Thursday 1 September 2016

ALBUM REVIEW: Lesbian - “Hallucinogenesis”

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 26/08/2016
Label: Translation Loss


“Pyramidal Existinctualism” sounds like Mastodon after their drinks have been spiked with LSD and “Kosmoceratops” is epic fist-pumping thrash that takes a left turn into weird, uncharted territory. “Labrea Borealis” and “Aquilibrium” contain more melodic passages that expand the band’s horizons further into cinematic grandeur before crashing back to Earth for further, wild fretboard explorations.  Overall “Hallucinogenesis” sees Lesbian achieve a perfect balance of labyrinthine complexity and headbanging simplicity.


‘“Hallucinogenesis” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1.) Pyramidal Existinctualism
2.) Labrea Borealis
3.) Kosmoceratops
4.) Aqualibrium

The Review:

It’s impossible to ignore a concept album based on the effects of the collision of a spore-filled asteroid with the Earth. Seattle quintet Lesbian totally satisfy all expectations of cosmic mayhem with new full-length “Hallucinogenesis”.  The band’s mind-bogglingly complicated riff constructions have been criminally underrated in the past. Hopefully “Hallucinogenesis” will be the record that changes this.

The four behemoths on display here are a heady brew of psychedelic sludge, trippy prog and pretty much every known metal sub-genre. Black metal, death metal, doom and more combine in breath taking fashion, blurred through an intoxicating druggy haze. “Pyramidal Existinctualism” sounds like Mastodon after their drinks have been spiked with LSD and “Kosmoceratops” is epic fist-pumping thrash that takes a left turn into weird, uncharted territory. “Labrea Borealis” and “Aquilibrium” contain more melodic passages that expand the band’s horizons further into cinematic grandeur before crashing back to Earth for further, wild fretboard explorations.

Lesbian have always been limitless in their song writing ambition but sometimes the sheer density of ideas was too much to digest. On “Hallucinogenesis” the band have maintained their vast sonic vision but applied more focus to create their most effective set yet. A key factor is new member, vocalist Brad Mowen. Mowen is the perfect vocal foil for the band, capable of matching them whatever stylistic turn they take. Over the course of the album he switches between haunted chants, guttural growls and semi-operatic wails with ease. Somehow he manages to maintain a coherent identity despite these many different styles and is the lynch pin that holds these monolithic constructions together.

Hallucinogenesis” sees Lesbian achieve a perfect balance of labyrinthine complexity and headbanging simplicity. The spore-filled asteroid collision can’t come soon enough if this is the future we have to look forward to.

‘Hallucinogenesis” is available here



Band info: bandcamp || facebook