All the euphoria, spiritual ascent, and power in heavy sonic art radiates with blinding force from the sophomore release by this self-proclaimed "blissful black metal" ensemble hailing from Los Angeles.
This new album combines immense heaviness with imaginative detailing. Lead single the song Bodhidharma propels along a riff suited to a motorcycle crew, before a blast of noise and shrieking heralds a sad atmospheric rock bridge section. The maligned art of the widdly-woo solo is brilliantly revived by axeman Richard Chowenhill, whose lead work on this track and on highlight the song Flea will have you floating in ecstasy – but then the gentle song the track Hallelujah showcases falling guitar notes played with youthful innocence.
Tracks like Micah (5.15.am) and the song Serenity are high-speed punk rock, but Dan’s Love Song is without percussion and has slow-moving drone-metal distortion rumbling along underneath its ethereal beauty. Melodies in black metal can often be absent or too complex, but Agriculture’s riffs and hooks are bright and original, and closer the song The Reply even recalls a much heavier the band Radiohead.
Fans of post-metallers Deafheaven will probably love all this dynamic shifting and unabashedly gorgeous noise, especially because the group also have two distinct vocal styles, split here across two singers. One vocalist contributes occasional melodic vocals, but the star is the other vocalist, her voice trembling on one track but fiercely howling elsewhere.
As is common in the genre, it's difficult to make out the words she sings, but they’re worth the effort: the stories she sings about suicidal friends and social injustice are devastating, just like her search for purpose in a reality that inexorably bends towards conflict.
