This album starts out with “Spun”, a very noisy and sludgy intro. I didn’t expect to honestly hear anything this heavy right off the bat. But this is more than just heavy, this is like disgustingly heavy even as far as the production goes. Honestly, though, it’s exactly what I wanted to hear from Chelsea. It’s brutal and all, but I love how Chelsea’s very haunting and luscious vocals come in and make this such an atmospheric track despite how gruesome it is. Now, Chelsea’s songs are patience testers and often take an entire sit through to pay off. But almost always, they pay off HUGE. Chelsea always has had such a way in creating beautifully heavy songs, and this is a big standout right off the bat. Not to mention, Chelsea has always been one for creating very hypnotic tracks, and this is certainly that. So far, outside of being a little heavier, this isn’t anything too out of the box for Chelsea. But it’s a damn good intro. But one thing I do have to say about Chelsea’s performance is that she sounds darker than ever. And that whispering towards the end is damn near Satanic. “16 Psyche” is up next, and this one is just so cool right off the bat. Some of these guitar tones are so pronounced, which is something that I feel like people would have been iffy about with her early material that was always so muddy. But the instrumental on “16 Psyche” easily is one of her most pronounced, explosive, and well thought out. I love the driving riff on the chorus that goes with her unbelievably soaring vocals, and that short but sweet release as well. Now, while this may come off as more of the same from Chelsea, I really don't think that at all. I mean, this is easily some of her heaviest material to date. Gone of the days of a Gothic Folk Goddess, and in its place, the days of a Doom Metal Icon. But she just seems so comfortable in that role, like it’s what she was born to do. “16 Psyche” is incredible. Then we have “Vex”, which quite frankly is next level for Chelsea. If it wasn’t apparent that this is Chelsea’s heaviest release so far, this is the clearest indicator. I love the murky, dark bass line that dominates this as well as the frantic and halfway atmosphere. Also, those keyboard breaks really do one hell of a job of raising the tension on this one very quickly. The sheer heaviness of “Vex” is the real star, however. Not to mention, this just may be one of Chelsea’s most direct and instantaneous singles ever. Then, of course, what everyone is talking about are these Black Metal vocals. They almost seem to haunt Chelsea towards the end, and they’re brilliant Hell yes Chelsea. Then we have “Strain”, which is just a haunting interlude that’s just as muddy and heavy as you would think. But as far as an interlude goes, it’s actually sort of disappointing. Chelsea has always had such a knack for atmosphere, but “Strain” just seems a little cheap. Not to mention, it’s severely uneventful.
However, that short interlude was one of only very few real flaws with this album. “The Culling” takes us quickly right back to where I want to hear Chelsea, taking her time and making slow burning Doom Metal epics. I honestly feel like her vocals have just gotten bigger and better with time, and certainly more delicate. But delicate to the point where they need to be to create this very haunting atmosphere. Chelsea succeeds though magnificently. “The Culling” is absolutely massive. Now, this track did take a little while to grow on me, to be honest. But it certainly has over time, especially around that halfway mark where all of those heavily distorted drums and gigantic drums pop in. This may be a slow burner, but this one pays off gigantically. As a matter of fact, the pay off is so huge that it becomes one of the most intense and gigantic passages of the entire album. And while it’s debatable on if this one really needs to be 6 minutes long, it’s certainly worth it. Up next “Particle Flux” instantly has me on the edge of my seat. Chelsea has such a knack for bringing to the table these bizarre sounds that make you question what the hell you’re even listening to. But this one quickly picks up into one of the more abrasive tunes here. This track is centered mostly on feedback, with the only thing piercing this intense fuzz is Chelsea’s vocals which seem almost too heavenly sometimes for this atmosphere. But something about “Particle Flux” gets under my skin and refuses to leave. And I mean that in the absolute best way. The drums are just so intense, and the hectic and frantic atmosphere just makes me feel uneasy. But I love how each instrumentals here slowly pops in one by one, making this one get bigger and grander with each passing second. The guitars are epic, the drums are to die for, and Chelsea wishing all of this chaos sounds right at home. And just when I think this tack has everything out in the open, the last minute gets even heavier. “Particle Flux” is ridiculous. “Twin Fawn” on the other hand is a completely different beast, and right off the bat just sounds so cool. Clearly, Chelsea hasn’t given up on her Folk roots altogether, because this one is stripped the hell down. But at this point, I needed a track like this. The tiny guitar plucks are so delicate, and the bongos in the background are a really nice touch as well. With all of the sheer chaos that has been this album, “Twin Fawn” in every way is the calm before AND after the storm. But just when you think we’re out of the storm completely, it becomes clear that not all beautiful things last forever. 2 minutes in, and this track is exploding with every feedback driven guitar and pounding drum imaginable. This track is, once again, a major slow burner that you can’t just pop on whenever you feel like it. You have to sit with it, like a lot of this album, but it’s absolutely worth it. Not to mention, the way Chelsea hops right back into her more Gothic Folk verse is so seamless and stunning. Heavy and Soft, Beauty and Disgusting, Chelsea rules over it all with grace. Not to mention, the last minute of instrumentals here is easily the heaviest of the entire album. It’s easy to say that this album overall is by far Chelsea’s heaviest release yet, but it also may be her finest. “Offering” is also really interesting, as Chelsea brings in some added industrial synths in the background. To be honest, I would actually love to hear her go down a more Industrial route. But interestingly enough, it really doesn’t come off too far from the sound we’ve known from Chelsea for years. Hell, it sounds like something that could have easily been there the whole time. Now, of all of the singles from the album this one sort of hits me the least. But it’s still an enchanting, heavily Fantasy based Gothic Folk track.
“Static Hum” quickly gets things in a heavier atmosphere with some drums that are absolutely to die for. Chelsea has just such a way of building up tension super quickly and making it into a lasting impression. This one is just intense, yet seemingly simple. Maybe a little too simple to be honest. There are a few elements to this track that don’t click with me. I feel like Chelsea’s writing is a little off on here, and her performance isn’t as commanding as usual. It’s an intense track and all, but it’s not nearly as captivating as other tunes here. But even at Chelsea’s most bland, she’s still rewriting every rule in the metal playbook. Up next we get another instrumental interlude with “Welt”. But oh man does this one ever hit harder and more aggressive than Chelsea’s earlier attempt at one. While there still really isn’t THAT much to this, it reminds us that even when Chelsea’s presence is limited, she’s still in complete control. “Welt” is intense, heavy, and it’s still haunting and truly beautiful. “Two Spirit” is a track that I really was hoping Chelsea would touch down upon. This one shows us that she still is the Gothic Folk Goddess that we’ve come to know her as. This one is just so ethereal, so delicate, and the atmosphere is to die for. It’s soft, but it certainly still fits the very overbearing mood of this album. The instrumentals are simple and straightforward, but they work wonderfully. “Two Spirit” also shows Chelsea at her most tortured and haunted, and I can’t get enough. Not to mention, some of these very quite breaks are seriously some of the most unnerving moments here. It gets to the point where it’s simply too quiet, and it gets under your skin so well. But man, does this track ever release wonderfully, because that last minute and a half of wailing vocals and grand instrumentation are absolutely stunning. Now, I’m sitting here innocently thinking Chelsea is winding us down slowly. But “Scrape” shows that Chelsea is far from letting us off the hook. This finale is by FAR, the most hellish and tormented sounding track here. It tracks like this that make “Hiss Spun” a straight up ruthless metal album. Chelsea’s very panicked vocals are ridiculous, the pounding drums are incredible, and so much is going on that it’s really hard to keep track of it all. But it’s just so damn intense and heavy, with Chelsea in the middle of this ridiculous whirlwind. Could this album have ended any other way?
Rating: 9.0/10
Give A Listen To: “16 Psyche”, “Vex”, “Particle Flux”, "Two Spirit"
Genre: Doom Metal / Black Metal / Gothic Folk / Sludge Metal
If You Dig This, Check Out: Chelsea Wolfe - “Abyss”, Myrkur - “M", Zola Jesus - "Okovi", Marissa Nadler - "Strangers"
Overall Thoughts: Chelsea Wolfe over the years has teased more and more metal influence with each release. This time around, she's gone ahead and made a straightforward, no bull shit and certainly no gimmicks Metal album. There are elements of grimy Sludge Metal, dreamy Gothic Folk, patience-testing Doom Metal and of course some of the most soul-crushing Black Metal you'll hear this year. However, none of it ever seems truly outside of Chelsea's comfort zone. Each track has its own distinct personality, and even when things are at their most brutal, Chelsea has a way of making it strangely beautiful as well. Chelsea Wolfe with "Hiss-Spun", has made her finest album yet, and it's easily one of the most "Must Listen" albums of the year.
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