Agriculture: The Spiritual Sound Review – Unabashedly Gorgeous Soundscapes from Blissful Extreme Metal Group
Every bit of euphoria, transcendence, and power in heavy sonic art bursts forth with overwhelming force from the sophomore release by this self-described "ecstatic black metal" collective based in Los Angeles.
This new album pairs crushing weight with creative intricacies. Lead single the song Bodhidharma rides a riff suited to a biker gang, then a burst of static and shrieking heralds a sad atmospheric rock middle eight. The often-criticized technique of the widdly-woo solo is brilliantly revived by axeman the lead guitarist, whose lead work on this track and on standout Flea will have you floating in ecstasy – yet the calm ballad Hallelujah features falling guitar notes played with youthful innocence.
Songs such as Micah and Serenity are fast-paced punk rock, while the piece Dan’s Love Song is drum free and has glacial drone-metal fuzz rumbling along underneath its ethereal beauty. Melodies in black metal can often be either nonexistent or overly fussy, yet Agriculture’s riffs and hooks are vibrant and innovative, and closer the song The Reply even evokes a much heavier Radiohead.
Fans of experimental metal acts Deafheaven will probably love all this contrasting dynamics and fearlessly beautiful sound, particularly since the group also have two divergent vocal styles, divided here across two vocalists. Dan Meyer adds sporadic soulful, clean singing, yet the standout is Leah Levinson, whose voice trembling on Bodhidharma but fiercely howling elsewhere.
As is common in the genre, it’s hard to discern her lyrics, yet they are worth the effort: the stories she sings about personal struggles and anti-LGBTQ bigotry are heart-wrenching, as is her search for purpose in a reality that relentlessly trends towards violence.
