Agriculture: The Spiritual Sound Review – Boldly Beautiful Noise from Blissful Extreme Metal Group
Every bit of elation, transcendence, and power of heavy music bursts forth with overwhelming energy from the second album by this self-proclaimed "ecstatic black metal" ensemble hailing from Los Angeles.
This new album pairs crushing weight with creative intricacies. Key track Bodhidharma rides a guitar motif suited to a motorcycle crew, before a blast of noise and screaming heralds a melancholic post-rock bridge section. The often-criticized technique of the virtuosic guitar solo is brilliantly revived by axeman the lead guitarist, whose lead work here and on standout the song Flea will have you floating in ecstasy – but then the gentle song Hallelujah features falling guitar notes played with youthful innocence.
Tracks like Micah and Serenity are fast-paced punk rock, but Dan’s Love Song is drum free and has slow-moving Sunn O)))-style fuzz rumbling along underneath its ethereal beauty. Melodies in black metal can often be absent or overly fussy, but the band's riffs and hooks are vibrant and innovative, and closer The Reply even recalls a much heavier Radiohead.
Listeners who enjoy post-metallers Deafheaven will probably love all this contrasting dynamics and fearlessly beautiful sound, especially because Agriculture also have two distinct singing approaches, divided here across two singers. One vocalist adds sporadic soulful, clean singing, but the star is Leah Levinson, whose voice trembling on one track but fiercely howling on other songs.
As is common in the genre, it’s hard to discern the words she sings, yet they are worth seeking out: the narratives she sings about personal struggles and social injustice are heart-wrenching, just like her search for meaning in a reality that relentlessly trends towards conflict.
