Band: Al Ard Album: Al Ard Country of Origin: Italy Release Date: June 22nd, 2018 Genre: Black metal/noise, experimental. Label: code666
Aside from featuring the coolest album art in recent memory, Al Ard is an all-out treat for those of us straddling the fence between black metal and electronic “noise” musicians like Pharmakon. This album is one hell of a messy ride, and perfectly suited for listeners sick of hearing the same old black metal riffs since 1994.
While Al Ard is brash, crushing, and thoroughly vicious the whole way through, these elements alone wouldn’t be enough to snag this reviewer’s attention. It also preserves a coherent atmosphere, despite the whiplash blend of metal and electronic elements. These Italian musicians certainly know how to imbue their unsettling sonic palette with just enough psychotic paranoia to leave behind a lasting impression, even if it’s one that tends to darken your once-innocent existence.
Terms like “cosmic noise,” and “disturbed dubstep” have been used to describe Al Ard. While these are as apt as any descriptions of musical experiences can be, it might prove more useful to think of bands like Red Harvest, or to imagine latter-day Mayhem mixed with a heavy dose of Theologian. While Al Ard’s creative foray into seriously underappreciated sonic territory isn’t exactly “mind-blowing,” this is definitely a band I’ll remember when I’m in the mood something tastefully nasty, and I’ll certainly be on the lookout for future releases.
Rating: 4 / 5
silentmotoristmedia.wordpress.com 