Old World New Wave is the pivotal sophomore effort from Los Angeles trio Ides of Gemini. The project involves bassist/singer Sera Timms (known for her moving contributions to the now-defunct desert doom outfit Black Math Horseman) and established metal journalist Jason Bennett, so Ides of Gemini face an amplified level of scrutiny on first approach. Their initial offerings shook black metal, sludge, post-rock, and plenty of psychedelia out onto an atmospheric doom template, and 2012’s amalgamous Constantinople silenced (or, at least, shushed) skeptics handily. The band has since enjoyed an impressive amount of success and have showed no signs of slowing down; the issue they face at this point is that too often they’ve come across as the Sera Show, as her compatriots are stuffed into the role of "backing band" through the sheer force of the singer’s talent.
With Old World New Wave, they attempt to create a more balanced palate, but in the end it's still tough to compete with a voice like Timms', which is at once airy and grounded, verging upon operatic power when the mood strikes her (imagine Stevie Nicks suspended in a lightless void). As her own solo project Black Mare proved, high, sustained notes are Timms' bread and butter—but she’s more than capable of dipping low into throatier territory, too. Drummer Kelly Johnston-Gibson’s voice floats in upon occasion to add ethereal backing whispers, melding with Timms’ for a gorgeous chorale effect. Her minimalistic drumming remains just as understated, though her confidence and prowess have both increased considerably.
The dreamy nature of Ides of Gemini's music doesn’t require much technical flair, and it sometimes seems that the rhythm section is content to take a backseat to its flashier fellows. On Old World New Wave, this approach works; with its halting central riff and martial beat, the insistent pace of album highlight "The Adversary" is as aggressive as the band gets, as bass and drums intertwine in the shadows elsewhere. There are plenty of diverse ideas floating around on this album, but save for a few standouts, these songs tend to gently fade into one another. They need something bigger to push them further—more sound, more power, more band.
Timms’ bass nods along gently beneath Bennett’s more adventurous riffs; his guitar work may not steal the spotlight, but it does take a commanding role, ushering in lush tones that often, intentionally or not, recall the icy sensuality of Beastmilk or bombastic post-rock dynamics. There’s a fuller sense of cohesion on Old World New Wave, as the fat has been trimmed and the influences reined in, leaving Ides of Gemini with a firmer sense of who they are: an atmospheric heavy rock band with a powerhouse chanteuse and doomy inclinations.
The band's always flirted with the occult in both aesthetic and tone, eschewing the heavy-handed witchicisms preferred by some in favor of cultivating a lighter, more holistic aura. The ritualistic feel on "May 22, 1453" stems both from Timms’ stentorian delivery and the lyrics themselves, which circle around the lunar eclipse that some say predicted the fall of Constantinople. It’s a neat tie-in to the band’s debut, and only one of the album’s many arcane historical footnotes. The rumbling "Fermemorde" alludes to medieval vigilantes and political murder, while Timms’ dreamy croon on "Seer of Circassia" spills dreams of the ancient crossroads between Europe and the Far East. Ides of Gemini aren’t the kind of band that would typically sing about goats or gore, but the complex, often mystical lyrics are handled with care, underscoring the band’s otherwordly ambitions. Nonetheless, Old World New Wave hypnotizes and intrigues, but the album often leaves the listener wanting more.
