Review: Anagnorisis 'Peripeteia' LP

Quite possibly one of the most solid offerings in Black Metal to date, and most likely the  most important offering this year for the genre, Louisville's Anagnorisis' 7th release, Peripeteia, hits the shelves on Thursday (Nov. 3rd. Digital release was October 21st). Peripeteia cuts deep unlike most in the Black Metal genre (that typically go for surface cuts of gross and fictional brutality) but with truly brutal introspectives (seemingly an autobiography of vocalist Zachary Kerr) Peripeteia tells a true tale of a life boxed in from birth.

Lyrics like "If this is the sum of it all, then the moments leading me here have led me astray. That which is crying should also be dead As peace is a distant lullaby for the fragile and the weak. Taught to hate myself, through hating you. Lessons in humility by watching you" on Disgust & Remorse, Pt II only cut up the listener to line up the full body blow ending "You've fucked my life for far too long. Let me live my own regret."

The album is spliced with recordings of  Kerr's own childhood and layered sounds to solidify the theme of life in lost depression, far from the obligatory double bass drum onslaught typically found on releases in the genre, and truly brutal lyrics that kick harder than a metaphysical beast, such as "No longer claiming ruined flesh, just wasted time in wasted skin. Wasted namesake to pass mental disease. Afraid to exist. So exhausted from hiding."

Anagnorisis' Peripeteia release show is Thursday at Haymarket Whiskey Bar ( $10. 21+) and kicks off a 15 date US tour. Tour Info Here.  Double LP can be ordered here.

Review: Tender Mercy "It Was You" EP

         This is one of the local acts I get really excited about, so I'll try to stay focused. Tender Mercy, to me, has always been about an ambiance. I think the music borrows a lot from black metal in that respect. Tonality and spacial relations are themes in Mark Kramer's work as much as the lyrics. But with his upcoming five-track release "It Was You," it seems Tender Mercy is exploring new textures and dynamic structures through previous avenues.
         It's easy to fall into a trance-like state with much of Tender Mercy's work, but "It Was You" finds ways to interrupt this flow for the listener. While the sonic qualities of the album are expansive (thick reverb, etc.) the percussion on the title track, in particular, is almost dancy. The track "Path:Trails" has a similar effect on its listener, specifically during the chorus, in which Mark nearly whispers the first two words of each line, and melodically explodes the rest, asking "Are you blazing a path, or are you following trails?"
         "It Was You" will be released under Bright Tonight Recordings this Saturday, March 12, at Dreamland, with Michael Seymour and Psychic Skin and Tender Mercy. This is one of the more challenging releases I've heard so far in 2016, so pick up a copy and give it all of your attention.