Hiss Spun is a bewitching force of nature that glides between the light and the dark, emotionally rejecting the status quo whilst trying to forge its own reality. The caustic solemn tonality of Scrape with its tribal drumming signifies not only the end of the album, but more poignantly, Wolfe’s inner journey. The soul searching is also reflected in the haunting fairy tale timbre of her voice on Twin Fawn, The Offering and Static Hum with the hefty low-end bass being replaced with subtle guitar melodies that build up into operatic crescendos. This comes to the fore in the opening lyrics of Particle Flux where she opined “Though you try to swallow me whole, I succumb to nothing, my shelter come with me, you know in this hell, I am torn”. Wolfe said that she wanted to look inwards on this record, into the soul, to escape from the overwhelming negativity that we have to deal with on a daily basis. There is no one really like Wolfe True Widow are the only act to come close crossing goth-inspired singer-songwriting folk with gloom metal.

Hiss Spun, her sixth long player, is nothing but proof of that. On her new album, Hiss Spun, she crawls further inward as the overwhelming mayhem of the world begins to surround her. 2013’s Pain Is Beauty romanticised over the collapse of a dreamlike love and on 2015’s Abyss she explored the emptiness of her heart.

Whilst Vex is a more subdued affair, the terrifying bellows of guest vocalist Aaron Turner from post metal band Isis reminds the listener to not let down their guard just yet. The enigmatic Chelsea Wolfe has been patiently mastering her craft for some time now. Chelsea Wolfe’s bleak union of neo-folk and gothic rock has often focused on inner struggles. 16 Psyche raises the bar in the doom metal stakes as Wolfe soars over the top of crashing guitars, dirge laden bass and some incendiary percussion from Gowrie. The opening track Spun is a slow burn wave of distortion, punctuated by Gowrie ‘s rhythmic drumming acting as a perfect backdrop for Wolfe ‘s porcelain vocals and Van Leeuwen’s melodic guitar.

Chelsea wolfe hiss spun