Leechfeast — Neon Crosses
The cover of the album is a black-and-red photocopied collage, quite conceptual content. These are three pictures arranged vertically. The upper one is an eye pierced with a knife. The next picture is the same eye, but without the knife and framed with the band's name and album title, made with Gothic fonts. The last picture is the same scarred eye but pierced with a key. All these pictures are designed in the engraving style.
The album, with a total duration of little over 36 minutes, consists of four tracks- two tracks on each side of the record. Before listening to the album, I already knew that Leechfeast were in the sludge/doom genre. So I had an idea what to expect, but I must say I was pleasantly surprised what was offered up here
The first track begins with a guitar-noise introduction and with radio voices in the background. After one and a half minutes, like thunder from a clear sky, come all the instruments.... Slow minimalistic riffs, drawling bass, shrieking guitar (often passing on squeal), heavy drums, full crashes. Screaming, almost black metal, vocals alternate with monotonous, suffering clear voice and hissing whispers... Different sound/noise effects in the background give a unique atmosphere to the sound.
The album flows well as a whole, however, each track is individual. The first track "Sacrosanct" is aggressive and cruel. Next comes "Halogen" - a more melodious track with a memorable main riff. The third track, called "Tar", has aggressive atmosphere, yet melodic edges. The fourth track "Razor nest" is the most saturated with effects and atmospheric on the entire album.
All in all, I was most surprised by how effective the album was. I did not expect such sound, such compositions, and such atmosphere! I think that it is only possible to describe the album correctly based on my feelings because during the listening process I forgot that this is a band playing in a certain genre of metal... All I heard is pain, detachment, depression and suffering. It’s the pain and anger of a person who feels lonely and unwanted in society. He could have something to do, but others don't need this. All his thoughts and ideas remain inside his mind, they grow, evolve, breed, but have no way out.... By the end of the last track I felt my self close to panic attack...
The best way to try and describe what we have here is Esoteric’s Epistemological Despondency blended with Khanate. Maybe someone will disagree with this, but I have not found a better comparison. Of course, after listening to Neon Crosses, I decided to get acquainted with the earlier Leechfeast albums, which are on band’s Bandcamp. Previous albums are great, but Neon Crosses is the quintessence of everything that was done before. It's a complicated album, though It is not innovative, or some new step in the development of the genre. But it's an album combines all the best in the sludge/doom/funeral doom genre.