Agriculture: Their Album 'The Spiritual Sound' Review – Unabashedly Gorgeous Noise from Ecstatic Black Metal Group
All the euphoria, spiritual ascent, and intensity in heavy sonic art radiates with blinding energy from the sophomore release by this self-proclaimed "ecstatic black metal" collective based in Los Angeles.
This new album pairs crushing weight with imaginative detailing. Lead single Bodhidharma rides a guitar motif fit for a motorcycle crew, then a blast of noise and shrieking heralds a sad post-rock bridge section. The maligned art of the widdly-woo solo is spectacularly resurrected by guitarist the lead guitarist, whose soloing here and on standout the song Flea will have you levitating with joy – but then the calm ballad Hallelujah showcases falling guitar notes played with youthful innocence.
Songs such as Micah and the song Serenity are fast-paced hardcore punk, while the piece Dan’s Love Song is drum free and has slow-moving Sunn O)))-style fuzz rumbling underneath its ethereal beauty. Black metal melodies can often be absent or too complex, but the band's guitar lines and choruses are bright and original, and closer the song The Reply even evokes a much heavier Radiohead.
Fans of post-metallers similar artists will likely adore all this dynamic shifting and fearlessly beautiful sound, especially because Agriculture also feature two divergent vocal styles, divided here across two singers. Dan Meyer adds sporadic melodic vocals, yet the standout is the other vocalist, her voice trembling on one track but fiercely howling elsewhere.
In typical black metal fashion, it’s hard to make out her lyrics, yet they are worth seeking out: the narratives she conveys about personal struggles and social injustice are heart-wrenching, as is her quest for purpose in a reality that inexorably bends towards violence.
