That’s the new project of Hunter Hunt-Hendrix, most famous for being the brain behind the American black metal band Liturgy: Kel Valhaal. Borrowing the name from a song on “The Ark Work”, the latest of his other band’s albums (more on that later), it completely lets go of the black metal aesthetics in favour of a completely electronic soundscape, along with clean, monotonous vocals. While most of Liturgy’s work can be labeled as metal, The Ark Work did go into extremely experimental territory, abandoning harsh vocals and bringing in the sound of bells… lots of bells. Kel Valhaal has … Read more
Tag Archives: experimental
Follow the White Rabbit – Endorphinia, an Analysis Of
I’ve been a huge fan of this band since November 2012, just a couple of weeks after the release of Endorphinia, their latest – and last – album. I can’t exactly remember how I discovered Follow the White Rabbit… Was it a friend’s recommendation? A blog mentioned it? A post on some music forum? I don’t know, but I just want to thank that person. Endorphinia has followed me through three years and a half now, and yet I never wrote a fully detailed review on it. I did mention it a couple times, here and there, … Read more
Frost* – Falling Satellites
Their first album in 8 years (during which time the band disbanded and reformed), Falling Satellites is the much anticipated third album from Jem Godrey’s Frost*. Their critically acclaimed debut album Milliontown remains one of my favorite prog albums, and while I wasn’t as into the follow-up in 2008 Experiments In Mass Appeal (the mix on the first two tracks was strange, with the quiet sections being barely audible and the loud sections blowing out your speakers) I was excited to hear what was next for the band.
The intro to the album, ‘First Day’, is a soft ambient … Read more
Schammasch – Triangle, an Analysis Of
The Swiss avant-garde black metal band Schammasch – name taken from Šamaš, the Mesopotamian God of Justice – will release their third full-length album, simply titled Triangle, on April 29th. As the name suggests, the concept of this highly ambitious work is tripartite, each side clocking in at 33:30. Yes, that makes for more than a hundred minutes of music! Inspired by Richard MacDonald‘s sculptures, the cover album portrays circus artist Sasha Krohn, falling into nothingness, photographed by Ester Segarra. Every side of the Triangle has its own identity, and feels very unique, they deal with various concepts, … Read more
Book of Sand – Occult Anarchist Propaganda & Elegy
Book of Sand is an experimental one-man band shrouded in mystery. Just trying to put a name on the person behind it would require an extensive investigation; for now, they refer to themselves only as “d”, or “dcrf”. Since 2009, they have nine releases, one of which being a split with The Skin Horse. Last year, I reviewed The Face of the Deep, which I described as unworthy of listening, but upon further reflection provides a unique albeit rather abstract experience, and can be enjoyed for what it is, simply.
Earlier this year, Book of Sand released two albums: … Read more