Agriculture: The Spiritual Sound Review – Unabashedly Gorgeous Soundscapes from Blissful Extreme Metal Band
All the elation, transcendence, and intensity of heavy music bursts forth with overwhelming energy from the sophomore release by this self-described "blissful black metal" ensemble hailing from Los Angeles.
This new album pairs immense heaviness with imaginative detailing. Key track the song Bodhidharma propels along a guitar motif fit for a biker gang, then a blast of noise and shrieking introduces a melancholic atmospheric rock bridge section. The often-criticized technique of the virtuosic guitar solo is spectacularly resurrected by guitarist the lead guitarist, whose soloing here and on standout Flea will have you levitating with joy – but then the calm ballad the track Hallelujah features descending guitar melodies played with youthful innocence.
Tracks like Micah (5.15.am) and the song Serenity are high-speed punk rock, but Dan’s Love Song is drum free and has slow-moving drone-metal distortion rumbling along underneath its dream-pop loveliness. Melodies in black metal can often be absent or too complex, but the band's riffs and hooks are vibrant and innovative, and closer The Reply even evokes a more intense Radiohead.
Fans of experimental metal acts similar artists will likely adore all this dynamic shifting and unabashedly gorgeous noise, especially because the group also feature two divergent vocal styles, divided here across two vocalists. Dan Meyer contributes occasional soulful, clean singing, yet the standout is Leah Levinson, her voice quivers on one track but fiercely howling elsewhere.
As is common in the genre, it’s hard to discern the words she sings, but they’re worth the effort: the stories she sings about personal struggles and social injustice are heart-wrenching, as is her search for purpose in a reality that inexorably bends towards violence.
