ferallight-lifevapor-reviews

Review from Aristocrazia Webzine

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 18:48:34 +0100

From: Aristocrazia Webzine

Published: September 2, 2020

Poco più di un anno dopo Fear Rides A Shadow, gli americani Feral Light tornano a deliziare le nostre orecchie, con una particolare predilezione per chi è alla ricerca di certezze musicali di un determinato tipo. Questo perché Life Vapor è un disco che non ha la pretesa di innovare e rimane all’interno della sua comfort zone praticamente per la sua intera durata, ma questo non è un problema: quello che ci viene offerto è un album black metal dalle forti tinte post-metal, che poi è esattamente il genere su cui la band si è ormai assestata, se ci basiamo sui lavori precedenti. Non avere desiderio, voglia o intenzione di sperimentare non è di certo un difetto, specie se le idee in merito a cosa si vuole lanciare in pasto al pubblico sono chiare, e il misterioso duo artisticamente attivo dal 2017 ha ormai capito bene cosa vuole esattamente offrire ai suoi ascoltatori.

C’è da specificare che tra il non dire nulla di nuovo e produrre un disco piatto c’è un abisso, e quest’ultima asserzione non riguarda affatto i Feral Light. I Nostri sanno dosare le influenze in un modo affatto casuale, ed è così che “Blood In Sand” ci accoglie con delle gradevoli dissonanze, mentre la successiva “Aussage” si conclude con un lungo passaggio melodico dal gusto atmosferico. Il post-metal emerge in maniera evidente anche in “Last Gasp Invocation” e nei suoi lenti passaggi iniziali che personalmente mi fanno pensare vagamente, ma neanche troppo, ai conterranei Agalloch, quelli di Ashes Against The Grain in particolare. Non manca comunque il black metal più esplicito, ed è tutto nei blast beat di “Hex Of Inverses” e “In Summation”, il brano più cattivo dell’album, detto nel senso più classico del termine.

Life Vapor è uno di quei dischi che cresce con gli ascolti e che si rivela a poco a poco, quindi suggerirei di farlo ripartire a oltranza e lasciare che vi maturi dentro. Come accennato, non troverete granché in termini di novità, ma sicuramente i Feral Light sanno distribuire gli elementi a loro disposizione con una sapienza e un equilibrio non comuni.

Reviewed by: Elisunn

Review from Grind on the Road

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 18:48:30 +0100

From: Grind on the Road

Published: July 27, 2020

Original Link

“Come sarebbero i Darkthrone se riuscissero a implementare in un unico sound le varie fasi della loro carriera?”. Questo quesito, per quanto possa essere azzardato, è il primo pensiero che mi è venuto in mente dopo il primo ascolto del nuovo lavoro in casa Feral Light. Quello proposto dalla formazione da Minneapolis è un black metal che incuriosisce molto per la varietà delle influenze che formano le sue fondamenta. Si sentono i rimandi alla storica band di Fenriz e Nocturno Culto, con le ritmiche black n’ roll e delle arie punkeggianti che non possono che far pensare a lavori come F.O.A.D., mentre derive più aggressive e primordiali strizzano l’occhio al seminale Panzerfaust e ai precedenti lavori, rimanendo comunque riferimenti vaghi e non copie prive anche di una minima personalità. Ma non è tutto qua, son ben evidenti anche i momenti in cui si fanno spazio sonorità più variegate e moderne, tendenti anche al post, mai prevalenti rispetto al lato più grezzo della proposta ma ben implementate. Life Vapor è il terzo album del gruppo, pubblicato a un solo anno di distanza dal precedente Fear Rides a Shadow, e segna la definitiva conferma del valore della creazione di Andy Schengrund, data l’affinazione e i continui passi in avanti che hanno caratterizzato questi cinque anni di attività.

La poliedricità del lavoro viene messa in evidenza sin dall’opener “Blood In Sand”, che non si limita ai settori dall’attitudine tendente al punk ma regala anche un innalzamento dell’intensità, sempre mantenendo una struttura e delle scelte basilari. I passaggi più intricati e vari arrivano in seguito, prevalentemente in pezzi come “Assuage” e “Last Gasp Invocation”. Il primo in partenza non mostra particolari cambiamenti, ma nel finale lascia spazio a degli inserti vagamente post-metal che fanno il loro sporco lavoro e non appaiono affatto fuori posto. Questa divagazione si ripete in “Last Gasp Invocation”, canzone che si apre sorretta da un buon groove per poi man mano crescere d’intensità senza mai sbilanciarsi troppo verso un attacco frontale. Dopo questi richiami che si possono associare per certi aspetti al sound degli statunitensi Tombs, nel finale torna a farsi sentire lo stile primordiale e aggressivo. Gli ultimi due pezzi son puramente black metal, un tributo alla fiamma nera che si conclude con l’alone di mistero dell’ultimo minuto di “In Summation”.

Life Vapor non scrive nulla di nuovo e certamente non è nei suoi interessi farlo. Lo si può capire anche dai primi lavori e qua si ha la conferma, lo stile della band canadese è incisivo e facilmente assimilabile, sorretto comunque dalla volontà di non cadere nella banalità e nel già sentito dati i molteplici riferimenti.

Rating: 7/10

Review from The Headbanging Moose

Tue, 07 Jul 2020 22:30:20 +0100

From: The Headbanging Moose

Published: July 6, 2020

Original Link

Formed in 2015 in the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the United States by vocalist and guitarist Andy Schoengrund (Coagulate, Empires, Wolvhammer) together with drummer Andrew Reesen (Censer), Feral Light are a mysterious enigma playing grim and sorrowful Black Metal entwined with savage and unyielding Crust Punk, resulting in what can be labeled as “Blackened Post-Metal”. After a demo, an EP and two full-length albums, this unyielding force of darkness returns in 2020 with their third full-length installment titled Life Vapor, building up on the foundations of its predecessor while increasing the intensity of the music displayed. Recorded and mixed by Kyle Kaliszewski, mastered by James Plotkin (Plotkinworks), and featuring a minimalist and obscure artwork by Unexpected Specter, Life Vapor instantly pulls you in with its killer mix of melodic and dissonant riffing, combining and incorporating various styles including elements of Post-Metal, Black N’ Roll, Doom Metal and Second-Wave Black Metal, materializing as a downcast howl of war-torn vocals funneled through a lyrical content dealing with mysticism and inner struggle.

Experimental and futuristic sounds kick off the scorching opening tune Blood in Sand, with Andrew blasting his drums with tons of rage and precision while Andy barks the song’s grim, austere lyrics rabidly (“A way forward scrawled on obscure hands / Scorched by the touch of the expanse / Grasp past the sun, tethers unravel / Pull from the dark and carry forth”). Then leaning towards classic Norwegian Black Metal we have the massive Assuage, with Andy not only vociferating like a demonic entity but also firing sharp and acid riffs accompanied by Andrew’s infernal drums, also bringing forward an amazing balance between Andy’s strident guitar and his low-tuned bass; and displaying a huge dosage of Doom Metal added to the band’s core sonority, we’re treated to the ominous and heavy-as-hell Walking Tomb, alternating between otherworldly, lugubrious moments and sheer savagery, with Andy’s guitar riffs once again cutting our skin deep without a single drop of mercy.

Exhaling progressiveness, obscurity and harmony, the duo jams in the lands of doom in Last Gasp Invocation, generating an enfolding atmosphere before all hell breaks loose, with the music gradually morphing into a visceral Black Metal onslaught, whereas modern-day Black Metal sounds and tones permeate the air in Hex of Inverses, where both Andy and Andrew sound at the same time venomous and very melodic with their respective weapons. Needless to say, their music will mercilessly penetrate deep inside your psyche and make your skull tremble. And finally, Andy’s slashing riffage and Andrew’s vicious beats will invite you to slam into the pit in the closing tune In Summation, presenting a sulfurous hybrid of old school Black Metal with more contemporary stiles the likes of Post-Metal and Melodic Black Metal, ending the album on a high and Stygian note.

If you want to give Life Vapor a shot, you can enjoy the album in its entirety on YouTube and on Spotify, but as usual in order to truly support underground metal music I highly recommend you purchase a copy of the album from the band’s official BandCamp page, from the Hypnotic Dirge Records’ BandCamp page or webstore (in regular CD format or as a fantastic bundle including the CD, an exclusive T-shirt, a patch and a sticker), as well as from Apple Music and from Amazon. The infernal Minneapolis-based duo known as Feral Light, who are also waiting for you on Facebook, are definitely paving a very interesting path ahead of them with the constant evolution found in their music, with Life Vapor being undoubtedly their most cohesive and multi-layered work to date. Having said that, you might be asking yourself “what’s next for Feral Light?” Well, only darkness will tell.

Rating: 3.5/5

Reviewed by: Gustavo Scuderi

Review from Metal Temple

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 20:47:10 +0100

From: Metal Temple

Published: June 24, 2020

Original Link

Feral Light is a two man black metal band from Minneapolis, Minnesota and formed in 2015. “Life Vapor,” is their third full length album; they also have a demo and an EP. “Life Vapor” grabbed me from the beginning and never let me go. I’ve always enjoyed black metal that dares to be different and FERAL LIGHT have definitely delivered an album that steps outside the box with a lot of great ideas. None of that would mean a damn if the song writing wasn’t there but this album has no short supply of that! In fact, the overall flow of the album is very smooth and found it to be rather easy listening, for what it is. This is just one of those albums that has plenty of depth but also something you can throw on if you are in the mood just to jam out to something. It is rare that an album of this scope, that is certainly a great ride from straight through, can also be listened to on a piecemeal basis.

Post elements are in play cross the album’s six track, 39:25 runtime but they are senselessly melded in, a nice contrast to the overall aggressive sound but still complimenting it well. A rock in roll feel, or “black and roll,” also permeates the album and that is where much of the catchy portions comes from. I’m not saying your grandpa would like this (unless he is the coolest grandpa ever) but I can see people who don’t like black metal really enjoying what is on offer here. FERAL LIGHT have added so many dimensions to this album but they are presented in an intelligent, cohesive experience. I hear all these different sounds but my focus was never lost nor was it distracted by one element over another. All these different sound dimensions are presented as one large sound that goes above and beyond the individual pieces.

“Blood In Sand,” starts with some weird tones and a brief second of feedback. The bass and drums come in behind it and the song builds from there. The guitars get added and a big wall of sound engulfs the ears before settling into a bleak groove and acidic blackened vocals riding on top of it all. The song’s mid portion speeds up the tempo, with the drums leading that particular charge. The last half of the song is led by the bass, which gets mixed up into a post dirge with rock and roll sensibilities. “Assuage,” is explosive from the beginning, blackened screams cutting through the speedy riffs and rapid drums. The middle portion of the track drops some of that caustic black metal and replaces it with dirty hard rock with a metal outer shell before the final minutes of the song bring about textures and layers for a blanket of soundscapes.

The next track, “Walking Tomb,” is more doom in its approach, at least in the song’s early moments, what with the monolithic riffs. In a very organic way, the song switches the approach and adds in layered melancholy like ALCEST or DEAFHEAVEN but consisting of much more of a dark void to suck out all the light. “Last Gasp Invocation,” stood out to me because of the way it builds up over time. The bass line keeps it moving, an anchor to hold the ship steady as it turns into something more, the guitar work getting more detailed and intricate as the action rises. The song’s mid section forces your head to bang it old school to the rock groove and, later, furious riffs.

Mind boggling riffs and a vocals that might just bursts from the speakers lead the way for “Hex of Inverses,” to be one of the more intense songs here. I really enjoyed how the guitars bring everything together with the vocals, a climax within the climax of the overall song which gets progressively more aggressive as it goes along. The final track, the fittingly named “In Summation” is perhaps the most straight forward song out of the six but the clever guitar work makes it work, keeping the song’s feel and momentum going even on the more melodic moments.

“Life Vapor” is an engrossing and interesting blackened metal album. It encompasses a lot of different elements and has the song writing to pull it all off. This is album is recommended for people who worship the almighty riff or want to like black metal but feel overwhelmed by the vast majority of it.

Rating: 8/10

Reviewed by: Justin Wittenmeier

Review from The Sleeping Shaman

Mon, 08 Jun 2020 23:13:54 +0100

From: The Sleeping Shaman

Published: June 8, 2020

Original Link

The world is a scary fucking place at the moment, usually I start my reviews with a wise crack but it doesn’t seem appropriate considering what is happening in the home-town of the band that I am reviewing today. That home-town is Minneapolis, Minnesota which is currently in the midst of a major riot in reaction to the horrendous murder of George Floyd by the state police department. As a white English guy I can’t imagine what it’s like to live in America as a person of colour, however I can use my media to stand with them and unite against hatred… its 2020 and this shit is still happening.

Amidst the darkness enshrouding the world there is a flickering illumination piercing through the tumultuous storm. That illumination is Feral Light and their new record Light Vapor released May 22nd via the fantastic label Hypnotic Dirge Records. Light Vapor is the bands third full length and only a year has passed since their well received Fear Rides A Shadow.

Feral Light is a two piece that play an interesting mixture of black metal, black ‘n’ roll and death metal. Before I’ve listened to a note, I’m taken back by the album artwork produced by Unexpected Specter. You can just about make out this huge temple penned in the interesting colour choices of black on a sea of the darkest blood red. It’s one of the more unusual sleeves of the year and gives you a sneak peek into the horrors that lay within.

The two piece includes Andy Schoengrund of sludgy black metal monsters Wolvhammer, accompanied by Andrew Reesen on drums. Feral Light take huge chunks from black metal, post metal and death metal to create their sound. The opening salvo Assuage is thunderous blackened death metal from the abyss that is bestowed upon us with gargantuan tremolo picked riffage that seamlessly moves between melodic tones and death metal madness. The song has great hooks and progresses really well. Each passage has a unique quality that’s perfectly accompanied with ferocious drum work and shrill haunting vocals. All this creates a huge atmosphere and is the absolute perfect start to a record. I am hooked!

After the abrupt halt to the opening track, ominous tones fill the air with synths that sound like the light is being dragged from your soul. This is the introduction to Blood In Sand. The guitars kick in with a slow brooding build up and there’s a nice use of the china. It’s brooding, it’s captivating and perfectly captures the essence of a blackened death metal record. The track builds up into a mid tempo riff alongside double kicks and snarled screams. This theme continues for a while before the bass picks up and before you know it, you’re thrown into a full blown black metal maelstrom.

The vocals are rawer than ever and sound like their being spewed from some giant serpent like creature…really cool stuff. My favourite part of the track is where Blood In Sand breaks into this post metal section. I thought I was listening to Isis’s Panopticon, not a black metal record, but felt completely natural, which is what makes Light Vapor a great record. So far I’m getting massive vibes of Dissection, Wormwitch, Inter Arma, Tombs and even a little Goatwhore.

The album continues with all out black metal tracks like Hex Of Inverses, which blasts away any light left on the planet. It’s a really well written and explosive track. In Summation is more black metal madness but finishes on more of those haunting bass laden synths that over power everything. It leads really well into the excellent Last Gasp Invocation which kicks off with a slow and drawn out melodic introduction. It’s a great break from the relentless ferocity of the last few tracks and helps build some tension and atmosphere. The rest shows Feral Light at their best with this killer black’n’roll sound intertwined with blasted sections to keep you nailed to your chair. It’s my favourite part and track on the album.

The record is finished with Walking Tomb featuring more of the melodic mayhem I’ve loved throughout and is accompanied with more tremolo picked riffage and blasts that will be felt across the world. I think the group’s name ‘Feral Light’ does not match the sound on display. This is by no means feral; this is a calculated dissection of your soul. Each slice, each break is purposeful and integral to the invocation on offer. To be perfectly honest I didn’t want Light Vapor to finish. It’s an end of year lister for sure and a great new addition to my collection. Basically, if you hadn’t got it from the above…listen to this record… what are you waiting for, go now!

Reviewed by: Matt Alexander

Review from Metal Italia

Mon, 01 Jun 2020 21:16:17 +0100

From: Metal Italia

Published: May 25, 2020

Original Link

Solo quattro anni fa i Feral Light uscivano con il primo EP, ed eccoci già con il terzo full length tra le mani, intitolato “Life Vapor”. Per fortuna, l’abbondanza di materiale e di uscite intercorse nel tempo vanno di pari passo con una certa qualità che fa da sfondo al gruppo americano, che anche col nuovo uscito lascia un buon segno. Quaranta minuti per sei brani nei quali l’ormai duo di Minneapolis disegna dei passaggi black/post metal nel quale non si nascondono velleità – mai sopite sin dall’inizio, del resto – per le derive più crust di gruppi nero-punkeggianti come, a dire un paio di nomi, Martyrdod o, soprattutto, i Darkthrone nelle loro incarnazioni più black and roll.

Il disco in sé ha delle ottime carte da giocare, soprattutto all’interno di innesti chitarristici groovy e affilati, che fanno fare bella figura tanto alle parti più tirate e sostenute da blastbeat (la violenta apertura di “Assuage”, a dirne una), così come in midtempo battaglieri e nelle tirate più post metal del lotto (“Walking Tomb”). Grosso modo, sembra che i Feral Light abbiano un po’ smorzato un certo tipo di nichilismo che faceva da sfondo alle proprie composizioni qualche anno fa, per andare ad esprimersi attraverso un disco di vedute più ampie, dove notiamo un leggero affinamento delle capacità di scrittura che emergono nell’ambito di pezzi più complessi come “Last Gap Invocation”, con degli abbellimenti di chitarra che vagano tra tremolo, melodico e, in generale, mostrano uno stile piuttosto riconoscibile da parte di Andy Schoengrund, peraltro anche a basso e voce.

I Feral Light portano a casa un disco davvero ben fatto, dal quale traspare un certo senso di volersi mescolare nel mucchio, di non voler mettersi in prima fila, fare il proprio lavoro a testa bassa ma con molta sostanza, senza sensazionalismi ma con intenti efficaci; forse una delle cose più belle del concetto primigenio di ‘heavy metal’. Promossi.

Rating: 7/10

Reviewed by: Giuseppe Caterino

Review from Wonderbox Metal

Tue, 19 May 2020 21:51:11 +0100

From: Wonderbox Metal

Published: May 19, 2020

Original Link

This is the third album from US black metallers Feral Light.

Feral Light play a mix of black metal and post-metal, with touches of doom and hard rock. Life Vapor offers up 39 minutes of easily-digested blackness.

The band aren’t short of riffs, frequently adopting a black ‘n’ roll approach. It’s surprisingly catchy stuff, and Feral Light clearly know how to write a good song. Merged with the atmosphere of post-metal and the blackened bite of the second wave, Life Vapor is an easy album to get on board with.

A combination of grim dissonance, melodic appeal, and the aforementioned riffs work to make the songs enjoyably approachable. They’re well-written and contain plenty to hook the listener quite firmly. All of the tracks are 5+ minutes in length; the band use the duration wisely, letting the songs breathe into their spaces, while reining them in if they threaten to become unfocused.

I enjoyed this a lot. It packs a lot of meaty content into 39 minutes, both of the instant appeal variety, and the slower burning atmospheric kind. if you’re a fan of blackened, hooked metallic darkness, then Life Vapor is one to check out, and makes an addictive listen.

Review from Musipedia of Metal

Tue, 19 May 2020 21:50:26 +0100

From: Musipedia of Metal

Published: May 16, 2020

Original Link

Feral Light have been making music since 2015, in that time the duo have made 2 other albums; debut album Void/Sanctuary in 2017 and Fear Rides A Shadow in 2019. Feral Light is made up of Andrew Reeson on drums and Andy Schoengrund on guitar, bass and vocals, the band is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Feral Light play a fairly simple style of Black metal, this is at the opposite end of the Black metal spectrum to anything that could be considered ‘Symphonic’, there is a definite punk attitude to how this has been put together, and this comes across in the music as well, which has a crust punk feel to some of the material. So, in many places this is very simple, guitar, drums and vocals format, there isn’t that much complexity. However, if you thought that was a criticism, then you are wrong, this albums strength is it’s simplicity. The overall structure might be simple, but the elements that this is made up of are fantastic, the riffs are so well written and played that the lack of complexity just allows the high quality of the music to shine through.

Most of the material on offer here features pretty savage blast beats, with beautifully nasty tremolo picked riffs over the top, it’s straightforward, but extremely effective. When Feral Light aren’t ripping your face off they do a very good line in slower, more riffy material. Opening track Assuage is a great example of the both of these styles as it vacillates between simple, savage blasting tremolo picked riffs, and slower, more measured riffs, that are heavy and very tuneful. Hex Of Inverses opens with some wonderfully discordant and punky black metal that has some great blasting sections, as well as some more mid-paced, crusty riffs. In Summation also features a mix of blasting and slower riffs, in this case the slower, beautifully rhythmic section reminds me a little of Tyrants By Immortal, and also features a really great droney ending. The album closes with the track Walking Tomb. Walking Tomb does have some blasting, but is mainly about mid-paced, punky, and melodic riffs and slow and discordant sections. The song also boasts a guitar solo, and is a very mellifluous way to end a highly enjoyable album.

Life Vapor is a cracking album. As I’ve mentioned before it’s very simple, but it’s so well done that it doesn’t need any extra complexity. Although in places this is a pretty savage album, but it is packed with melody, tunefulness and great riffs that stick in your head. This is an album that works on songwriting, rather than huge production or bombast. These are very well written and played songs, and that is where this album shines. Highly recommended.

Rating: 9/10

Reviewed by: Paul Scoble

Review from Grizzly Butts

Tue, 19 May 2020 21:48:26 +0100

From: Grizzly Butts

Published: May 16, 2020

Original Link

A primal ray of inspiration, fractally dispersed to impose greater darkness, best serves those who’ve lived in adaptive and necessarily untoward stasis. Bleak and shadowy forms serve as great cooling pools to slink between — Away from death and the brevity of hapless existential crises any above-average sentience’d naturally incur. With all manner of cursed dark mirror angled to invoke the moon’s light and reveal visions of dead lovers, relatives, and past lives those illuminating the mist shake with soulful readiness to pour their glut of grief into overfilled notions of relief in parinirvāṇa. To commune with the dead is to become dead, bound to whatever curses them into readiness and conjured audience. Restless diamonian grip upon the shoulders, impinging the arms to weakened resignation, sends the mind hissing and flinging about all manner of limb as the mystic charms and wiles of Minneapolis, Minnesota-based blackened post-metal duo Feral Light allow glorious catharsis and possession for the ailing spirit. Their third full-length album, ‘Life Vapor’, is not necessarily an ecclesiastical reminder that life is indeed severely brief but, that all states of matter, being and nous are transitory.

If you’d missed the chance to flail atop your balcony swooning over the muscular, catchy yet dismally black n’ roll’d post-metallic loosing of Feral Light‘s impressive second album (‘Fear Rides a Shadow‘, 2019) then you’d likely missed my fairly strong recommendation of it as I’d found their sharpened tongues and blended forms of blackened post-metal (with pangs of doom and black n’ roll) unique and memorably achieved. If you’d not missed it and have instead hotly anticipated hearing this third album I’ll get to the point quickly: ‘Life Vapor’ is on par with that previous record in every sense, twisting their directional lilt away from the black n’ roll space towards the emotional strides of post-metal whilst wafting in some downtrodden atmospheric black metal satiety. Although not a swing back to the first album (‘Void/Sanctify‘, 2017) stylistically speaking there is the sense that Andy Schoengrund (Coagulate, ex-Wolvhammer) and drummer Andrew Reesen have aimed for continuity within textural feeling, lucid movement, and arrangements that inspire heightened emotional resonance on this third album, allowing for a balance of recognizable style and remarkably freshened oeuvre.

Whereas ‘Fear Rides a Shadow’ often spun out into grand and notably burly riffs that’d provided some good reason to consider their style relevant within black n’ roll music today (see: Glorior Belli) the holistic voice of ‘Life Vapor’ includes that spiritus but also intends much greater diversity. Consider their sound kin to a band like Vanum (or even Wolves in the Throne Room) but through the body of a post-metal affected group such as Bast or the earlier, most distinct works of Tombs. The shared median between those two practices is perhaps a band such as Regarde Les Hommes Tomber and Downfall of Gaia yet remains a loose grouping of artists each with a very unique production sound, mind for arrangement, and voice. There are certainly plenty of bands combining black metal aesthetics to post-metal today yet in the case of Feral Light all achievement comes by way of well-developed distinctive traits wherein a major point of intrigue (for my own tastes) arrives with Schoengrund‘s expressive guitar work which is, again, more attuned to myriad forms of black metal technique than ever.

Enlisting a ‘rush in and riff’-bulging spectacle as opener “Blood in Sand” introduces the hard-swerving rhythm guitar thread that elevates this album from the start, the hissing beckon of throat-scraping vocal and insistent groove calls to the listener in despair and warning at once. Although the insistent shove of the first song begins to drone on it isn’t long before the hooks I’d pined for back when ‘Fear Rides a Shadow’ released last year start to arrive in healthy bursts, and with subtle charms; The first single and preview track from the record “Assuage” brings a soul-stirring (but subtle) lead guitar driven introduction that soon bears down upon its initial statement before transitioning between melodious black metal riff runs and despondent verses. The effect is non-traditional but highly readable for anyone attuned to black metal guitar techniques; Trading away the sludge n’ roll’d plow of past works for lucid dreaming and soulful lament provides a sense of bristling black metal defiance with an equal measure of eye-drooping nihilism. “Walking Tomb” opens with some righteous doom metal riffs, showered in blackened leads that land like a fistful of nails hucked at the face. This’d been the exact right way to round out Side A and for my own taste it is the major highlight of the records first half.

Enraptured by the mystic graces of shoegazing weightlessness and searching without hope, all manner of muscles are rendered helpless by freshly dug up anxietous dread. ‘Life Vapor’ surely pulled grief from me, inspired thoughts of those who’d passed away and whatever spiritual connection remains. Though this is likely not the intentional effect per se, there is something to be said for a record that manages to be immersive enough to incite a period of personal reflection. Over on Side B “Hex of Inverses” slowly blooms beyond its introductory Russian Circles-esque progression, diving into a gorgeous atmospheric black-gazing attack that finds the most sentimental peak of the record as the core hook of the intro circles back around; Alternation between blackened attack and jangling post-music oozing makes all the difference in highlighting the enhanced sense of flow (or, movement) applied to the guitar performances. This strikes some gold in the sense that these moments appear as extension of the artist, where the prosaic impact of the work doubles within the ache of the arrangements. Tired as post-metal songwriting can feel sometimes, in the hands of Schoengrund‘s very capable handle upon myriad influences those building blocks become purposely phrasal, verging on emotional and verbose pouring through the instrument. All the more reason to insist that this work has some connection with mourning, for the ‘self’ or some great defenestration of it.

Where I am shattered, finally broken into a limbless screaming puddle of chunks, comes with the ‘all the way there’ album closer, “In Summation”. The title is apt enough but, not a summary of events. It is final grand peak to touch upon where all that was built by “Hex of Inverses” releases into a jogging tilt, there the guitar riffs push forth with angered and final motion, a hollow-hearted moment of black metal menace that’d not ever lose its thundering central groove. The jogging punch of the main verse riff is a hammer-swinging heavy metal moment to start and speaks to Feral Light avoiding plain iteration in crafting an instrumental voice of their own, a characteristically earthen and potentially cathartic darkness. This’d been a huge song for connecting with the album as it’d reminded me not only of the previous album’s more black n’ roll feeling but the imposing branches grown since. The full listen is texturally satisfying, rhythmic and often unpredictable, bursting between a well-developed set of tongues these fellows so capably express. It might never be considered an exemplar ‘genre’ album for the sake of never sitting still or, rather liquefying several blackened music interests into one turbulent lazarus pool to dip into. ‘Life Vapor’ is an easy high recommendation to fans of modern yet divergent black metal forms and post-metal informed extreme metal who’d yearn for something outside of dry norms and dirtless renderings.

Rating: 4.25/5

Reviewed by: terraasymmetry

Review from Streetclip

Fri, 15 May 2020 23:29:46 +0100

From: Streetclip

Published: May 14, 2020

Original Link

Das hardcore-geerdete Black Metal-Duo FERAL LIGHT hatte kürzlich still und leise mit ´Walking Tomb´ einen appetitanregenden Track ihres Albums ´Life Vapor´ veröffentlicht – und prompt ging das Teil steil via Twitter in den USA. Dort ist die Szene, anders als in Europa, nicht so sehr Panda-Schminke-Wacken-durchtränkt, sondern natürlich verwachsen im Hardcore. No frills, just skills. Diese klischeeferne Basis hat sich gefreut, dass FERAL LIGHT wieder das Gute des skandinavischen Black Metal mit dem Gelungenen des US-Post-Hardcore vermählen.

´Life Vapor´ ist nach ´Void/Sanctify´ (2017) und dem deutlicher fokussierten ´Fear Rides A Shadow´ (2019) das dritte Album des Duos aus Minneapolis. Die beiden Schattengewächse sind eine typische Projekt-Band. Kaum Werbung, wenig Interviews – music speaks for itself. Bestehend aus Gitarrist, Bassist und Sänger Andy Schoengrund (Ex-WOLVHAMMER) sowie Drummer Andrew Reesen, der von Album zu Album an Können und Bandbreite zulegt.

´Life Vapor´ hat Kyle Kaliszewski produziert, gemastert ein Herr namens James Plotkin (war u.a. für CONAN als Veredler unterwegs). Diese beiden bislang eher nur im US-Underground angesehenen Herren sollte man sich merken – sie verstehen ihr Handwerk. FERAL LIGHT profitieren davon, dass die teils zu ausufernden Instrumental-Passagen bei Wiederaufnahme des Tempos und damit der Aggression differenziert und klar aus den Boxen knallen.

Rating: 7/10

Reviewed by: Johannes Zenner