Bait - Revelation of the Pure (2020)

Bait is another in a succession of European bands to blend together the ideas of post-metal, hardcore and sludge into a forceful, cohesive sound, not really allowing any one of the primary influences to overpower the others. While a number of similar acts seem just upon the precipice of making the hybrid memorable, this band won me over almost immediately with its dark, dynamic sense of rhythm, enormous and effective production values and seamless integration of atmosphere and aggression. Revelation of the Pure is an impressive showcase of rage and melancholy which feels like you've been run right up against a reef of bared emotions and then before you even get the chance to straighten yourself out it starts tossing you around on its stormy surface until you're boneless.

Floods of haunted, mournful chords charge along over this thick, pumping bass tone which often gives off the impressive of an evil, more muscular Fugazi if it were soaked in angrier hardcore. The wall of sound created by the guitar not only anchors you with those heavy low-end chords but also with these ceaseless streams of atmospheric, higher distorted notes which just fleshed out their style so much that I found it hypnotizing. The drummer is a powerhouse, with perfect fills and kicks that keep it all from lapsing into chaos, and pair him up with that bass, some of the more dissonant riffing and the vocalist's energetic mesh of hardcore barks and black metal rasps and this will totally mow you down. I'd almost liken it to the more interesting, unique metalcore bands of old like Coalesce, Botch, or Keelhaul, only viewed through that darker lens where the post-black influences are just as important to how the songs are woven. Tracks like "Lightbringer" and the title cut had right on the edge of my seat, I had to hold myself back from moving, which might have looked really silly all alone in my small office, but this band...just...has it. I admit that I've not always been highly receptive to a lot of this style of material sent to me by labels like Les Acteurs de l'Ombre, but this one just nailed me to the cross and left me hanging there in a dazed, bloody, bruised stupor.

Verdict: Win [8.5/10]

https://ladlo.bandcamp.com/album/revelation-of-the-pure

Flourishing - Intersubjectivity EP (2012)

Having released what was one of my top records for 2011 in The Sum of All Fossils, I have naturally harbored some interest in what New York's post-hardcore/death mavens Flourishing would be shoveling from the angst and ether of daily life into their next recording. This has now manifest in a 3-track, 20 minute EP which further defines the more oppressive side of the band, coming both as a refreshing arbiter of consistency, but perhaps also a mild disappointment for one such as myself so embroiled in the delicious dichotomy of grace and savagery from the full-length. Not to say that this isn't still pretty sick and engrossing, or that the trio's creativity has undergone any substantial sense of distillation, but much of the material here is focused on the pounding, dissonant narratives that represented slightly over half of that debut.

Think The Sum of All Fossils if it were sent through a junkyard compactor and fused with all manner of filthy, industrial waste, and you've got a reasonable estimation of where the sounds of Intersubjectivity lie. The guitar patterns are largely built around massive, clamorous repetitions of chords which are flooded with the swill of repulsive, oozing bass lines. Once again, I find myself at odds with exactly how to accurately pin the band's influences. Treponem Pal meets Coalesce at a Zeni Geva gig? Voivod serenading Today is the Day by way of Godflesh? Half the Hydra Head roster fused through a fruit juicer? But I think much the beauty in the New Yorkers' style is how they manage to converge and contain such varied aesthetics into a bruising, ugly, corpulent release while retaining a strict level of artistry and self-identity. There are moments throughout this EP where I felt like they'd transformed into this novel industrial noise rock unit who have eschewed programmed beats and synthesizers who create an analogue of sense of urban decay (particularly in the opening volley to "A Living Sundial"), and this time out there's far less of the debut's unexpected warmth and humanity to balance out the Herculean pounding of the bass, the nauseating certainty of the riff torrents and the bloodied discomfort of Garrett Bussanick's vocals.

Of course, it's those same grisly growls which provide the trio's most apparent tether to the death metal genre that inspired them. The guitars will often bear a passing semblance to the chaos inherent in a Portal,  Ulcerate, or Gorguts' Obscura, but very little reminiscent of traditional death metal tremolo riffs or breakdowns that haven't at least been deconstructed into the music's abrasive, rusted turmoil. Highlights of the tunes often arrive when Bussanick emits his spurious leads and wailing disharmony, particularly in "The Petrifaction Lottery" or the titular, 8 minute closer. These aren't quite so catchy as some of the passages on The Sum of All Fossils, but when the chords disappear and you hear them ringing out over the floodlight bass barrage in "Intersubjectivity", you still get that same sense of suffering and alienation which hit at a deeper level than just the pounding of the rhythm guitars elsewhere. Brian Corcoran's drums were of particular interest here, shifting between callous, concrete weirdo blasts, fills and even a jazzier backdrop to the more spatial segues from the dominant, churning chassis of the compositions.

Be warned: Flourishing is so loud and raw here that you're apt to receive a headache competitive with staking a sharpened PVC pipe through one ear and out the other, then flushing your brain with bolts, nails and screws. All instruments are audible and dynamic, but there's plenty of feedback redolent of the angrier post-hardcore coming out of the late 90s, and to be honest this lends a certain authenticity to the natural entropy of the riffs. Madness and confusion are manifest, even legion, but there's never a sense that the New Yorkers aren't in complete control of the proceedings. It might not stack up to its predecessor in terms of how sticky the songs become, even after repeated listens, and it's probably best that they were contained here rather than on the ensuing full-length. That said, through, Flourishing and Intersubjectivity are still worthwhile for those in search of a distinct, unnerving darkness that functions through its own set of rules rather than adhering to any particular status quo of extremity. Nuanced, agonizing and unquestionably ambitious.

Verdict: Win [8/10]

http://www.facebook.com/flourishingnyc

Cult of Luna - The Beyond (2003)

The Beyond is a definite step in a new direction for Cult of Luna, and shows many of the features of their music that will become relative constants throughout their later releases. This is the first time that the overtly political side of Cult of Luna is on display, and this album shows a refinement we didn’t get on Cult of Luna.

The first track is an ambient intro that features the quote “If we surrender our liberty in the name of security we shall have neither." It sets the tone for the album well and also sets up a preoccupation with politics and social control that is expounded upon through this album and their later releases. Those not interested in their trademark politics can also find something to like here as the music is pretty damn good.

The following track, “Receiver,” shows a new side of their songwriting. This track, and the rest of the album while I’m at it, is much more firmly rooted in metal than hardcore, though there are still lingering elements of hardcore. One thing I never got from Cult of Luna is evolution, and we get that in spades here. The songs aren’t long just because they chug on interminably but because the songs go places.

“Genesis” is an excellent example of the style Cult of Luna perfects throughout their career: it starts a bit jazzy and evolves in to a post-metal juggernaut. This track is ponderous in the best possible way. It is at times rather difficult to listen to, as it’s hard to get a feel on what’s going on. They never allow their melodies to stagnate here, and the repetition lulls listeners in to a sense of familiarity before changing it up and destroying any sense of rhythm we may have become accustomed to.

“Circle” is another song that shows the band evolving. While Cult of Luna featured softer sections with strings, “Circle” takes a similar approach with synths. The track starts slow, with only a synth melody, minimal guitar, and barely noticeable drumming. It’s peaceful and almost soothing despite being melancholy. This ambient intro builds to eventually add a little bit more power and adds the bass. However, the first four minutes stand in contrast to the middle portion of the song, which unleashes their full force. I also appreciate their attempt at creating more involved riffs in the heavier portions of their songs. While they still chug along, there’s a bit more to it here.

This isn’t to say that Cult of Luna has shed all of the hardcore trappings that all but defined Cult of Luna. “Leash,” in particular, calls back to that first album. And, although it’s over seven minutes long, it is fairly relentless throughout. In fact, this song seems to take a lot of cues from Snapcase, particularly on End Transmission. “Deliverance” also feels like a more metal oriented harcore track in places.

Unlike an album that is structurally complex but accessible, like In the Absence of Truth, The Beyond is exhausting. While it is certainly a great album, it asks a lot of its listeners. This is not to condemn it but to praise it. Cult of Luna is attempting to decry political processes that feel outside of the control of individuals, and it seems only fair that their album does the same. Though this is not the best example of this aspect of Cult of Luna’s sound, this is certainly the beginning of this approach to structure, and this is probably the first album in which the band displays a signature sound. This is not Cult of Luna’s masterpiece, but already at this stage in their career they were miles ahead of Pelican, The Red Sparowes, and most of the other disciples of Neurosis.

Verdict: Win [7/10]

http://cultofluna.com

Cult of Luna - Cult of Luna EP (2001)

Before I decided to undertake the Cult of Luna discography, I was unaware that they had released any EPs. While I was familiar with all of their full length releases, I couldn’t quite picture how their style would translate to a shorter EP, and it may be telling that the only other EP in their catalog contains two cover songs. This EP also contains two songs, though they are originals.

The first track, “Unfold the Inside,” begins with a slow guitar melody but, you guessed it, gives way to some heavy chugging. It’s pretty by the numbers for this point in Cult of Luna’s career, and it sounds like it could easily be an outtake from Cult of Luna. This track is pretty relentless, even by Cult of Luna’s standards. There’s a minor break from the heavy chugging towards the end, but it picks back up in short order. The track does not evolve and stays fairly similar throughout with the exception of their attempts at breakdowns during the last minute. The breakdowns, however, lack the heart of talented hardcore bands and lack the power of a good thrash breakdown. They’re just kind of there.

The second track, “The Art of Self-Extermination,” builds in a similar fashion to the first, though it starts heavier. Once it gets started, we’re in for another track of pounding repetition. The track ends heavy and doesn’t overstay its welcome, but I’m not sure I could pick out a riff from this song even if I tried really, really hard. And, no, the two notes they repeat for the last fifteen seconds do not constitute a riff.

With a running time of only thirteen minutes, it’s perplexing that Cult of Luna didn’t just throw these tracks in to their first full length as they match the general tone and feel of the first record well. Anyone who was enamored with Cult of Luna will likely want to grab a copy of this EP, but there isn’t enough meat here to be worthwhile to anyone else.

Verdict: Fail [4.5/10]

http://cultofluna.com