Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 12/1/2012
Label: Total Rust
Track Listing
1) Soar 07:58
2) Unfinished 04:10
3) Codec of Becoming God 05:13
4) Fire The Blood Sky 04:47
5) Pitch Beneath Eternity 06:18
6) Deliverance 08:01
Total running time: 36:27
Bio
Lurk
formed in 2008 and have clearly spent the last four years perfecting an
expansive sound based on sludge with elements of doom and even death and black
metal with a subtle taste for dynamics. This, their debut, is a quite remarkable
accomplishment for a first record.
Review
The
record kicks off with Soar which, in
a way, the track does. The drums are massive and reverbed with the initial
groove being replaced by a massive chugging riff with vocals at the lower end
of the register. One of the great things about the record is that the vocals
shift up and down in pitch with the music itself. This lends an extra dimension
to the songs in a genre which at times can be very singular in its approach.
The music thus ebbs and flows over the course of the song. There is quite a lot
of light to go with the shade on offer here- and the usage of it is very well
constructed.
An
almost shuffle type rhythm heralds in Unfinished.
The vocals come straight in and an insistent groove is artfully introduced. The
riffing is taut and focused – indeed, the guitars throughout the album are a
lesson in how variations on a theme make songs. This approach gives the record
a unified feel.
Codec of Becoming God is segued into from Unfinished. More great grooves here- the
vocals are even almost hooky although the lyrics are pitch black. Maybe it's
just me, maybe it's that the album contains a track called Deliverance, but there is something in the riffs here that reminds
me of Pepper Keenan era COC- strange but true! Let's be clear though- this is
dark, dark stuff and Finland is not one of the Southern States so there the
comparison ends. Overdubbing of guitars is used well here as are unusual
rhythms and accents within the music.
Just
beyond the midpoint of the album lies Fire
in the Blood Sky. The riff that kicks this one off is simply superb! It
drops to a groove that is too subtle to be aggressive and has those dynamic shifts
that break up the verses and songs that are a hallmark of the album. The
structure, the shifts in the music; it all adds up to being a great “song” in
the true sense of the word. The vocal delivery reminds me of LG Petrov of Entombed
in the mid nineties in places, but again the delivery is varied- different
types of sandpaper if you will! There are even some keyboard textures here and
they add an effective variety to the sounds on offer.
More
ebb and flow can be found within the unusual groove of Pitch Beneath Eternity. Again, the guitars offer nice variations
and phrasing that the vocals match. The tone of the track is rather... grand-
in a good way. The range of the vocals is rather impressive and some nice
production effects are added around the three and a half minute mark to build
the track up again after a shift in dynamic.
The
album rounds off with the near eight minute aforementioned Deliverance. A slow Crowbar-esque groove lumbers into
earshot and a great riff reveals itself as the track builds momentum. The
paciest section of the album is yielded past the three minute mark and the
guitar interplay once again stands out. A bleak black metal type feel takes
over and Lurk prove they can't be predicted as they shift the pace to a
certified doom cadence. The final two minutes of the record is a slow descent
into howling feedback. It is a very fitting ending to a masterfully dynamic and
varied release. If you like some variety in your sludge and worship at the altar
of more than one genre of metal then this record is most definitely for you.
Buy it and find out for yourself!
Written by: Richard Maw
A tad late in terms of getting the review out there, but this is genuinely a record worth waiting for. Absolutely superb. You can buy the CD here and vinyl here. Thanks as usual to Gad @ Total Rust. For more info on the band check out the links below.
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