After plunging the depths with their raw, feedback-abusing,
drone-heavy and, at times, utterly inaccessible debut album, “Mainlining
The Lugubrious”, this Chicago quintet have pulled back their black
metal curtains and allowed in a little more light for their sophomore
self-titled.
They have undoubtedly veered towards more of an intensive drone and
psych experience, with only suggestions of their former Nachmystium and
Burzum stylings shining through. Expect plenty of rhythmic anomalies,
staccato attacks and even a little touch of punk nous thrown in to the
mix. Tracks such as “Bull Of Crete” and the hellish dirge-into-mayhem of
the two-part “Zeta II Reticuli” and “King In Yellow” form the bloodied
fists of malcontent. It’s like finding the atonal nadir where These Arms
Are Snakes’ vicious howls meet the avant-garde lunacy of Kong.
Retaining their love of ambience, you’ll discover amidst the dying
paroxysms, dark bleatings and discordant noise, fresh shoots bursting
forth from the dangerously jagged 11-minute monster, “Al-Malik”, and the
soulful Latino flourishes of “Recuerdos”. Elsewhere, the album is only
memorable for its lack of hooks, curiously liquid segueing between
tracks and inconsistent tonal patterns.
What does ring true is their choice of bonus track. If Murmur’s
ultimate fetish hadn’t been obvious before then the closing cover of
King Crimson’s “Larks’ Tongues In Aspic, Pt. 2″ will nail that thought
into your mind. Faithfully performed (though without the original’s
kitsch instrumentation or warm blue tones) it seems a shame they
neglected to insert as much of their heroes’ gnarly groove or
deap-seated psychoses into the rest-of the album.
Also online @ Ave Noctum = http://www.avenoctum.com/2014/01/murmur-murmur-season-of-mist/
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