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First Listen - Death of Don Valley - Ivy Gardens
When Ivy Gardens drop Death of Don Valley, it feels less like a sophomore record and more like the eruption of something that’s been gestating underground — a controlled, monstrous shift in direction that demands attention. From the first seconds of “Burn for Murder”, you can tell this is not Goon redux — this is darker, more jagged, more ambitious.
A Unique Sonic DNA
One of the most arresting things about Don Valley is how Ivy Gardens bend sludge and grunge into a shape that still lets the keyboards breathe. The weight is real — riffs that drag like thick syrup, drums that thunder and crush. But layered on top are vintage organ tones, ghostly synths, washes of ambient keys, and flourishes that hint at prog or post-rock ambition. It’s not common to hear such heavy music that doesn’t treat keyboards as afterthoughts; here they’re essential, haunting, balancing the grit with texture.
The trio’s decision to record this live off the floor adds a rawness that stops the production from over-polishing the edges. There’s grit, there’s bleed, there’s space. The result: you can feel the dynamics at play — a slow build, a sudden collapse, an abrasive riff making way for a drifting synth, then back into the crush.
Heavy Yet Groovy
Don’t mistake heaviness for monotony. Despite the darkness, Death of Don Valley grooves. Tracks lean on propulsive rhythms, swing in their own low-end cadence, and often find pocket in the midst of chaos. When the band locks in, you can nod your head even while feeling like the walls might cave in. That tension between heaviness and motion is one of the record’s richest thrills.
Songs like “Guiding Hand” and “Frozen Limbs” push that balance — fuzzy, murky guitar, pounding drums, but occasional melodic turns and keyboard breaths that lift things momentarily. The transitions feel earned, not decorative.
Spotlight on “Astray”
If I had to pick a favorite, it’s “Astray”. It’s in so many ways the locus of what makes this record work. A driving beat carries the song forward; the double bass adds a furious pulse. The guitar is thick, fuzzy, sometimes grinding, but never one-dimensional. Over top, the synths and keys swirl — eerie, psychedelic, echoing — giving the track a dreamlike edge even while it hits hard.
What I love about “Astray” is how it anchors you. You’re pulled by that beat, you’re buried in the riff, you get lost in the textures above — and somehow it never loses focus. It’s the sort of track you want to hear loud, in a room with walls shaking.
Concept & Cohesion
Lyrically and thematically, Death of Don Valley leans into decay, mortality, environmental erosion, the slow death of spaces once alive. The Don Valley — as a symbol — offers a haunting anchor point: once vibrant, now polluted, suffocating under industrial load. The bleakness saturates the album, from opener to closer, but there’s also intention in structure — short bursts, long journeys (see the nearly 9-minute “Bliss”), moments of quiet interlude, and crescendos.
Death of Don Valley is a surprisingly easy listen. Despite that, you don’t slip into this album and forget your surroundings. But that’s part of its power: it demands engagement.
Live Impact & Tour Context
Ivy Gardens designed this with the stage in mind. According to their press, much of Don Valley was conceived to be played live, with “massive stacks of amplifiers and a commitment to delivering the music in all its raw, unfiltered glory.” That ambition shows: the dynamics, the tension, the breathing — all feel like they’ll translate fully in the live setting.
Speaking of live, the band is currently on a cross-Canada tour in support of this record, running through to October 25 (wrapping in Victoria, BC) — including a stop in Winnipeg October 12 at the Bulldog Event Center. If you can catch them on this run, it’s probably the best way to fully absorb what Death of Don Valley aims to be.
Verdict
Death of Don Valley is a bold, intense leap forward for Ivy Gardens. It’s not flawless — occasionally the weight can feel overbearing, and some of the longer moves drag a bit — but when it works, it works in a devastating, haunting way. The blending of sludge grit, grunge aggression, and synth/keyboard atmospherics gives them a territory all their own. As a first listen, I’m excited to revisit it, dig into the corners, and — yes — play “Astray” on heavy repeat.
If you like your heavy music to be more than just brute force, with texture, groove, atmosphere and guts, this is a record worth meeting.
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