Origin Of The Alimonies (studio album) by Liturgy

From mdbaxter 02/04/2021 19:36

Interesting project. Built like an opera that works around the central "Apparition of the Eternal Church". The trap song is kind of cool. I haven't taken the time to delve into the Liturgy lore/religion/I don't know what to call it so I'm sure that I'm not taking this for all it's worth but I still find it mostly enjoyable.

An incredible clash of genres and the most forward thinking and out there metal album I've heard for a long time. I can't claim to understand the theological ideas behind the record particularly well, definitely not well enough to sum them up here, but I find that the music really speaks for itself. The ebb and flow of the instrumentals that appear early in the album give a pay off every time and feel kind of cinematic, I'm really looking forward to seeing what the visual accompaniment to this. Amongst these instrumentals are the two singles off the album, which feel like the most significant tracks. 'Lonely OLOLON' feels like a track that pushes the music of H.A.Q.Q. a few steps further, more restlessly changing pace and style. 'SIHEYMN's Lament' goes even further. It's intro draws on jazz, classical and trap and the way it works is too hard for me to describe, you really just have to listen to it. You can think you've got the measure of the track when the guitars do come in but things really just get more chaotic from that point with all kind of elements being brought in and tossed out. The long instrumental track that follows still has a great sound but struggles to keep up with the highs of the earlier parts of the record. I get that this more settled track is probably integral to the underlying narrative of the album but it almost feels like the breaks have been hit. It still leads into a brilliant closer which sticks with the album's tradition of being amazingly forward thinking.

(I've seen a few folks online complain that this album is trying too hard to be experimental. You don't have to love the album but I find it a weird point to make. The great albums through history don't just end up like that, it's always been important that musicians try to be experimental, whether it works or not.)