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
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
