The artwork of Chaos Moon’s Languor into Echoes, Beyond (Ars Magna, 2007) hints at what’s inside. Replacing the usual illegible gothic fonts are curvy, flowery letters that sketch out phrases (“the waning of life and night,” “I saw the aging life of me”) instead of complete lyrics. The black and white images have a dreamy, hazy Photoshop effect. Not typical black metal accoutrements, but they fit the music perfectly. This is the most romantic black metal I’ve ever heard.
“Romantic” and “black metal” aren’t as bad a match as you’d think. I’m using “romantic” to connote “swooning and dramatic” as opposed to notions of love or whatnot. Xasthur’s sound is so lush that it seems romantic to me. Of course, its discordance skews the romance, like a 4AD record with cancer. But the swooning and drama are there. Xasthur’s “misanthropy” is so over-the-top that it’s no longer solipsism – it’s outreach. Opposites are often similar; much Satanic black metal seems almost Christian in its fundamentalist insularity and use of Latin and other Christian trappings. Ergo, the quasi-religious feel of, say, Mortuus or Deathspell Omega.
Without lyrics, I can’t tell what Chaos Moon are howling about. But this two-man outfit from Nashville (!) presents interesting contrasts – scathing vocals vs. ethereal keyboards, black metal vs. ambient music. Sure, the latter are common bedmates nowadays, but Chaos Moon don’t shade them together like everyone else. They paint with bold colors and slather them atop each other with big strokes.
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But this isn’t Dimmu Borgir. The dialogue (or monologue, as the case may be) is mostly intimate and personal. The first half of the album is raucous – blastbeats, tremolo picking, the whole routine. But out of nowhere in the middle, an eight minute ambient interlude drops. If it’s just a keyboard preset, it’s a gorgeous one (“Badalamenti 3″?), morphing through haunting chords and textures.
At this point, the album rockets from “OK” to “awesome.”
I’m normally not a fan of keyboards, but Chaos Moon use them to shoegazer effect much like how Wolves in the Throne Room do nowadays. Check out the delicate clean tones that wander into, then engulf “The Palterer” – they’re like the second coming of Cocteau Twins. Then billowy keys flow over the top, and we’re in slow dance land. Amazing. When “Hymn to Iniquity” goes shoegazer at 1:15, one can almost picture the Jesu colored vinyl. Actually, we (and Jesu) are now at the point where black metal is heavier – yet lighter. And the closing 12:38 behemoth? M83 gone black metal. Immense.
Languor into Echoes, Beyond is available at Ars Magna. The label also currently offers it in a highly affordable package deal along with depressive BM act Trist and one-man wrecking BMachine Valhom.
“Romantic” and “black metal” aren’t as bad a match as you’d think. I’m using “romantic” to connote “swooning and dramatic” as opposed to notions of love or whatnot.”
I think both uses of the term while popular are ultimately misleading. The second wave of black metal had a very strong romantic (as in, Lord Byron and Percy Shelley) streak from the beginning which ties very closely with its notions of nationalism, naturalism and nihilism (all filtered through 16-year-old-metalhead mentality, of course). One would say that this romantic side of it was at least equal if not overshadowing the pure ’satanic savagery’ style of black metal that was also occuring.
So, ‘romantic’ and ‘black metal’ don’t sound at all odd together for me. One needs to listen to a Burzum record to catch that connection.
Nice writeup otherwise, and interesting band.
Yeah, you’re right. Burzum strove for those themes, but never truly embodied them for me, though. I think others have fleshed out his templates more fully.
I agree!
I agree too!!!
Wee!
HEYYYYYYYY!!!!!!
This review is SO EXCLUSIVE!
Did you write it on a Power Book?? Does your boyfriend know you listen to this kind of music???
Tisk tisk tisk!