(The Flenser)
The LA group’s second album pairs all the power and euphoria of heavy music with imaginative detailing and poignant lyrics – it will have you levitating with joy
All of the euphoria, transcendence and power of heavy music emanates with blinding force from the second album by this self-described “ecstatic black metal” band from Los Angeles.
The Spiritual Sound pairs crushing weight with imaginative detailing. Lead single Bodhidharma rides a riff fit for a biker gang, then a burst of static and screaming heralds a sad post-rock middle eight. The maligned art of the widdly-woo solo is spectacularly resurrected by guitarist Richard Chowenhill, whose soloing here and on highlight Flea will have you levitating with joy – but then the calm ballad Hallelujah features falling guitar notes played with childlike simplicity.
Micah (5.15.am) and Serenity are high-speed hardcore punk, but Dan’s Love Song is drum free and has glacial Sunn O)))-style distortion rumbling underneath its dream-pop loveliness. Black metal melodies can often be either nonexistent or overly fussy, but Agriculture’s riffs and hooks are bright and original, and closer The Reply even recalls a much heavier Radiohead.
