After jaw-dropping work by Dog Fashion Disco/Polkadot Cadaver, Jim Thirlwells’ Foetus projects, and Tod A.’s Cop Shoot Cop/Firewater, this is rudimentary.
The double-bass is too far forward, the guitars are an afterthought, and the horror strings don’t take the moonlight until three minutes into this snoozer.
“Downer Surrounded by Uppers” is more fist-pumping L7 yowl and Medicine fuzz, “Knelt” is a gorgeous sludge crawl, like Kylsea, or other plodding stoner doom.
While it’s Alestorm on autopilot, “Fannybaws” is fine pirate metal. There’s a ship, beards, yo-ho-ho choruses, a blistering solo, and a midget. No wenches?
Behemoth release their blackened cover of The Cure’s ’80s classic, “A Forest.” The band scorch the forest, leveling all nuance, and pave it over with thick tar.
With last year’s release, there are now more Ihsahn solo records than there were Emperor records, so I think it’s safe to say the former Emperor frontman is committed to this new life of relentless experimentation.