bull of apis

Bull of Apis Bull of Bronze's Almighty Anthem for the Disenfranchised

bull of apis

There’s something to be said for chaos: unrule, disorder, and entropy define our modern existence perhaps better than any of their positive antitheses. It’s in this veritable gauntlet of human destruction that extreme forms of music thrive, though it’s a total misconception to assume that “fringe music” is always overly hyperbolic or necessarily panders to exaggeration. There’s actually a clear, realistic message spewing forth from the void; the darkest dawn imaginable still holds profound meaning, it’s just up to the artistry and creativity of those who can access it to, well, actually convey it. It’s here where Colorado/Washington-based black metal outfit Bull of Apis Bull of Bronze make a mark with their debut full-length Offerings of Flesh and Gold, which we are honored to host in an exclusive full stream below.

Comprising three behemoth black metal songs — themselves loaded with nuanced ambiance and unpredictable structures — Offerings of Flesh and Gold spawns from a band who make one thing very clear: “[Bull of Apis Bull of Bronze] are aggressively antifascist, antihierarchy, and anticapitalist. They are for the downtrodden and the disenfranchised.” This is not to say that the album is over-saturated with political messaging (certainly not to its detriment); rather, it’s to indicate that perhaps extreme music can be a juxtapositional beacon of light for those lost, disenfranchised, or otherwise chewed up by a global system designed for profit, not human welfare. And over undulating mountains of blast beats and through deep valleys of ambient retreat, Bull of Apis Bull of Bronze create nothing short of sonic catharsis for anyone who’s been fucked by life’s game and those who rigged it.

Offerings of Flesh and Gold is no doubt an atmospheric work, relishing in its moments of thick layering, heavy distortion, and tortured, fuzzed-out screams. This is the communicative medium itself: atmosphere, the language of the mind, not the mouth. Capturing the human desolation of modern Earth is no easy feat — and for some, listening to such music will be likewise difficult — but coming to terms with morbid realities is also uneasy. Bull of Apis Bull of Bronze does not assault your mind by any measure, and their debut album isn’t indigestible; it’s the tension and anxiety they’ve imbued into Offerings of Flesh and Gold which carries the message home. This isn’t unsettling music… the world itself is unsettling, and this album fits perfectly on the playlist to our eventual retribution.

Offerings of Flesh and Gold releases Friday via Tridroid Records and A Moment of Clarity Recordings.

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