Style: Doom/Post/Ambient (mixed vocals)
Review by: Matt
Country: United States (California)
Release date: April 18, 2020
There comes a time in every man’s life when he must ask himself: Am I Forlesen, or Againstlesen? Well, if you have any inclination towards doom or post rock, you can most likely count yourself among the former camp. It’s not easy to pin down exactly one genre – unsurprising, considering the band’s Kayo Dot connection – but they combine beat-less drones, haunting female choirs, and doom metal into something both beautiful and a little unsettling.
Maybe it was just a lucky frame of mind I was in, but Hierophant Violent was instantly engaging to me. This is unusual for a two-song drone/doom album, but the atmosphere is so moody and tense you can’t help but pay attention. Forlesen create a masterful cinematic ambience here, spinning gold out of both heaviness and the lack thereof. Low, ominous synths and ghostly female vocals dominate the extended intro, creating an atmosphere like a bleaker “Shine On You Crazy Diamond.” It’s over eleven minutes into the first song before any sort of riff or groove appears, yet we’re not waiting for it to happen. There’s no strict delineation between ambience and band, no sudden intrusion of metal like I feared… just one interconnected, supremely dark composition. I don’t know what’s what, structurally, but I do know 18 minutes of awesome sounds when I hear it.
The second song fares a bit worse, I think, but is by no means bad. It’s basically the same exact vibe as the previous track, but more reliant on conventional guitar and drums, becoming vaguely blackened at times. Compared to their synth/sound design work, the band just doesn’t have a lot to say in this venue. If you really look at it, the guitars aren’t interesting on either song – mostly repetitive i-VI dirges, aka “instant dramatic metal progression.” The brilliance is all between the lines, in dynamics and textures. In that regard, “Nightbridge” feels like a slightly lesser retread of what came before… similar chords, similar structure. I’ll still happily listen to it, and for all I know, I could be saying this about “Following Light” if the tracks were switched.
Taken as a whole, Hierophant Violent is a swell piece of work, and I can safely recommend it to fans of all things doomy and posty. It does start to feel like a one trick pony, even across just two songs, but we’ll have to see what the band does for the next one. They’re certainly capable of great things.
Recommended tracks: Following Light
Recommended for fans of: Cult of Luna, Rosetta
Final verdict: 8/10
Related links: Bandcamp| Spotify| Facebook
Label: Hypnotic Dirge Records – Bandcamp | Website | Facebook
Forlesen is:
– Ascalaphus – vocals, guitar, synth, harmonium
– Bezaelith – vocals, guitar, bass, synth
– Maleus – drums
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