Brattleboro, Vermont's Barishi are back! This is one of my most anticipated albums of the year. The seamless genre fusions and energy of 2015's Endless Howl blew my top off and ended up being one of my favorite albums of the year. So imagine my excitement at hearing that the band not only had a new release in the works, but that it was being backed by one of my favorite labels, Season of Mist. The leading singles certainly did not dissapoint, and they only led to increased salivating and constant scanning of my email for the day I could hear this beast in full. Blood From The Lion's mouth, can you live up to the hype?
Well, though a little different than what I expected, I love this album. Blood From The Lion's Mouth sports a slightly more chill sound than its predecessor imo; leaning more heavily on the post-rock/post-metal influences. It falls somewhere amongst bands like Deftones, Vattnet Viskar, Glassjaw and WRVTH; but never sounds much like any of them. The compositions continue to be very eclectic and somewhat mathy when it comes to the guitars and drums. Again, the riffs and patterns feel less chaotic this time around, but they are no less technical (think "Smoke From The Earth"). "Master Crossroads, Baron Cemetery" is a fine example with its melancholy mood and scattered time signatures. Math metal for the clinically depressed.
While much of this album feels very contemplative in nature, there are still some blasts of aggression on par with Endless Howl's title track. Sascha's blackened vocals are plenty harsh throughout, but the music at any given moment is what determines how they come across. Both "Grave of the Creator" and "Blood From The Lion's Mouth" feature some crunchy, proggy riffs that conjure thoughts of Mastodon and shake the very earth beneath me. "Bonesetter" has its moments as well. They are still highly melodic songs in nature; they just have a bit more bite. But my favorite track from the beginning has been "The Great Ennead." Something about the hooks on this one along with that gorgeous, jazzy guitar solo come together just right.
Very impressive indeed. I feel that Barishi have benefitted here with not only some improved production value, but also their performances. While some may yearn for a little more heaviness, I continue to be inspired by the balance this group achieves between the depressive and the aggressive. It is something unique that pulls on a plethora of influences but becomes trademark Barishi in the process. So much so that I find it rather difficult to use any single genre tag. Post-black, post-metal, sludge, progressive, experimental...all seem equally applicable, but none capture the full scope of the journey that is Blood From The Lion's Mouth. Stream and purchase HERE.