Avast Offers Glimpse into Fresh Full-Length with “An Earnest Desire”
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On the cusp of their first full-length Mother Culture, Norway’s Avast is making waves with visuals adrift in the currents. While 10,000 leagues from the thrash and gore of their nation in the 1990’s, “An Earnest Desire” shies away from depressive black metal’s dwelling on despair and post-black’s reach for hope. While the modernity of their sound is at the heart of their musings on the human condition, Avast carries on their country’s tradition of black metal in a way that you might not see coming.
Like much of the second wave, this freshly-minted quartet is described as retaining a punk rock sense of identity; not necessarily when it comes to sound, but rather, attitude. Larger questions are tackled as society’s meaning making is dissected for being exactly that – a social construct. Such is the concept surrounding Mother Culture. Myth lives on in mythology, but it also is woven into our everyday realities. The visuals for “An Earnest Desire” depict an omnipotent view of nature, allowing the audience to see more in black and white than ever before. Watch an exclusive premiere of the “An Earnest Desire” video below.
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As instrumentation remains restrained, the individual keeps up a comfortable pace, practicing patience as the manifestation of their desire moves with the waves. However, the cup spills over as we’re met with the first vocal contribution — a core-shaking scream that sends matters into an abrasive tailspin. A melodic bassline and dire tremolo picking eventually become the soundtrack for an escape attempt to the rock of isolation. While many are born believing that the world is inherently good, those with no-so-earnest intentions send the rest into a state of distress, which is eventually lowered into the grave of jadedness.
The relentlessness of nature and the corruption of humankind by nurture are constants, but the way they’re expressed change with the passing of the tides. While there are many pigeonholes we can use to describe Avast’s expression — blackgaze, post-black metal, and so on — Mother Culture is best enjoyed with an open mind. Whether you prefer your black metal gritty and dark or smooth and sleek, leave pretenses on the shelf and reap the offerings Avast has made for everybody.
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Mother Culture drops October 26 on Dark Essence Records. Follow the band on Facebook.
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