The Drone Metal Thread

Following up my Top 10 with my first review.

Black Boned Angel - Verdun (2009)

Campbell Kneale is a pivotal figure in the New Zealand drone/noise scene and has released numerous albums under the Birchville Cat Motel and Our Love Will Destroy the World monickers. Black Boned Angel is his drone metal trio. Verdun is the bands fourth full length album that takes on providing a soundtrack the longest and most devastating battle in World War 1.

Verdun is a single 50+ minute song split into 3 distinct parts (the 3 parts are available on the CD and digital release, the vinyl version contained the first and the third movement). Part 1 (Prayer Sodden Holes) has a sombre, ominous sound with repetitive riffs and drums underlayered with feedback that leads into a brief respite during the mellow(er) part 2 (Tears Strike the Mile High Gong) before the terrifying climax of looped choirs and a cacophony of noise, feedback and the sound of war of part 3 (Creeping Barrage). It’s the sound of desolation, hopelessness, anticipation, terror and fear.

Black Boned Angel are no more. In an interview on the inarguable, Kneale stated that “The grand-scale, crushing, sadness that is plastered all over those records was actually real for me and I can't live that way anymore.” And you can hear it all on Verdun – my favourite drone metal album.

I only did my Top 10 a few days ago, but after repeated listens of wolvserpent's 2013 album, I think this may be even better than the one I included on my list. 

Wolvserpent - Perigaea Antahkarana (2013)

Way back in 2007 or so (damn, that’s nearly 20 years ago), I was lurking on a doom metal forum associated with Southern Lord mainly for discussions and announcements for new albums. There were a number of musicians on the site who discussed their new projects. One such person was Blake Green who announced his first release as a duo with Brittany McConnel under the name of Pussygutt – a doom-laden drone metal band. In 2010, the multi-instrumentalist duo changed their name to Wolvserpent, Perigaea Antahkarana is their second full-length album.

Bookended with nature recordings of wind, a fire crackling and cawing crows, this is no one-paced drone metal release. Yes, we have big repetitive droning guitar riffs, pounding drums and droning violin and synth layers. But we also have: massive doom/stoner riffs, post-rock style ethereal violin build ups akin to Godspeed You! Black Emperor leading into an atmospheric back metal sound; guttural funeral doom style vocals from Blake and ethereal dark folk style chanting from Brittany. Layers of sound that provide a truly immersive experience. I’m no musician, but I would imagine pulling together diverse influences into a truly cohesive work is no easy task, but the duo do this seamlessly.

I see lots of reviews describing the sound as dark and its association with winter, but to me this is both lush and bleak, light and dark, and this was the perfect album for this glorious summers day.

A drone metal album? I guess, but this contains a whole lot more. Wonderful

4.5/5