When Boise, Idaho duo Pussygutt reinvented themselves as Wolvserpent with the release of 2010's incredible debut album Blood Seed,
it was more than just a mere change of monicker; it reflected their
transition from sparse, abstract dronescapes towards a more structured,
malevolent sound that put them within the wide-ranging classification of
metal, albeit at the outer fringes.
The blackened doom they conjured
with that album held me utterly captivated, so much so that it was the
very first album that ever moved me to try to put into words what I felt
for its haunting, otherwordly ambiance.
Listening to it again many
times after my initial review, I don't think I'll ever adequately
describe the feelings it evokes, nor the nightmarish worlds it creates
within my mind.
When the Perigaea demo became available
late last year it coincided with a dark, isolated period in my life, and
quickly became my escapist soundtrack, a creepily comforting collection
that I would retreat to time and time again. The band's assertion that
the demo was only "the early stages and younger concepts" that would inform the finished work, and that it would be "an
entirely different
manifestation of the ideas heard on the demo" made me eager to hear
where they would take what was already an accomplished recording and
concept.
The culmination of a two-year writing and re-writing period, with the finished album recorded with renowned producer/engineer Mell Dettmer (Sunn 0))), Boris, Earth), the release of their sophomore album Perigaea Antahkarana is upon us.
Considering that
Wolvserpent is comprised of only two members, Blake Green on guitar,
vocals, and keys, and Brittany McConnell on drums, percussion and
violin, the way they build up the various layers in each song without
them sounding cluttered or over-thought is miraculous, and their use of
loops and effects pedals to produce such a wide variety of sounds is
especially impressive in a live environment.
At
81 minutes this is not the sort of album you'll throw on for some
easy-listening, but if you're willing to dedicate yourself to it, to
submit to an awakening of your atavistic instincts, it's one of the most
rewarding immersive experiences that metal on the more avant-garde end
of the spectrum can offer.
Read my full review over at The Sleeping Shaman...
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