Locrian — Return to Annihilation
While most drone is measured against the Earth or Sunn O))) yardstick, Locrian is in a camp that must be examined differently. Although the synth and guitar drone make up most of their sound, the extra elements they add shifts their sound in many unexpected ways. The opening track, "Eternal Return" is a great example. The thick guitar drone holds down the fort while an almost Pleasure Principle-esque synth brings the song into an thick but yet airy almost shoegaze territory. It's a wonderful song. So great, in fact, that the horribly out of place, awful black metal vocals can't ruin it. They're bad. It sounds like It from Abruptum singing for Whirr. Hm, that actually sounds interesting when written out( but it's not).
"Two Moons" pits the thick guitar drones against soft, picked guitars and slow drums. There's more of a stoner, Mammatus vibe going on on this one. "Return to Annihilation" and the ritual-y chant over the synth drone are very familiar turf. It borders more on the ambient side of drone for two thirds before plopping directly into rock territory. Much like "Eternal Return," the nice tune is almost ruined by crappy screaming.
I was initially let down by this album because of the press release. Seeing "blackened noise geniuses," I was expecting something, y'know, noisy and black, like Gate To Gate. However, this album is really slick, and if you can get past the vocals, you're in for a treat. Don't expect any noise or blackness (save for the screeching), enjoy some interesting drone rock, and have fun.