The Boise, Idaho due known as Wolvserpent (Blake Green & Brittany McConnell) conjure up all sorts of terrifying sounds on their debut for Relapse Records, Perigaea Antahkarana. This is like a boatload of goodness wrapped up in one bizarre, yet superb package. Hints of atmospheric black metal, drone, ambient, folk, doom, chamber, prog, trance...well, you name it, are all contained on this very interesting release. The near 23-minute "A Breath in the Shade of Time" is as ominous as it gets, with chilling strings & sound effects leading off the first few minutes before some crushing blackened doom riffing & chanting take over for a frightening listening experience. The soundtrack to your worse nightmare? Pretty damn close I'd imagine. Tranquil nature sounds and the crackling of a fire permeate the creepy "Threshold Gateway", which leads into the massive "Within the Light of Fire", another otherworldly journey into madness, as ghastly vocal moans, crushing riffs, keyboards, strings, and percussion create a chilling soundscape. "Concealed Among the Roots and Soil" offers up 17-minutes of monstrous guitar & bass riffing, apocalyptic rhythms, and inhuman vocal moans & groans, while "In Mirrors of Water" is another epic tune that thankfully takes a more tranquil, chamber type approach, as McConnell's gorgeous violin & cello melodies weave against lush water & bird sounds before Green's savage, doomy guitar tones and some shimmering percussion take the track to new levels.
Have you ever listened to an album and felt that, despite all its beauty, that it was almost too much to take? That's kind of how I feel about Perigaea Antahkarana, an album that is just so epic, so musically sweeping & powerful, but at the same time there's just TOO much of it, and after a while the whole epicness of it all just takes control and you have to escape, somehow, someway. Believe me, this is not a bad thing, and though I think that Perigaea Antahkarana certainly is not going to be for everyone, if you have the patience, and want to just get swept away by some truly massive, epic, and at times frightening sounds, this is the way to go. Astounding stuff if you are willing to give it a try.
Track Listing
1.
Threshold Gateway 03:49
2.
Within the Light of Fire 16:24
3.
In Mirrors of Water 21:38
4.
A Breath in the Shade of Time 22:53
5.
Concealed Among the Roots and Soil 17:01
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