Post-Metal. It’s one of those made up terms coined by music dorks to describe a certain sub-genre of metal that has evolved during the 1990s and 2000s. It kind of sucks as a descriptor though. I mean, you get a pretty good idea of what is coming with Power Metal or Thrash Metal. Post-Metal just sits there looking stupid as a term of art.
Discordant Ambient Metal. Harsh, Yet Somehow Soothing Metal. Bleak Resonant Songs of Around 7 to 12 Minutes In Length Metal.
These are all better genre descriptors than Post-Metal. But, no one is listening to me. So, Post-Metal it is!!
This album was my first exposure to Abraham. These are some dudes from Switzerland who (surprise!) deal in post-metal. This one is a load in that it is a double album. So, you’ve got a shit ton of music to work through. Everything on here is really pretty decent. It’s not really anything Earth-shattering, but it’s cool. Kind of like a poor man’s Cult of Luna or Neurosis. That’s the vibe these guys project. The music is harsh, but it is presented in a manner in which I find very relaxing. I get this feeling a lot with post-metal bands. Abraham employs a wall of sound approach that ends up collapsing in waves over the listener. It’s powerful, but not overbearing. I even hear a touch of The Cure in some of the cleaner vocal portions. It’s not pronounced, but it’s definitely in there if you look for it.
Overall, this is a really good swing by a band that is still early in their development. It will be interesting to see where these guys take their sound going forward.
3.5 flip flops out of 5
DISPATCHES FROM THE VOID 