Review Summary: Liturgy basically singlehandedly re-defined black metal.
Remember the 90's when Pearl Jam where whining "oh, ah, I'm still alive" and Red Hot Chili Peppers were crying "lonely as I am together we cry"?
Yeah well, then literally out of nowhere a wild Fred Durst appeared, threatening to break stuff (no pun intended) and changed the pop music industry forever. This is what Liturgy have done to black metal scene. Yes, they have.
Forget Burzum. He sounds as generic as Nickelback when compared to Liturgy. Forget Dani Filth, because… well, I have nothing witty to say about him, except to forget him and I'm not even comparing Cradle Of Filth to Liturgy.
Liturgy is not your everyday "gonna play some fine tunes in my car while I go pick up my kids from the soccer practice" kind of thing. They're not even black metal. They are "transcendental black metal" (self defined, more about that later).
The New York based TBM (transcendental black metal) quartet is a well known force in the undergrounds of black metal. The most charismatic and popular person in the band is certainly Hunter Hunt Hendrix, the guitarist and vocalist. He is indeed a strange cock: while traditional black metal singers have some kind of a falling out with fine gentlemen of Christian religion, especially those from the divine section, he kindly chose not to participate in this never ending war for the truth. He chose to be the bigger person than humanity or even God and distanced himself from this. He said "I shant have this whist I am present!". Mr. HHH (short for Hunter Hunt Hendrix) is, indeed, a spiritual man. As he once stated, "I only like to be judged on whether or not it's interesting". Great response to all those who couldn't see past the "like"s and "sort of"s in his last interview, where he showed – and not only to himself, but to us, too – that he has some answers to life's questions.
Here's a taste or a preview of what Hunt Hendrix is: "I'm kind of like, sickened by like, uhh sort of, reveling in negativity". Masterful.
But, people being people, they much rather focus on HOW instead of WHAT he's saying, thus mocking and hating his liberating and somewhat enlightened point of view. Just because he doesn't talk about World of Warcraft like that neckless singer/vocalist Corpsegrinder does or doesn't have an inverted cross branded into his forehead like Glen Benton does, he's not metal enough for some snobsters. No, HHH is 100% art, 0% bullsh!t.
Listen to what I'm about to write: HHH WROTE A MANIFESTO ("I wrote a manifesto, it's called transcendental black metal".):
#1 – a rejection of black metal
#2 –attempt in taking black metal
Wow, just wow. I was blown away and that was BEFORE he said he's interested into romanticism and that's it's actually an influence in black metal, which is like totally true. Tremolo, he stated, is a fine indicator. Indeed, this connection of romanticism to black metal is NOT always acknowledge and HHH shamelessly pointed this out. I had to agree, he left me no real choice.
Band members agree, it's just not or rather it's absolutely not about "playing a song". It's about being there, in the moment, being a song, playing THE WHOLE song, while in reality one might just be playing bass, but he plays the whole song at the same time, vocals, both guitars, drums, through one instrument. Obviously, not literally, but how they perceive it. I actually wonder if let's say, guitarist wouldn't play his part right, who'd take the blame? But in a band that's technically as skilled as Liturgy are, that's not even a serious question.
Album, artistically entitled "Aesthetica" is a journey into the unknown that will never leave you bored or uninspired. The first song, High Gold starts totally unusual with a very interesting intro riff. A casual listener might question himself "what have I gotten myself into" and shake that silly question with a smile, but beware, because HHH's brutal yet elegant screaming will wipe that silly smile of any snobster's face. "True Will" actually apologizes itself for all the violence with an harmonizing singing, but it's actually just a fake-apology. Soon, the voice that unleashes hell returns. You have been fooled, he is not really going for that clichéd clean singing. The violent war of drums & guitars takes place and we can literally feel how band members are becoming one. They are joined together into an entity that is divine in the world of music making. They are connected with each and we can literally see that connection. Well, not literally because it's still "just" music (not a video) but you know what I mean. Outro in "True Will" takes us someplace else. Drops us at the gates until the "Returner" picks us up again and gets us back on track (no pun intended). It is right then and now you'll realize that you have been taken hostage by Liturgy and there is no ransom. Like that part of CSI that Tarantino wrote, when one of the CSI heroes gets kidnapped and there is actually no ransom because he got kidnapped by psycho. I'm not saying Liturgy are psychos but by the time you come to the forth song ("Generation") you'll surrender to your kidnappers.
There are many "what the f@ck am I listening to?" moments on this album and that's actually not a bad thing. Average black metal albums have a tempo and every song follows it. It's like listening to one huge song that lasts for an entire album (see: Immortal, Marduk, Dimmu Borgir). But not Liturgy, oh no! They will actually force you to bang your head and then like going from 80.778255 mph to 12.4274238 mph in a second – it all stops. And some kind of a freaky, never heard before guitar riff shows up, and stares us in our confused faces. And we are forced to look that freaky riff in his eyes and acknowledge it. IT will just not go away, until the eyes are set. "What are you doing Mr. 'slow soft strange guitar riff' and what have you done with that 'violently brutal guitar mega-riff'?" But the question usually stays unanswered. It is hidden in the depths of our own selves, waiting for it to resolve itself.
I can already see lots of readers saying "You must be trolleth for thy review fiteth not our criteria!" but I dare every single one of you who think I'm over-exaggerating to listen to "Red Crown"! The intro will blow you away. You just will not want to hear anything anymore.
But Liturgy are much more than transcendental/revolutionary/progressive/post black metal band. They are, indeed, good singers. And I mean each and every one of them. This is much evident from their a cappella song "Glass Earth". While the song lacks kind of, well, actually lyrics, it's still a vocal masterpiece, worthy of any kind of boy band you can think of, including Backstreet Boys. Many of you will wonder, "why is this person comparing Liturgy to BSB!? Is he perhaps not of sane mind?! BSB are professionally trained vocalist, the comparison is nothing but a ridicule!" yet I challenge you to listen to "Glass Earth" and tell me, if that is not a solid vocal performance.
The vocal supremacy heard on "Glass Earth" pours us the last and final song, "Harmonia". Which serves the title well. It is, indeed, a harmony found in the chaos that HHH affirms it. Welcomes it. Makes it his own, trains it and then parades it in the last epic 7:59'er. Actually it's not that long, because they have some kind of a freaky outro-after-outro thing going on. That outro-after-outro could have well been a filler, but you won't see Liturgy inserting no fillers in their masterpiece. No, sir.
Liturgy have indeed changed the whole concept of black metal and one can only wonder "Is there POSSIBLY anything else to do with this genre" and I tell you, unless you bring in some violent turntables, don't even try it. Liturgy came, conquered and rode into the chaos they so gladly embrace. Somewhere in a dark chamber below the Earth's surface an angry Dani Filth is trying to solve the puzzle called Liturgy, but failing with each album.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Liturgy era.
