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Lustmord

Other

(Hydra Head; US: 22 Jul 2008; UK: 21 Jul 2008)

Lustmord is like a numinous deity of disquiet. Oft-considered the creator of the “dark ambient” genre, Lustmord sculpts atmosphere and mood to create unsettling aural experiences rather than creating music of any conventional sense. On his latest record, the mysteriously titled Other, he is assisted by Adam Jones (Tool), King Buzzo (Melvins) and Aaron Turner (Isis). Their twangs and drones set against Lustmord’s brooding backgrounds achieve an even greater impact than usual. Using sounds extracted from crypts, caves and slaughterhouses Lustmord summons the reek of primal dread and a sense of eternal, solitudinous voids in the same vein as movies like Alien and 2001: A Space Odyssey.


Some of Lustmord’s compositions can be transposed to visuals that reveal coherent images when run through a spectrograph. Perhaps a visual element would also benefit Other since there is no narrative arc or noticeable hooks to prevent the experience from becoming somniferous. If some unfortunate soul does fall asleep while taking in Other, it will at least serve as an apt soundtrack to a terrifying nightmare.

Rating:

Rajith writes mostly hardcore punk and heavy metal pieces for PopMatters.com and FasterLouder.com.au but he does like other things - folk music, for instance, some Indie/alternative, perhaps? He is also quite serious about fiction and is hellbent on writing a novel, so keep an eye out for it but don't hold your breath because Rajith also likes to take his time.


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