heavy-metal-darkness: Weft | The Splintered Oar

Monday, November 17, 2025

Weft | The Splintered Oar | Bindrune Recordings

Release Date: 19 December 2025

Format: LP/CD/Digital

Genre: Atmospheric Extreme Metal

Country: USA

Weft is the creation of Charlie Anderson, a musician already known for his work with Panopticon, where his violin has traveled across stages worldwide. Here he steps forward with his own project, shaping "The Splintered Oar" through a wide palette of metal intensity, earthy Americana colors, and patient atmospheric writing. Anderson performs most of the instruments himself, with Austin Lunn on drums and contributions from Andrea Morgan and Jordan Day. The result is a personal journey presented with full commitment and care, built with years of experience behind every idea.

"The Splintered Oar" arrives as a vivid work that invites the listener into Anderson’s inner world. The album grows through shifting landscapes, carried by strong metallic surges, contemplative passages, and a violin voice that threads through everything with remarkable character. Anderson’s approach is confident in its own quiet way, shaped by long hours of musical exploration. His past in Panopticon is present in the emotional intensity, although Weft stands firmly as its own universe.

The metal foundation driving the album ranges from blackened storms to weightier death metal bursts, always pulled together by atmospheric currents. This creates a sense of travel rather than abrupt jumps, with every section serving the wider narrative. When the music leans into Americana contours or prog elements, it does so with a natural touch. Each stylistic turn forms part of a steady voyage, a long river bending through different terrain.

The vocals shift between deep growls, wild cries, and layered singing. This variety brings dynamic colors without sounding theatrical for its own sake. The rough vocals enhance the harsher passages, while the choral touches open room for reflection. The contrast works because it follows the emotional line of the album rather than imposing a dramatic show. Anderson’s violin deserves special mention. Instead of using it as decoration, he treats it as a core voice. It stretches across the songs, whispering in lonely corners, gliding above raging passages, and turning into something almost dreamlike through experimental treatments. It has a tone that lands somewhere between human breath and shifting light, adding a signature that few metal albums can claim.

The album remains adventurous from start to finish, driven by instinct and experience. The long compositions have patience, letting ideas develop slowly while still holding forward motion. It invites full listening instead of quick bites, giving the sense of a story unfolding with steady hands. "The Splintered Oar" stands as a brave debut that presents Weft with clarity, personality, and emotional honesty. Its mixture of metal power, introspection, and acoustic colors forms an immersive world that rewards repeated visits. Anderson’s vision is written across these tracks with precision and passion, turning the album into a strong first chapter for a project that clearly has a lot more to offer.

Score: 7.5