I have varied tastes in metal even if it veers heavily towards NWOBHM, classic metal, raw/atmospheric black metal and true doom. I have no problem with bug fuck weird, painfully introverted, ambient or screeching noise. I love Neurosis. I love Diamanda Galas, even some poppy stuff too. This is all important to note at this time.
Chicago’s predominantly instrumental Locrian are a band I have been very aware of but until now never been formally introduced to. I was promised dark noise/drone, end of the world stuff. ‘Eternal Return’ kicks… sorry, begins the album with some fairly sombre keyboards and a pinch of drone before drifting into a shockingly saccharine, almost Slowdive-esque melody. Thankfully it is merely a short intro, but enough to make me worry as it simply seemed to drift away without real engagement. ‘A Visitation From The Wrath Of Heaven’ though is a song proper. Far from the violence of the title, as is the entire album, it is built on a simple, repetitive beat with distant repeating keyboard beeps and an gentle drone and it stretches out over eight and a half minutes with interruptions of buried in the mix screams and some heavier space rock riffing. Nothing wrong with this and neatly performed but to be honest it seems to me to be totally lacking in dynamics. To be clear; there are tempo and time changes aplenty but the sense of motion, of power withheld or used or perfectly in the balance as with, for example, Neurosis is just not there for me. The song and indeed the album as a whole feels more akin to a raft adrift in a current and an empty raft at that. I don’t mean the music is vacuous. Far from it; Locrian clearly have deep and serious artistic intent and want to share this but in all honesty the atmosphere here just seeps away from me with alarming speed. It all seems so laid back, drifting gentle stuff that even the harsh vocals and occasional heavier riffs feel… well, unengaged with the gentle body. Sounds, even on the title track that could be taken as bleak can equally be taken as simple fuzz. You could as easily be stoned in a sunny field as facing the crepuscule at the end of the world.
Maybe that’s the point. Maybe I have truly missed the point. But I have tried and this has become a drift on that raft for me. Compare this to the recent re-release of Steve Von Till’s first solo album and even taking into account the different genres, that is where I have issues with this album.
Beautiful as the playing is, I am adrift with no sense of time, place, reason or contemplation. Nothing moves it pushes me. So concentrate on music not meaning? But then I am left with notes, not music. Just notes with no reason to follow them.
So sorry guys. I just don’t get this. Not at all.
Locrian are, according to their PR, ‘blackened noise geniuses’. Alas on the strength of this they are accomplished musicians (hence the score) but more ‘ok occasionally shouty post-rock’ than that hyperbole. I’m sure open minded post-rock fans may dig this, maybe even some drone or stoner fans. Me? Moving on.
(4.5/10 Gizmo)
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