Cult Of Luna – The Beyond
I absolutely worship this bands first album, mean and heavy, somewhat akin to a more apocalyptic Isis. Body jarring hooks, cataclysmic dynamics and a potent use of melody and dissonance all came together to create something profoundly emotional and moving. “The Beyond” picks up and expands on the crushing girth of the self titled release, but tones down the savagery a little bit. It works very much in the same realm as the first record, giving just a bit more prominence to melodic breakdowns and longer passages of calm, but all of the intensity and blistering passion is still very much intact. The production is a bit cleaner as well, but the dynamics of the writing weren’t sacrificed in the least. This band goes from quiet to fucking loud as well as anyone I’ve heard. I’ve seen them compared to Neurosis and Isis for that element of their sound and I guess I even did it a bit, but ultimately this band is no clone, they have their own identity, and while it is that general approach that Cult Of Luna embraces, their execution is their own, and is certainly powerful enough to rival either of those bands. Trudging, epic and morose with a gargantuan presence, that is evocative in its solitary melodies as well as its dense walls of distortion. This is just such a visceral band for me, one of those that seems to almost transcend music and stir something in your guts. I can’t recommend them enough, and if you missed out on the self titled release when it came out it appears that Earache is re-issuing it. – Scott
EARACHE
Worm Gear 