Agriculture: Their Album 'The Spiritual Sound' Album Analysis – Boldly Beautiful Soundscapes from Ecstatic Black Metal Band
Every bit of elation, spiritual ascent, and intensity in heavy sonic art radiates with blinding energy from the second album by this self-proclaimed "blissful black metal" ensemble based in Los Angeles.
The Spiritual Sound combines immense heaviness with creative intricacies. Key track Bodhidharma propels along a guitar motif suited to a biker gang, before a blast of noise and shrieking heralds a sad atmospheric rock middle eight. The often-criticized technique of the widdly-woo solo is spectacularly resurrected by axeman the lead guitarist, whose soloing on this track and on highlight the song Flea will have you floating in ecstasy – but then the calm ballad the track Hallelujah features falling guitar notes played with youthful innocence.
Songs such as Micah (5.15.am) and Serenity are fast-paced hardcore punk, but Dan’s Love Song is without percussion and has glacial Sunn O)))-style distortion rumbling along underneath its ethereal beauty. Melodies in black metal can often be absent or overly fussy, but Agriculture’s guitar lines and choruses are vibrant and innovative, and final track The Reply even evokes a more intense the band Radiohead.
Fans of experimental metal acts Deafheaven will likely adore all this contrasting dynamics and unabashedly gorgeous noise, particularly since the group also feature two divergent vocal styles, split here across two vocalists. Dan Meyer contributes sporadic melodic vocals, yet the standout is the other vocalist, her voice trembling on one track but splenetically caterwauling elsewhere.
In typical black metal fashion, it’s hard to discern the words she sings, but they’re worth seeking out: the stories she sings about suicidal friends and anti-LGBTQ bigotry are heart-wrenching, as is her search for purpose in a world that relentlessly trends towards violence.
