Band Origin: Novato, California, USA
Genre: Folk / Progressive / Black Metal
Label: Independent
Running Time: 56 minutes
Release Date: December 6, 2011
Best Part: The mesh of sounds is what makes you get enamored with this record - whether it's the delicate atmosphere or the dissonant rushes.
Favorite Tracks: Howling Dust, Junta, Funambulist, and The First Man
Grade: 5
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Dwellings in way more than 20 words or less:
Whether you're a fan of progressive, folk, post-metal inspired drives, black metal or all of the above, Dwellings has plenty of variety to leave you enamored with it.
The Band:
Cormorant is a four piece band out of California who play an interesting mesh of genres which includes progressive, folk and black metal, while also incorporating some post-metal elements. Taking inspiration from a real mixed bag of influential artists, Cormorant have created a sound which is original and most definitely interesting. Their debut self-released album Metazoa was very well received by fellow artists and critics alike, and earned them many nods and much respect as one of the more intriguing independent bands in metal.
Cormorant is a four piece band out of California who play an interesting mesh of genres which includes progressive, folk and black metal, while also incorporating some post-metal elements. Taking inspiration from a real mixed bag of influential artists, Cormorant have created a sound which is original and most definitely interesting. Their debut self-released album Metazoa was very well received by fellow artists and critics alike, and earned them many nods and much respect as one of the more intriguing independent bands in metal.
Jay's Take on Dwellings:
When asked how to best describe their music Cormorant has referred to themselves as 'post-black metal weird shit', a description which while ultimately vague and random, is oddly enough spot on. There are lengthy periods on this record where no real black metal influences can be felt, so some people can question why the heck I would choose this for this edition of RBMF. Well Rebecca isn't just a fan of traditional black metal, but of all its varieties, and Dwellings is a perfect example of just that. Dwellings is the follow-up to their successful debut release and continues to explore the intriguing blend of styles that the band inspires themselves from. Dwellings features a number of extended tracks that cross between these different genres at different moments. What starts out as a mellow, atmospheric track with swelling post-rock/metal drives and clean vocals eventually shifts to an explosion of traditional black metal inspired tremolo picked dissonant guitar work and shrieked vocals and moves on to merge elements of both sound structures together. It's a feeling on first listen that leaves you wondering what looms around the next corner - it's slightly unpredictable but in a truly satisfying way. Another interesting aspect of Cormorants music is their lyricism which contains some very vivid imagery that is conveyed clearly regardless of the form of vocal work that is being pushed forward and includes passages in different languages, including Latin and French. And I mean look at that fucking album art - it's fucking amazing!
Most albums released late in the year are often either neglected by some listeners and/or critics, or get relegated to being eligible for consideration on 'Best of' lists for the following year. Dwellings will definitely be in consideration come end of year - this won't be the last time you hear about it on here, and you can quote me on that.
Sample of the Day:
- J
1 comments:
excelent album, my favorite of cormorant
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