Decibel Magazine
  • News
    • Op-Ed
    • Decibel Hall of Fame
    • Beer
    • Justify Your Shitty Taste
    • That Tour Was Awesome
  • Music
    • Decibel Flexi Series
    • Decibel Records
    • Streaming
    • New Releases
    • Demo:listen
  • Events
    • Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest: Philadelphia
    • Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest: Denver
    • The Decibel Magazine Tour 2023
    • Decibel’s 200th Issue Show Extremely Ex-Stream
    • Sponsors
  • Store
    • The Decibel Store
    • Back Issues
    • Books
    • Exclusive Vinyl
    • Subscribe
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Back Issues
    • Advertise
  • About
    • FAQ
    • History
    • Contact
  •  Search
Extremely Extreme Since 2004
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Soundcloud

Full Album Stream: Marsh Dweller – “Wanderer”

October 5, 2018 Joseph Schafer
Full Album Stream, Streaming black metal, Marsh Dweller, melodic death metal, Post Metal, premiere.

John Kerr’s second album as Marsh Dweller took me by surprise. Then again, how could it not: Kerr essentially taught himself how to scream and play guitar in order to create his first album, The Weight of Sunlight. Kerr was already a talented drummer, having handled percussion for bands like Vit and Seidr (featuring Austin Lunn of Panopticon). Further, he documented most of the process in videos uploaded to social media. Anyone interested in what Kerr was doing could basically watch the preproduction process for the entire record. When it was released, probably half of its audience already knew it would be good, but also knew what half of the riffs would be. The Weight of Sunlight was a darling little melodic death metal record packaged with the hand-crafted folky black metal accoutrement that has become the calling card of the celebrated Bindrune label. It also contained no curveballs, at all.

Its follow up, Wanderer on the other hand, is nothing but curveballs, and it’s streaming in full below!

Kerr’s previous knack for early In Flames riffs remains, but the classic metal song structures are gone. Instead, he’s taking his songwriting into post-metal territory of the most European variety—Kerr confirms that Cult of Luna’s Vertikal album was a big source of inspiration. It shows, too. The album’s centerpiece, the nearly 20-minute “Wanderer II” rises and falls with the grace of a humpback whale mid-migration, ascending into clean, acoustic leads and diving into fathomless depths of chirping electronics. Miraculously, Kerr’s talent for licks hasn’t eroded at all. The central riff in “Coalesce” is punchier and heftier than anything he’s written before —instantly memorable.

“I did not mean to write this record,” Kerr says. “I wanted Marsh Dweller to be like your Neurosis’s and Agallochs that only put out records two or three times a decade. But apparently I had something to say much sooner than that.

“My first record, The Weight of Sunlight, was a stepping stone; a misguided necessity that taught me how to write records by and for myself. Wanderer is the next step. Hopefully there will be several more after it, but it exists as a statement for the Marsh Dweller of today and I’m excited to follow where it leads.”

“Thus far Kerr has mastered two distinct metal subgenres without losing his essential identity, and in so doing he presents loving tributes to his obvious influences. That’s a whole lot of plates to spin —many of the best touring bands never accomplish so much at once. Kerr makes it sound easy, and only makes me more excited to see where he will wander next.”

  •   Previous
  • Next  

Related Stories

Full Album Stream: Speedwhore – ‘Visions of a Parallel World’

May 25, 2023

This full album stream from old-school metal disciples Speedwhore proves they’re in no rush to leave 1985.

Read More
Inherus band photo

Album Premiere: Inherus – ‘Beholden’

May 24, 2023

New York doom metal dirgists Inherus arrive with the power of a seasonal change. Listen to their stirring debut Beholden now.

Read More

Full Album Stream – Vorder ‘False Haven’

May 23, 2023

Hear Swedish post-metal downers Vorder arise from the ashes of V on their latest apocalyptic full-length.

Read More

E-List Signup

Most Popular

Kelly Shaefer & Steve DiGiorgio Cover Alice In Chains “Rotten Apple”

Kelly Shaefer (Atheist, Till The Dirt) and Steve DiGiorgio (Testament, Death To All) cover Alice In Chain's "Rotten Apple." Exclusively at Decibel!

Video Premiere: Stinking Lizaveta – “Electric Future”

Watch Philly instru-metal legends Stinking Lizaveta drop a single for "Electric Future" from their first new album in six years.

Video Premiere: Vicious Blade – “Speed Leather and Hell”

Ready for some killer crossover thrash? We got Yins covered with the new video from Pittsburgh's best kept metallic secret Vicious Blade.

Dio’s “Holy Diver” Turns 40

We stand up and shout to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Dio's heavy metal benchmark, Holy Diver.

Full Album Stream: Church of the Dead – “Beyond Death”

Go Beyond Death with Church of the Dead.

Twitter

Tweets by Decibel Magazine

I was listening to Weird Al or something, and then, all of a sudden, I heard 'Ride the Lightning' and I was like, 'Fuck!'
- Nathan Weaver, Wolves in the Throne Room (Issue #155)

Subscribe to the Decibel e-newsletter

Contact Information

Published by Red Flag Media

1032 Arch Street, 3rd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19107

(215) 625-9850

Quick Links

  • Store
  • Magazine
  • FAQ
  • Privacy Policy (2022)
  • App Privacy

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Soundcloud
✕