Hearing 'A Ton Of Feathers' for the first time I had no idea what to expect. Smoke The Thin Glass Black ('STTGB') is a curious name that gives nothing away, and further investigation reveals little else about this London-based four-piece. But it doesn't really matter because I like to listen to music before I start digging for information since the less of a pre-conceived notion I have, the more open-minded I can be.

First track 'Amber' is the longest on the EP, almost ten minutes. It reveals STTGB's music to be ambient and gentle in nature, a little like Capricorns but with a vocal that reminds me of 1990s pop artist Seal. That might put some of you off but trust me, Patrick 'Nothing' Monroe provides a soothing yet powerful vocal performance that fits in very well with the softness of the music.

Like the Capricorns, 'Amber' starts off very very gently and slowly, achingly builds in heaviness. STTGB never gets as heavy as Capricorns become however, Capricorns music having more of an incline - or should that be decline, if we're talking about going from light to heavy?

Second track 'Cancer' is an interesting drum track overlaid with vocals. On the first listen I wasn't too sure about this but if you have the patience it's worth taking the time to hear it a couple of times - there's a nice tribal quality to the drums and the almost hypnotic effect is echoed by demi-chanted vocals.

'As I Am' is next up and we're back to simple, gentle guitars again and soft drums. Like 'Amber' this track starts off gently and gets slightly more heavy towards the last minute or so and 'Chasm' is similarly arranged.

This is a really interesting EP. Not on the face of it 'metal' but it does drift past metal's blurred territorial lines now and again. It's a wonderful piece of music, particularly for those who like the gentler side of metal.

****½

Review by Amanda Hyne

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