Hailing Ishimura – We Did It To Survive (2022)
Hailing Ishimura set us on the path of the addictive story of their upcoming album with ‘If You Get This, Follow Our Beacon’. The hopeful, yet resigned, tones of their last release have been covered in darkness for ‘We Did It To Survive’. Heavier and much darker, this single delves into the moment of the story when the adventurers realise their ship is dead in the water and they have to make some seriously hard decisions.
Stretching their musical chops into new territory, the band swirls the dark and brooding atmosphere into your brain, with wonderful precision. Embodying the potential darkness of what is to come, the single leaves you filled with the icy tendrils of dread made worse by the knowledge of knowing how all of this ended. Bringing post-rock and metal to their rock instrumental tones, they showcase a new side of their music while furthering the tale of their album.
‘We Did It To Survive’ slowly builds a feeling of dark tension through the pulses of the opening. The beats set the hairs on the back of your neck on edge and have you checking over your shoulder for potential danger. It is a wonderfully dark and moody sound that opens into the vast inky blackness of space. There is a feeling of anticipation woven into the dark flows as you head into the more futuristic higher levels. While these futuristic tones have a lighter touch, there is something in their sound that brings an eeriness to the track. It is like a light that leads you not to something good but further into a dark trap.
The lower melodic vocal starts to churn halfway through the track, adding to the already boiling pressure pot of tension. The guitar calls out with the post-rock edge, creating an argument with the chattering electronic notes. It is a stunning interplay that brings a tense conversation to life as it leads to decisions you would rather never have to make. Everything settles for a moment before a rising horror of what has to occur takes hold. The keys bubble with a touch of hysteria while the dark undertones of the melody continue to brood in the shadows. This all leads you back to the initial melodic line, but there is now a hint of resignation to the sound. It is like the characters have made the final decision and accepted the consequences of this as the music starts to fade away.
Dark, brooding and packed with tension, ‘We Did It To Survive’ offers a new chapter in the tale woven by Hailing Ishimura that delves into terrible decisions. The building tension through the opening of the single steadily sets a tense feeling of anticipation in your stomach. The heavier rock guitars call forth an argument that ends in a sombre sense of resignation.
Find out more about Hailing Ishimura on their website, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
