The idea of two bands I like a hell of a lot combining to make one entity both excited and scared me. The possibilities were endless, considering the artists involved, yet it’s not like the two bands have a ton in common sonically. Would that cause them both to collapse trying to make something magical happen, or would the whole thing be true fate, a union that was meant to be all along?
Locrian, whose last record “The Clearing” made our Top 40 albums of 2011, and Mamiffer, a group bringing together Faith Coloccia, her partner Aaron Turner (formerly of ISIS) and Travis Rommeriem, put their collective forces together for the newly released “Bless Them That Curse You” and could have clashed musically. Locrian is heavier, grainer, and doomier, while Mamiffer’s music generally is awash in beauty and grace. Could those two things not only get along but become a standard for bands working together on a piece of recorded music? Holy shit, yes.
These five tracks, lasting just under 52 minutes, are a revelation. They are gorgeous, thunderous, mind-altering, and soul-enriching. The music these two bands make together gives you the best of both their worlds. Their differences end up complementing each other. They never step over each other, get in each other’s way or dominate the proceedings. These two groups blend beautifully together, and it’s one of the finest collaborative pieces this side of Boris and Sunn 0))) making ridiculous noise together on the earth-smashing “Altar.” But “Bless Them” is a totally different thing, and as we discussed yesterday with the Syven album, this is one of those documents that can help you drift away and achieve transcendence and enrichment. In fact, I listened to this record a lot this week as I got broken in at a new job, as it eased me and assured me that I was capable.
The title cut opens the record, with haunting chants and steaming drone that slowly builds as blocks are put on top of each other. Acoustic guitars enter, followed by keys, drums eventually find their way to the piece, and the pace picks up before the song eventually fades. “In Fulminic Blaze” has a whirring open, almost like it’s a broken soundtrack bleeding slowly, and then strings jangle, a doomy, noisy cloud hangs in the air, and the atmosphere of the track remains stationary, yet active. “Corpus Luteum” and “Lechatelierite” are the quietest, most reflective of the songs on this album, as both let misty, dark moods into the room and can be arresting. “Second Burial” is both watery and cosmic, as things bang and clang together, and noise buzzes, swirls and drowns. The closer “Metis/Amaranthine/The Emperor” is a cinematic triptych that lets Coloccia’s lovely voice take center stage, and she delicately picks and draws blood and memories, at one point vowing (and eventually repeating), “Your breath is mine.” The song runs nearly 19 minutes, and every movement has something new and exciting to say. In fact, as good as the preceding five songs are, this one is far and away the masterpiece of this collection. Just today, sitting at a desk in front of gigantic windows that give a panoramic view of downtown Pittsburgh, I let myself fall into my work with my mind at total ease and stimulation. It’s a true gift when music does that for you.
I’m not sure if this group is a one-off or if they have future recordings in mind. I’d love it if these two forces came back together again in the future or, behold my heart, took this thing on the road, but as usual, I’m getting a little greedy. “Bless Them That Curse You” could just be a once-in-a-lifetime gem that was a rare gathering of irresistible forces. It’s a record I could see standing the test of time and demonstrating to people who can’t crack ambient doom’s code why this stuff is so emotionally rewarding for those of us who revel in it. This is a piece of art that, if you’re a fan of either band, you must own. These two groups are great enough on their own, but together, they’re a cosmic force.
For more on Locrian, go here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Locrian/119350991444335
For more on Mamiffer, go here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mamiffer/110768695615501?sk=info
To buy “Bless Them That Curse You” on CD, go here: http://www.profoundlorerecords.com//index.php?option=com_ezcatalog&task=detail&id=862&Itemid=99999999
To buy it on cassette or LP, go here: http://www.bluecollardistro.com/sigerecords/categories.php?cPath=1186
For more on the label, go here: http://www.profoundlorerecords.com/
Meat Mead Metal 