Review Summary: Lychgate delve further into nightmarish realms, creating a third album which widens the divide already set in stone by the band's sophomore effort.
Extreme metal often draws the most divisive arguments when it is at its most explorative and adventurous. How far can one band take a particular sound, define it, and then deliver it with such conviction before it becomes tried and tested instead of fresh and exciting? For Lychgate, a project that was initially conceived to represent the darkest recesses of the human psyche, the limits of such a musical direction may not yet have been reached-or at least, 2015's illustrious masterpiece,
An Antidote for the Glass Pill would have you believe. Over time, this sophomore effort has become just as lauded and derided for its blatant attempt at theatrical prowess as it has praised and respected for its distinctive fusion of magical sonic elements and macabre, electrifying atmosphere. If you thought that release was bewildering beyond human comprehension, just listen to Lychgate's latest effort,
The Contagion in Nine Steps, and you'll once again be in awe.
Being in awe for either positive or negative reasons, that is. If you were one of the many who thought that
An Antidote... was too ridiculous and overdone to be taken seriously, then you'll quite simply baulk at the band's latest release. But that's essentially the intent. Everything about Lychgate's latest release has been, in a nutshell, levelled up. The sinister compositions are more open-ended, the theatrical mastery is now on a grandiose scale, and the progressive/avant-garde attachments to the band's extreme metal precision is taken into new realms. Opener "Republic" begins with a build-up of organ-drenched delerium, harrowing stop-start rhythms and jagged riff work which in turn is further screwed into madness by Gothic, B-movie Horror style production values. It's a perfect statement of intent which simply delivers on all fronts, demonstrating a circus of talent which naturally turns out to be the most challenging song of the album. There are only six tracks on this album (interesting given that the album's title suggests there is nine), but each one takes it in turn to offer a fresh angle of the band's musical direction. "Unity of Opposites" for example, is tamer in its delivery, eschewing much of the bug-eyed heaviness of its predecessor and, for that reason, anything off Lychgate's previous two records.
For those who have heard Esoteric before, you will be pleased to know that
The Contagion... has invited a style closer to doom metal than any other extreme metal sub-genre, and it seems that Chandler's unmistakeably demented vocal delivery has also taken a trip back to the harmonies of his main band. The dark, narrative voice within "Republic" for example is ridden with psychedelic darkness, propelling the surrounding instrumentation further into a shroud of sonic delerium. As the album continues however, the vocal delivery becomes more versatile. There are less earthy shrieks and inhuman growls than on
An Antidote..., but replacing these are an abundance of distinguishable choral chants and almost angelic clean vocal work. Closer "Remembrance" for example, is ballad-like in its progression, but builds with effortless yet intriguing progression over a five-minute length which honestly feels shorter because of its undeniably soothing flow. Here, we are treated to the band's collective finesse, eschewing any grating or menacing aspect of their chosen style which was more obvious beforehand. Put simply, "Remembrance" is the perfect closer for an album such as this because of its placement in the tracklisting and revels in its open-ended feel.
The Contagion in Nine Steps unfortunately suffers from one distinctive flaw, although depending on your tolerance for Lychgate's previous core sound this may be presented as a positive boon. It was stated before in the review that the general musicianship reflects much of Esoteric's doomy albeit still psychedelic flourish. This basically means that the explosiveness and bug-eyed mania of previous effort
An Antidote... has been lost in the process of building on a brilliant theatrical musical direction, but making up for it is a slightly more sensible songwriting ethic. None of these songs ever seem to threaten you with a sudden change in pace, and because of this it is all disguised as one-dimensional until further listeners open up and invite you deeper down the proverbial rabbit hole. However, it's hard not to get charmed by the organ-drenched intro of "Hither Comes the Swarm", or the ethereal clean vocal chants midway through "Atavistic Hypnosis". Adding to this the beauty of closer "Remembrance", and you can confidently be swayed from the fact that
The Contagion... has a more settled feel, but one which is no less exciting or unique.
It's hard to recommend an album such as
The Contagion in Nine Steps, because you have to be open to the challenge this sort of music presents, which essentially means that it requires multiple focussed listens. Nothing you hear will sound quite like this in 2018, and that's just the case with the band's previous effort,
An Antidote for the Glass Pill. Unfortunately, even after multiple listens, this latest album will prove divisive, making the haters stand even further away from its presence and seeming ever more contagious to those who have loved every minute of Lychgate's past work.
