Chelsea Wolfe stares into the ‘Abyss’

Chelsea Wolfe’s latest album, Abyss, connects to listeners on a carnal level by embracing what Jungian psychology would call the “shadow side.” From the social commentary of experiencing suicidal thoughts in “Iron Moon” to the shadow figure phenomena of sleep paralysis portrayed in “Color of Blood,” Abyss presents a new personal horror with methodical, sludgy depth. “My friend Brian Cook did me the solid of writing a bio for this new album,” Wolfe says. “I sent him some notes I’d made while writing the album and during the recording. At the last minute I mentioned that I deal with something called sleep paralysis and that I’d referenced it on Abyss. He picked up on the fact that most of my music has been inspired by my issues with sleep and dreams, really.”
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? Like a dream, the instrumentation of Abyss reflects this theme. By using odd vocal rhythms in tracks such as “Crazy Love,” the album gives the sensation of a non sequitur dream summoned during the haziness of sleep. “My intention for the album was for it to have a feeling of dreams and nightmares, the ups and downs, and the mental fogginess that’s plagued me for years,” Wolfe says.
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? Initially recording as a solo project, Wolfe found the courage to exorcise her visions through song despite paralyzing stage fright. “Focus on the music,” she writes, when asked if she has advice for  aspiring female musicians. “There’s always going to be some braindead asshole who will judge you based on your looks because in our society women are expected to be perfect in every way. Ignore them and just be yourself, it’s more fun. I get stage fright because I want the live show to be great, and there are technical issues or personal anxieties that I have to overcome to get there.”
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? Wolfe’s early works draw parallels to her personal idols such as Aaliyah, Fleetwood Mac, and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. But releasing a YouTube video with her cover of Burzum’s “Black Spell of Destruction” placed her squarely within the scope of the male dominated metal community. “The person who turned me on to metal is a woman — drummer Jess Gowrie — with whom I used to play in a band. This band started as a solo project and throughout the years there have been great male and female musicians involved with it, and I always credit them. Gender has no bearing on my music.”
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? Wolfe was placed as an opener for an international tour in 2013 with Sargent House label mates Russian Circles. Since then, guitarist Mike Sullivan has maintained a close friendship with Wolfe, and appears as a studio guitarist on Abyss. “He happened to be at my house when I was working on the song “Survive” and ended up recording some great guitar swells and swirls for it. … He adds a triumphant sound to songs that could have been a bit too full of despair, and I’m grateful for that.”
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? Dallas, Tex.-based producer John Congleton also played a role in shaping Abyss. Throughout the album Congleton merges a flair for the dramatic with electro pop, to build on Wolfe’s tradition of intense and lamenting self-awareness, and operatic elegance.
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? Of working with Congleton, Wolfe says: “I’ve been pretty much self­-produced until working with him, and even then, my bandmate Ben and I had demo’d out every song to the point of completion. Once we got into the studio though, we found the balance in the tension, bringing in new ideas from John or Ezra Buchla (viola) or Mike Sullivan (guitar). Sonically, John took things to a level that I couldn’t do on my own. He found a place for each sound, and I think my usual way of approaching it is just to create a wash of sound that all melts together, so things are much more clear and strong on this record.”
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? That unwavering strength can be heard throughout Abyss, with each haunting sample strategically placed to create a brooding dreamscape. In “Simple Death,” Wolfe’s Siren-like serenades waft over percussive static and samples of her voice played backwards. Each element lures listeners into the echoing chamber of a private psyche. “Dragged Out” combines the murk and reverb of doom metal with Wolfe’s wispy vocal elegance. Abyss is indeed permeated with themes of sleep, dreams, and the subconscious mind. In the title track she sings: “Watch your thoughts in the dark / they’ll drag you down to the deep blue sea.”
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? In Abyss, Wolfe delicately melds dark-pop with metal, composing the album as a thematic, waking nightmare. Each song sends listeners further down the rabbit hole as haunting viola solos spiral out from the depths of a nightmare. Sonically embodying the allure of the nonphysical realm, the melancholy darkness of reflecting an insatiable curiosity for a world beyond ours, the space between waking and sleep.
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?Chelsea Wolfe plays Aisle 5 tonight (Mon., Sept. 14). $15. SOLD OUT. 9 p.m. 1123 Euclid Ave. N.E. www.aisle5.com.