Scary EP Reviews: Agriculture, Liturgy, Maruja
These EPs are all just a lil bit scary, but that's okay because more importantly they're all also varying degrees of good.
Living Is Easy EP - Agriculture
Agriculture is a west coast black metal outfit that's signed to The Flenser, all of which basically guaranteed that I was going to like them before I ever heard a single song. That crystalized into a debut self-titled album last year that I thought was solid and one I was looking forward to the follow-up to. I didn't expect that it was going to come so soon in an EP just a year later and I also didn't expect it to be teased with singles I loved as much as the two they delivered. Opener Living Is Easy feels triumphant in the same way some of the best songs on their debut did. It has punishing intensity in the crashing drums and guttural wails across the middle section. But the song is weirdly bright in the spaces between in a way that makes its throttling intensity feel like it isn't just there to punish listeners. The second single In The House Of Angel Flesh may somehow be even better with speedy drums and dizzying walls of guitar that are as disorienting as they are invigorating. It also has a compositional dynamism that consistently sets up for absolutely thrilling rushes back to its sonic peaks.
The other two tracks on the record represent a drastic shifting of focus for the band. Being Eaten By A Tiger is a folk-rock cut whose electric guitar gives the passing impression of the pummeling intensity the band is capable of, but never really gets there. The gentle increase in instrumentation and noise as the song goes on is genuinely nerve-inducing but the song bows out with a far shorter runtime than the band is accustomed to. Closing track When You Were Born is a minute-long spoken word cut. While I won't try to fully interpret the entire poem recited I will say the conclusion discussing the way that words can often travel well beyond their original meaning as they travel to new people is incredibly well put. Though this project is short, it also feels like exactly what I was hoping for from the band. The group's riveting intensity is on full display on some dizzying ragers but they also supplement it with thoughtful sonic and genre experiments. I can't think of many metal bands whose music I'm looking forward to in the next few years more than Agriculture. 8/10
Immortal Life II EP - Liturgy
Last year Liturgy released one of the best metal projects of the decade so far with their expansive masterpiece 93696. That's why I was kind of surprised to see them go so short on this new project, a 6-track EP without even a single song reaching 4 minutes. It's actually a sequel of sorts to the very first EP Hunter ever released as Liturgy and you can hear it in some of the more rudimentary and raw elements of its production and performances. Opening track Immortal Life makes it clear right out of the gate this will be a much more brash and scattered sonic experience than its predecessor. One thing I will admit right away is that I actually haven't heard the original EP and I kind of wanted to keep it that way going into this project. My love for Liturgy does go back to at least 2011, but I was intrigued by the idea of processing the sounds of both new and old while breaking down this project.
In moments you can hear elements that seem surprisingly advance relative to the origin of these songs. Life After Life lets a surprising amount of light seep into its recording with stunning guitar leads that absolutely refuse to let me go throughout. The album also contains a cover of My Bloody Valentine's underrated Isn't Anything cut No More Sorry. I think what Hunt-Hendrix does with the muddled and murky backing layers of sound on the song is magnetic and as she stretches it beyond recognition I'm completely along for the ride. While I think the conceptual origins of the EP may limit the scope of what it can achieve, I still find it interesting to listen to. Because of my familiarity with all the territory Hunter has crossed in the years between the original Immortal Life and now, I can't help but feel like this EP is Liturgy with their hands tied behind their back. But even without the best stuff the band continues to be interesting, challenging, and incredibly distinct along the way. 6.5/10
Connla's Well EP - Maruja
Maruja is quickly developing a reputation as one of the best bands in the experimental rock underground, one that is pulling them out of that very underground as we speak. Last year, they introduced themselves to many new fans on their fantastic Knocknarea EP. I raved over the project at it landed at number two on my best EPs of the year, but by that point the band had already shifted focus and started teasing their next outing. Zeitgeist dropped last year and I do like this song even if it can occasionally feel like a victim of its own dizziness. The real gem from last year is One Hand Behind The Devil which features one of the most lethal vocal performances I've ever heard from the band. It also features some of their most furious eruptions of sound and absolute whirlwind instrumental moments throughout.
Earlier this year they dropped The Invisible Man, one of the most directly narrative-driven songs to date and I love it. The song's verses detail the kind of masking and hiding that those struggling with mental health have to do to stay safe. It's a brooding track absolutely packed full of lyrical imagery of misdirection and imprecise motifs. The way it builds during the verses and makes the paralyzing silence of the repetition of "the truth, it hides" is absolutely wonderful. Finally, Resisting Resistance is an instrumental closing track featuring great wandering saxophone leads and the kind of sonic exploration that the band hasn't really delved into on their more direct and pummeling tracks. While I may not love Connla's Well as much as I did Knocknarea last year, it isn't by much. The instrumental intensity and dynamism that Maruja display is still deeply compelling to me and in their most energetic moments I can only think of a few bands who match their unpredictable fervor. This second batch of tracks both proved the promise of their first EP while also expanding their horizons going forward. 7.5/10
