viscerarelaseyourself

VISCERA/// - 3 | Release Yourself Through Desperate Rituals (Song Premiere)

Some bands are all over the place, trying to jam-pack a million ideas into too little space. Passion and dedication may be evident, but the final product becomes indecipherable or impenetrable. Experimental or hyper-progressive bands run this risk. Giveaways: sudden genre shifts, non-linear storytelling, random tempo changes, screwball solos, non-repetitiveness and overall lack of groove.

Sometimes though, a band pulls it off. A ravishing mess. A delightful mishmash. A groovy cacophony. Cue Italian rockers VISCERA///, whose upcoming third album 3 | Release Yourself Through Desperate Rituals goes many places and comes back with many treasures. Watch the music video for the first track “Über-Massive Melancholia” below. You get hardcore, post-metal, a bit of sludge and the kitchen sink.

Listening to “Über-Massive Melancholia” is like studying the internals of an expensive watch. Each component serves its function and nothing more; the engineering alone is as fascinating as the final product. Limiting fluff gives the listener a local and live feel, but does not detract from the professionalism necessary to manage so many moving parts. VISCERA/// also limits layering, opting for the clean-cut, hard-edge feel as opposed to a wall-of-noise impact for sake of atmosphere.

A hardcore-esque groove is absolutely key on “Über-Massive Melancholia.” The track dabbles intermittently with fast and slow, high and low, but resolves the back-and-forth with a singular climax. These switchbacks feel unstable and ad-libbed, imbuing the music with peculiar anxiety. The non-directional push toward denouement over an 11-minute runtime is thereby made especially pleasurable. We always seek resolve, especially when confronted by madness.

3 | Release Yourself Through Desperate Rituals is tagged as “psych metal,” and that makes complete sense. This is an ethereal listen, one to get lost in. Atmospherics are normally created with extensive layering, not the precise placement of minute but distinct parts. VISCERA/// opted for architectural blueprints, opposed to, say, abstract art. This is the tougher strategy when it comes to forming an airy headspace, but one with the potential for hefty payouts when well-executed.

Watch the music video for “Über-Massive Melancholia” below. 3 | Release Yourself Through Desperate Rituals releases on May 5 via Wooaaargh (still the best label name ever). Preorder here.

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