Agriculture: Their Album 'The Spiritual Sound' Album Analysis – Unabashedly Gorgeous Soundscapes from Ecstatic Black Metal Band
All the euphoria, transcendence, and power in heavy sonic art radiates with overwhelming force from the sophomore release by this self-proclaimed "ecstatic black metal" collective hailing from Los Angeles.
This new album pairs crushing weight with imaginative detailing. Key track the song Bodhidharma rides a riff fit for a biker gang, before a burst of static and shrieking heralds a sad atmospheric rock middle eight. The often-criticized technique of the virtuosic guitar solo is spectacularly resurrected by guitarist the lead guitarist, whose soloing here and on highlight the song Flea will have you floating in ecstasy – but then the calm ballad the track Hallelujah showcases descending guitar melodies played with childlike simplicity.
Tracks like Micah and Serenity are high-speed punk rock, but Dan’s Love Song is drum free and has slow-moving drone-metal fuzz rumbling underneath its ethereal beauty. Melodies in black metal can often be absent or too complex, yet the band's guitar lines and choruses are vibrant and innovative, and closer the song The Reply even evokes a much heavier the band Radiohead.
Listeners who enjoy experimental metal acts similar artists will likely adore all this contrasting dynamics and unabashedly gorgeous noise, especially because the group also have two distinct vocal styles, split here across two vocalists. Dan Meyer adds sporadic melodic vocals, yet the standout is the other vocalist, her voice quivers on Bodhidharma but fiercely howling on other songs.
As is common in the genre, it’s hard to discern the words she sings, yet they are worth seeking out: the stories she sings about suicidal friends and social injustice are devastating, as is her search for purpose in a world that relentlessly trends towards conflict.
