Band: Servile Sect Country: Tempe, Arizona
Style: Experimental Black Metal
Label: Handmade Birds Records
In all honesty, I did not enjoy that last Servile Sect release, "Realms of The Queen," that I reviewed earlier this year. Having gone back and listened to not only that record again, but the two previous albums, I can safely say that that was my least favorite, to be honest. When I heard that this new album was going to be released, not only was I expecting a step up, though I never expect the same thing from this duo, but since it was being released on Handmade Birds, I had some high hopes for this album.
I know that the ideas of some bands being transcendental or anarchist or even cascadian, but the idea of being a space black metal band is probably just as irrelevant, and to some ludicrous. Beyond that, I think it's safe to actually say that this duo manage to actually recreate some of the more desolate stretches of space with their music, at least with the first half of the album. The two sides of this album, I'm referring to the vinyl here, bring two sides of the band's sound, though the same sort of emotion is maintained through both sides. Don't think of what's coming as a night-and-day sort of approach, but two different interpretations of the same night, if that makes any sense.
When I went back and listened to their older material again, after the listening experience with "Realms of The Queen," I had found that I really enjoyed the almost ambient take on black metal with the "Eternal Mind" album. The first half of this album is in a similar headspace as that album, focusing more of krautrock, ambient, industrial, noise aspects of the band's sound. I know most metal fans are probably going, "Well why would we listen to sideA then," well, chances are if you don't like at least a little experimentation in your metal, you wouldn't check this out anyway, but if you can stomach the more brutal, or noisier, assault that Radiating Clarity or the blackened industrial trip that Privateer provides than you could withstand some of the softer passages like Freebasing Diamonds With Luminous Beings, and that's just sideA here. SideB is a whole different beast into and of itself. The second half of this album is where all fans of brutal, aggressive, and intense black metal will get their fix. Sure, it may not be the traditional brand of kvlt, but that's essentially why it's good, it's not normal, it has all the same left-field psychedelic atmospheres and playing that sideA had, just translated into much more aggressive state, Medusa's Clit. Peaceful and hypnotic, while being calm at points and brutal at others, certainly something even the most seasoned acts have a hard time grasping, for some reason, and these guys really got it with this.
I honestly have to say that these guys really stepped it up with this record, it's a beast, in more ways than one. It's certainly a much more trippy record, and one that might take a while to digest, but it's certainly one that'll hook you from the moment you press play. Definitely check this out, highly recommended.
Overall Score: 9.5
Highlights: Every Track Is A Highlight
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