Black Metal History Month - LABYRINTHINE HEIRS : "s/t"

The vocals are what tip this band in the direction of Black Metal, though these Texans employ more tools of sonic torture than just the weapons of war associated with that genre. The tension of the opening track does hold a gritty feel of the Jesus Lizard, but there are plenty of black metal bands who have experimented well beyond the bounds of the genre, in fact, this track makes me also think of Samael. Dissoance casts a dark shadow over the grooves. The pace picks up in a subtle undercurrent on the second song. A great deal of what sets them apart are the more organic guitar tones, that do not live and breathe of the layers of distortion and reverb. This might paint their sound as being less metallic, but they get to the same place that black metal is striving toward. The renewed bursts of anguish in the rasp of their vocalist aid the cause. They do climax the song in a more sonic explosion. 

After two songs in I am ready for things to switch up dynamically. They get slower and more seething for "The Conceited Determination of Nimrod". Then some of their more deliberate palm muted grooves begin to work their way in. This begins to remind me of a more experimental version of Satyricon's "Deep Calleth Upon Deep" album. This song accelerates more chaotically. These guys do not play as close to the metal rules as Satyricon. There is talk of the dissection of a cow at one part of the song, but that is the extent to which the lyrics make themselves known to me. However later on they say that language is using you again and again before crazed laughter ensues. 

Less form and function move over the murky waters that "Satan's Domain is the Liver". To their credit, this also breaks them away from the palm-muted formula the first few songs were locked in. It is also very dark which I can appreciate. The album closes with "Yaldabaoth Gored to Blindness" which in the title alone makes me pleased as for all the occult imagery used in metal I do not understand why the Gnostic reference to the malevolent creator god is not employed more.  This is compromised a bit with the return to the palm-muted formula. I will give this album a 9, as I really enjoyed how different it is from mainstream black metal and wish more bands would take more chances, even though it leans heavily on a particular formula for songwriting.This drops on I , Void Hanger Records March 26th. 

pst72