Wednesday 18 March 2020

REVIEW: Lychgate, “Also sprach Futura”

By: Thomas Gonzales

Album Type: EP
Date Released: 13/03/2020
Label: Debemur Morti Productions


“Also sprach Futura” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Incarnate
2). Progeny of the Singularity
3). Simulacrum
4). Vanity Ablaze

The Review:

Lychgate opens their new EP “Also sprach Futura” with a chaotic and discordant piece replete with off key organs, ghostly throat singing, and atmospheric backing tracks. Even in its moments of harmony, there is an ethereal nature to their sound, like some sort of haunted masquerade, creating an uneasy tension that is not easily subdued. Shrieking guitars, and shrill harmonics add to the cacophony, pummeling the listener into a state of distress, unrelenting in delivering their dystopian vision.

Relatively new to the scene, Lychgate formed in 2011 to mixed reception. This was not due to a lack of talent or quality, but from an undefinable classification; it was music for the bold, seeking more depth in the extreme metal genre. Their avante-garde approach to composition elevates their sound to an artfully progressive realm, blurring the line between Black Metal, Death, and Doom Metal. It is the musical equivalent of a blackened midnight mass procession, waltzing macabre through the cemetery gate. Remember, this is the band who once on tour, employed an actual working organ for each of their shows.
“Also sprach Futura” is a stepping stone for Lychgate, as they continue to evade wallowing in the pit of mediocrity; it’s multi-textural, evocative, and psychedelic, but not at the expense of brutality. They represent an evolution in Blackened Metal, drawing from their classical repertoire, and incorporating technical metal sensibilities with the raw and primal ferocity of their predecessors. If you’re seeking something dark, complex, and fresh, look no further than “Also sprach Futura”, available NOW via Debemur Morti Productions.

“Also sprach Futura” is available HERE



Band info: bandcamp || facebook