Cult of Luna, Vertikal

Cult of Luna, Vertikal (Indie Recordings)

This Swedish band have been about a bit now and my first introduction was 2003s "The Beyond". That album came at a time bands like Neurosis and Isis were really taking up much deserved metal publications space.

Now at album number five they are still going strong and from what I can hear they are still sounding fantastic. This album is reported to be influenced by Fritz Lang's 1927 film Metropolis. After listening to a few tracks you can get that feeling of repetition and how frustrating seeing everything looking the same.  Fritz Lang was heavily influenced after seeing the city of New York for the first time and seeing the large skyscrapers. That is how this album sounds like trying to get to the top of one of those buildings. The intro track "The One" is like the foyer to one of the skyscrapers. Welcoming but simple but that is over when "I: The Weapon" starts, the growling vocals making me think of classic hardcore metal but this soon passes for some well thought out melodic structures.

With the band wanting to simplify the album much of the sound and feel has been done with very little. With "Vicarious Redemption" simple little dark spaces of sound show how progressive this band can be. It does take me back to the early sounds of black metal where some bands only had a few instruments and a keyboard to make the sound they want.

With the sound at times taking me back it can also look into the future much like Metropolis being set in the future this album also seems to explore this. Adding in sounds that remind me of robots and machinery much more than a soundtrack album but it feels like a trip in itself. "Synchronicity" keeps the simple band sound but has the full compliment of ideas that they want to show in this album building on the atmosphere and still making music like how the film was made with very little. Simple chugging guitars and experimental guitar sounds intrigue and entertain all the way much like "In Awe Of" that keeps building momentum for the whole track but retains a real sense of emotion with the sounds coming over like a full orchestra it is amazing that this is listed in the metal section.

Cult of Luna seem to be happy to make each album sound different from each other and here they have made this sound different from there discography and just about anything I have heard in this style of music.

Concept albums can really be a hit or miss, they have to take you for the whole album or not at all. This 68 minutes really is refreshing.

9/10

Available directly here

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Mutation, Error 500

Mutation, Error 500 (Pledge Music)

Now what we have here is more a super band and not just a simple band release. The star of the album is the former Wildhearts front man Ginger. But add in former Wildhearts members and a few other big names. How about Mark E Smith, Merzbow and Shane Embury (Nalpalm Death).

That is just for starters, just about anyone walking by the studio seemed to be dragged into the recording of this with a lyric sheet and a microphone I see why Elwood in the Blues Brothers swapped the Cadillac for a microphone now.

Album opener "Bracken" starts this album off the way it will go on from here. Not so much as noise but more speed volume. Riffs kick you all over the place in the first 30 seconds I count about 5 or six riffs (I aint kidding). Big guitars and even bigger drums set this albums opener on a guaranteed trip to the pharmacy for paracetamol. There is that much going on you need to listen to this album a few times to really hear it all.

A few listens in and you can start to here where one song ends and the other kicks in "Utopia Syndrome" does have a small pause between the first track and this but I think my ears missed it the first two listens. Scratchy guitars and feedback make the song sound like someone is just stamping about the studio in a bad mood and making noise. But good noise. These ears grew up listing to black metal and also other extreme music but I feel this is just a little different here. Add in clean vocals now and again and the element of fun really makes this a great album.

"White Leg" throws up some the same noise and again riffs and a collection of people on backing vocals at times you really need to listen to the vocals as you have the element of what is being sung? and who is singing. Again expanding the sound and giving the sixth listen more questions.

Many people may not get this far but if you do "Protein" sounds more like a rock song and only due to it has fewer riffs. More quick guitar chords and that relentless drum sound. Mark E Smith is welcomed on track five "Mutations" he blends in with ease. The music does suit his style so well and I see why he was asked on board. That microphone has been used well on this album, and now you can also welcome Merzbow and that is showing here as guitars take a step back. The keyboards are very much in the same line as the other tracks, crazy but they feel welcoming here. This is one of the shorter songs here but gives the feeling it is longer.

Joke title or not "Computer, This Is Not What I..." shows what the band can do in the studio. Great playing here and it does build into the same wall of noise as before, again chopping and changing riffs just in case you get board. "Sun Of White Leg" has a real pop feel to it well as pop as you can get with this lot. A track featuring two bassists and four singers the vocals are delivered in a more clear and tuneful fashion.

Last few tracks welcome back Mark E Smith and on "Relentless Confliction" his vocals again fit the music really well. Again it is big riffs and backing vocals that sound like they were lifted from a Hollywood war films big ending fighting scene.  "Innocentes In Morte" shows what can be dong in the mixing of an album. It really needs to be heard. "Benzo Fury" ends the album on a slightly easier listen messing about with noises and great drumming to build into an epic ending.

This is the sort of music few will like but I for one love it. It takes you into the unknown and without experimentation we would not have all the medical and technological advances we have today. The same goes with music, if we didn't experiment the music now would be so boring.

9/10

At this point the album is only available on Pledge Music as a download but physical copies will be made avalable.

EDIT: Now this album is out on via Ipecac  recordings so no need to miss out on one of the albums of the year.

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