Review: Ludicra: The Tenant [A-]

Artist: Ludicra

Album: The Tenant

Released: March 2010

Label: Profound Lore Records

Genre: black metal

Purchase date: 31 Jan 2011

Format: mp3 files

Source: eMusic

I first heard of Ludica (and Agalloch, for that matter) on a "Viking's Choice" episode of NPR's All Songs Considered. In that episode, Lars Gotrich, NPR Music's resident fan of and expert on metal, hardcore, post-rock, and other polarizing music, shared his 2010 best-of. It contained a lot of music that I didn't like all that much, but Agalloch and Ludicra both stood out.

Ludicra is a black metal band from San Francisco with the unusual feature of a female lead vocalist. As is the custom with black metal vocals, Laurie Sue Shanaman howls, shrieks, and stage-whispers the lyrics over blistering guitar and bass with pneumatic percussion. However, it's not all power chords and trolls-under-bridges: Ludicra varies its tone and can suddenly shift into folk-metal moments with eerie tonal vocals in two-part harmony. The instrumentation is moving: powerful yet melodic with a strong sense of emotion. This is powerful stuff, and if you can move through the shrieking, a very rewarding listen. Recommended.

Rating: A-

Album listing on Amazon

Album listing on eMusic

Listen to "Stagnant Pond"

Review: Agalloch: Marrow of the Spirit [A]

Artist: Agalloch

Album: Marrow of the Spirit

Released: November 2010

Label: Profound Lore Records

Genre: Black Metal

Purchase Date: 18 January 2011

Format: AAC files

Source: iTunes

I'm pretty new to the realization that I like some extreme forms of music. I never thought that I would totally love a black metal album, as the typical "troll under a bridge"/"cookie monster growl" vocal style of black metal tends to really turn me off. However, the vision and musicality of the Austin-based black metal band Agalloch transcends the extreme into a place of true dark beauty.

I will be the first to admit that the scream/growl black metal vocals of Agalloch was a barrier that needed to be surmounted, and nearly put me off this band. I found it a strange disconnect from the ambient-yet-melodic music, with shimmering guitars and pounding percussion. This is a band that knows how to paint a landscape with music, using natural sounds and wide dynamic range to vary the aural landscape. At times, the music seems more like instrumental post-rock, akin to the harder moments of Explosions In The Sky or If These Trees Could Talk. After repeated listens, I warmed to John Haughm's whisper-growl vocals. Unlike some black metal bands, Agalloch doesn't present an anti-Christian screed in its lyrics. I found that I became immersed in the neopagan nature-reverence of the lyrics.

This album isn't for everyone: black metal is an extreme music form, and it took repeated listens for me to "get it." I found a strong emotional connection to this album, and it was one of my favorite albums of 2010.

Rating: A

Album listing at Amazon

Album listing at eMusic

Listen to "The Watcher's Monolith"