The Pitch: Chicago experimental noise and hardcore band Meth. drop a haunting new full length via Prosthetic Records. FFO: Yüth Forever, Daughters
What I Like: Continuing the cult narrative of I Love You, "each song is a direct portal into the psyche of the plebeian-turned-davidian leader who now wrestles with his tortured spirit and incestuous infatuation with The Choir Of Red Light’s evil matriarch." Being relatively unfamiliar with the band going in aside from a few singles I heard on Mathcore Index, I was expecting something pretty straightforward and aggressive. Not so. Given the themes and resulting dark atmosphere, Mother Of Red Light often has more in common with the movie Mandy than your typical hardcore or mathcore release. There are certainly some more familiar moments; the opening of "Child Of God," for instance, abuses the guitar like it's Frontierer meets Psyopus. But for each of these there are more mood-setting passages of eerie drone and sludge, culminating in the 11 minute closer, "The Walls, They Whisper." I also get some pretty heavy Daughters vibes from the rhythmic, dissonant groove of "Inbred." Definitely my favorite of the slower tracks.
Critiques: While I really enjoy the dynamic range and overall aesthtic, the pacing isn't perfect. I find myself getting bored in a few areas where the atmosphere-building would benefit from some trimming and tightening. It could also use a few more punctuated key moments that really stick in the brain. The exclamation points are there, but they don't always stand out enough in terms of memorability.
The Verdict: Meth. have crafted a really interesting, multi-faceted album that I look forward to chatting with them about on the podcast. There's certainly room for mild improvements regarding songwriting and pacing, but overall I am enjoying the experience and keep coming back for more.
Flight's Fav's: Child Of God, Inbred, Her Womb Lays Still
- Review by FlightOfIcarus
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