The Band Agriculture: Their Album 'The Spiritual Sound' Album Analysis – Unabashedly Gorgeous Soundscapes from Ecstatic Black Metal Group
Every bit of elation, transcendence, and intensity of heavy music radiates with blinding energy from the second album by this self-described "ecstatic black metal" collective hailing from Los Angeles.
The Spiritual Sound pairs immense heaviness with imaginative detailing. Lead single the song Bodhidharma propels along a riff fit for a biker gang, then a burst of static and shrieking introduces a sad post-rock bridge section. The often-criticized technique of the widdly-woo solo is brilliantly revived by guitarist Richard Chowenhill, whose soloing here and on highlight the song Flea will have you floating in ecstasy – yet the calm ballad the track Hallelujah features descending guitar melodies played with youthful innocence.
Tracks like Micah and the song Serenity are high-speed punk rock, while Dan’s Love Song is without percussion and has slow-moving drone-metal distortion rumbling along underneath its ethereal beauty. Melodies in black metal can often be either nonexistent or overly fussy, but the band's riffs and hooks are bright and original, and final track The Reply even evokes a more intense Radiohead.
Fans of experimental metal acts similar artists will likely adore all this dynamic shifting and fearlessly beautiful sound, especially because the group also have two divergent singing approaches, split here across two vocalists. One vocalist contributes sporadic melodic vocals, but the star is the other vocalist, whose voice quivers on one track but fiercely howling elsewhere.
As is common in the genre, it’s hard to discern her lyrics, but they’re worth seeking out: the stories she conveys about personal struggles and anti-LGBTQ bigotry are heart-wrenching, as is her quest for purpose in a reality that inexorably bends towards conflict.
