trees transform into gorgeous birds, the waves of the sea are traversed by models of ships in bottles, large-scale reproductions of those my father and I used to build together, it's my little world, and it moves with me. Every now and then I can see my family, I try to help them understand what happened to me, I try to guide them towards my murderer, but I realize that perhaps I should let them live their lives, even if my father's and sister's determination lets me understand that perhaps there is some hope for revenge.
In this perfect world of mine, in this "limbo", there is only one thing that unnerves me, a house with a lighthouse, dark and gloomy, in stark contrast with the brightness of the world around it. I recognize it perfectly, it is the house of my murderer, it is where many murders were committed, it is where many bad memories dwell and wander in search of revenge. I know that sooner or later I will have to muster the courage and open that door, to confront my monster once and for all. But I also know that I will not be alone in this endeavor, I can count on my family down there, who have not yet lost hope. And we will finally manage to punish the worm that took my life and joy so soon.
“My name is Salmon, like the fish. First name: Susie. I was fourteen years old when I was murdered on December 6th, 1973. I was here for a moment, and then I was gone. I wish you all a long, and happy life.”
Released in 2015, “All Things Shining” is, theoretically, the successor of “Until the Wind Stops Blowing” from 2013: theoretically, because in practice, things are quite different. With this album, Chris, the mind behind the Clouds Collide project, intends to highlight the foundations that led to the development of the previous record. Quoting his words, “Until the Wind Stops Blowing dealt a lot with grieving and the winter. All Things Shining deals with the ups and downs of overcoming loss and once again is hugely influenced by nostalgic connections with the seasons and the memories that may come along with them, this time the season being Spring.”
Blackgaze is still the reference genre in which we can frame this work, even if the melodies are even more ethereal and dreamy, sunny, there's something of the more hopeful Deafheaven and Alcest, and even the vocal approach often leans into a languid clean that can greatly remind one of US-based alternative rock and emo (the good kind). Of course, the accelerations are not missing: when it's time to focus on black metal, Chris knows his stuff, with a distant and abrasive scream that blends well with the various tracks, supported by a robust and effective rhythm section, while the guitars continue to weave pastel-tinted patterns with clear reminiscences of post-rock.
“All Things Shining” is a complex, multi-faceted work: in its nine tracks, it tackles a wide range of emotions, and from this point of view it is perhaps more varied and mature than the previous “Until the Wind Stops Blowing”. The quality level is nevertheless very high, and although the genre is no longer a novelty, it remains captivating and knows how to surprise multiple times. It is obviously a record dedicated to those who love blackgaze sounds, but also winks at those who normally thrive on post-rock and alternative/emo; a listen is therefore highly recommended.