Liturgy - 93696 [Thrill Jockey - 2023]Numerology be damned! And a lot of other things, too, apparently, like subtlety, listener expectation, and post-production decorum. The churchy overtones of the band's moniker make it perfectly clear what kind of browbeating will be championed at the quaint little parish known as Brooklyn. Like any good liturgical text, there is a precedent, that which came before, and the list is almost as long as the number of tracks woven to come up with 93696. I won't list them, and we would do well to acknowledge the inability of ever doing so. There is something deeply experimental and orchestral at the core of Liturgy, with modern composition and experimental musicianship abound....oh, and some Black metal too. The album is structured around a dichotomy – neither good nor evil – between moments of choral-like prattle and punishing doom, each with a sincerity that leaves most ironists heading for the toilets. There is an acute impatience – I won't say restlessness – that portends this deified journey, which by the time we've reached the Angel portion of the program ("Angel of Sovereignty, Emancipation, Hierarchy", etc.), we kind of know what awaits us. It is not divine providence, but way too many thoughts and crystal clear intentions that are filled more with puzzlement than rapture. As an entity, 93696 is operatic to the core, and for those who are intrigued by such generic classifications, I am sure the mixture of strained voices and guttural growls will provide ample fodder.
For fans of the band's previous work, experimental composition, and for anyone else into the strange crossover genres of opera and black metal.    Colin Lang
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