Thursday 12 July 2012

Akaname/Lesbian's Fungal Abyss Split 7inch (Review) - Hell Comes Home Vol.1

 By: Aaron Pickford

Album Type: 7" Inch Split, Disc 4
Date Released: 4/6/2012
Label: Hell Comes Home





Akamame/Lesbian’s Fungal Abyss 7inch/DD track listing:

A). Rain Will Be The New Gold - Akamane
B). Humongous Fungus  - Lesbian’s Fungal Abyss

Akaname is on split:
Jamie Saint Merat | Drums
Ben Jackson | Guitar
Matt Payne | Bass
Matt Faisandier | Guitar

Lesbian’s Fungal Abyss is:
Arran Mcinnis  | Guitar
Dan LaRochelle | Guitar
Dorando Hodous| bass
Benjamin Thomas-Kennedy | Drums & Percussion
Feat...Nathan Smurthwaite | Guitar

The Review:

The most striking thing about this vinyl series so far is the depth and variety of talented bands project founder Joel has been able to recruit.  Akaname is not a band I was at all familiar with prior to this release, however because of the quality of music I have heard in the series so far, I was hoping that this was not going to be a weak point. Worry not, because the track by Akaname is an absolute belter!  What we have here is an example of superior quality progressive instrumental metal, with flashes of black metal and grindcore.  Starting of with a slow labouring post metal type vibe to the track with a repeated passage of riffs and decadently eerie atmospherics, the track burst into life with those aforementioned flashes of black metal riffing and then a pulsating grindcore descending riff.  It is striking too that there are also moments of angular mathcore time changes as well.  It is orchestrated brilliantly, saving the best till last with the blast of alternative picking riff to match the battery of the syncopated kick drums.  It truly is a majestic track and at just over 6:00, there is plenty here to hold your attention.  Akaname are certainly one's to watch for the future and judging by this track, they are capable of great things. 

Improvised in the studio under the influence of Teonanacatl aka a hallucinogenic fungi, better known as mushrooms.  Is it any wonder ‘Humongous Fungus’ is a trippy, psychedelic musical experiment?  Well that's how it felt listening to the track over and over; hell I didn't need to be on mushrooms because I felt my mind being altered just by listening to the track.  Given the improvised nature of the track, that does in no way, make this a bad track; in fact ‘Humongous Fungus’ is bloody amazing.  As you might expect,  it is atmospheric, slow and ambient, with droning bass humming along hypnotically with a plethora of  hallucinogenic soundscapes consuming you.  A delicate din of drums and the subtle sounds of the guitar create a engaging, mesmeric and spell binding track.  The yang to Akaname’s dark and often brutal track, Fungal Abyss have produced a wonderfully hypnotic mind altering track which needs to be experienced in all of its audible splendour