Skullflower — The Spirals of Great Harm
Continuing their sonic journey into new territories, Skullflower's newer releases have come a long way from their heavy rock inspired drone beginnings. "Khepsh" opens the skies on The Spirals of Great Harm with rising loops layered densely over one another. This rising is introduced to a conflicting lowering of sound in the last minute or so, and brings the listener back toward the more grim tone of the album. "Furthur" adds a bit more crunch (think something off of Fucked on a Pile of Corpses), but also thickens the spiraling drones that help Skullflower capture Dante's descent. Hypnotic and almost dizzying, "Further" grabs the listener and makes sure to keep him close on this journey. The buzzing, metallic drones and drawn out violins on "Tangled Light of Isis" bring about a more traditional industrial vibe reminiscent of Einsturzende Neubauten. Well, Neubauten if it were put through a taffy machine. "Furfur" returns to the sounds brought forth on "Furthur,"and increases the richness of the background loops. These fuzzy layers work in conjunction with one another to create an almost living, breathing drone system. "Thunder Dragon" widens Skullflower's scope a tad in such a way that the layers exchange a little bit of their weight for a larger approach to sound. Rumbling lows and John Zorn-esque highs start to surface towards the last third, and the aforementioned dragon begins to take shape. The aptly titled "Venom & Nectar" is hot on the dragon's heels with its juxtaposition of crunchy buzz atop a regal, fairly medieval arrangement. Skullflower's return to swirling and hypnotic on "Fuck the New Estate" is a fitting end to the first disc and a great way to get the listener back into the theme of Spirals. Rising and falling for most of its run time, "Fuck" ends in a very quiet, non-Skullflower way.
Airy and cacophonous like an orchestra warming up, "Rotting Jeweled Stormclouds" starts off the second disc on a similar note to the first. Lofty, turbulent, and slightly stinging, the eponymous stormclouds are quite evocative and definitely show growth in Skullflower's sound. Floating over like Scipio in a spaceship, "And Carthage Must Be Destroyed" rains down harsh laser beams from above. Taking a turn for the lower, more metallic, "Tangled Light of Isis" once again channels the grinding, stretched out violin that hearkens back to scenes from Halber Mensch. Somewhat unsettling, this violin adds a nice bit of unease that shatters the listener's sense of comfort. Screeching and wriggling like a pile of metallic worms, "Ice Nine" spreads it's writhing glory over ten minutes of fury. Added to this is a deep, dark, sparse piano that adds a very interesting dimension to the mix. Taking on a somewhat Indian tone, "The Firebright & Linda Show" takes this mystical air and runs with it. Like a snake charmer summoning demons, it's hypnotic, dazzling, and fairly grim. Closing out the album on another that feels like it were part of Fucked on a Pile of Corpses, "Yuggoth Within" sees the collision of two fantastic worlds, Skullflower and H.P. Lovecraft. Deep, buzzing, and cold, like one would expect from Yuggoth, this crushing number is a perfect end to a wonderful, swirling journey.
Skullflower continues to evolve on their latest, The Spirals of Great Harm. Packing two discs worth of intriguing drones, noise, and avant-garde instrumentation, this duo adds another well deserved notch to their belt. And, with great artwork, Cold Spring's release is definitely worth picking up.