by Ian MacPhee (@i_macphee)
Since 2015, Matthew Mast has been recording and releasing his own style of heavy, cathartic music. The New York artist recently announced his upcoming album Of All The Endings due October 23 via V.A.S.P. Legacy. A brooding cocktail of chugging guitar, warbling synths, and honest, revealing lyrics, Of All The Endings is sonically bleak but trickles of hope and optimism seep through the cracks. Mast’s music feels like the walls crumbling down around you with the possibility that the outside might offer something more: a delicate balance between chaos and meaning.
Mast’s music is crushing. The sound is reminiscent of darker, more metal leaning shoegaze acts like Jesu, Planning For Burial, and Nothing. “Born Again” is the second single from the new album and spares no intensity. The track is a dense onslaught of distorted guitars and charging drums with Mast’s vocals cutting through the center. The vocal duet between Mast and collaborator Alessandra Dean offers a sweet, ethereal touch to the otherwise doomy sound. According to Mast “‘Born Again’ was one of the last songs written for this album, and it’s lyrics deal with the insecurities that come along with wanting to create something meaningful.” Touching on the emotional toll that accompanies releasing such personal work, he shared that the song’s about the “struggle between the confidence that is required to put out music, and the self-doubt that it is worth a damn.”
“Born Again” is a powerful example of the seismic music Mast creates. Mast’s songs are dynamic, melodic, and infused with meaning, showing his ability to use volume as a tool and not a crutch. Of All The Endings is an album that reveals new layers upon each listen, and “Born Again” is a great introduction to Matthew Mast’s sound.