Review Summary: A complete Boris experience if there ever was one.
Boris’ self-mythologizing grab-bag experimentalism precedes itself. The Japanese trio revel in doing things a bit “differently,” going so far as to offer different takes on the
same album (
Pink,
Smile, and
Heavy Rocks); both a dream and nightmare to fans and record collectors alike. But few, if any, albums capture Boris completely--their philosophy, sound, and identity. If one
had to choose a singular piece to define Boris, it might be
LφVE & EVφL.
Boris’ umpteenth release,
LφVE & EVφL is the 25th-anniversary record that 2017’s
Dear wasn’t--a full celebratory retrospection of an accomplished yet baffling discography. “Coma” and “UZUME” relate the band’s noise experiments, calling upon the fuzzed-out bliss of
Boris at Last - Feedbacker and the collaborations with Merzbow; “Away From You” steps into
Heavy Rocks (2011) lofty rock anthems; “Evol” and “Love” then combine disparate elements of
Praparat,
Noise, and even
Smile. The band has sold this release as two independent works, “encapsulating conflicting connotations that interweave and become intricately entangled with one another, gradually eroding before becoming utterly singular,” per an official statement. Surprisingly, they’ve achieved this effect. The album’s two parts are apparent. It threads in-between two halves, creating a jagged tapestry of lush rock and murky chaos. Outside of that context, a person might find that
LφVE & EVφL is a confounding and inconsistent experience; a chimeric monster of conflicting interests and ideas that trades blows with itself amongst a heavy backdrop of metal and noise. But to Boris devotees, it’s everything and more.
