A startling journey through a desperate adventure and an ever evolving weave of imagination gripping sounds, Luna is one of those releases which simply urge a full engagement and appetite for its uncompromisingly inventive canvas of ideation and sound. One track climbing across fifteen minutes plus of fiercely provocative experiences, it is a fierce examination of the senses and emotions to match that of its narratives victim, and a thoroughly riveting pleasure.
Luna comes from New Hampshire band Leather Chalice, a one man blackened punk project created by Jan Slezak of blackened crust punks Ramlord. Following up the unveiling of debut album Sweet Perfume of Coffin Air earlier this year, the track is a dramatically textured and layered abrasion of sound, one luring in essences of black and extreme metal alongside those of post punk and hardcore. It has a sonic and inventive hunger which is pure voracity but also an experimentation which devours the imagination. It is not always an easy ride but this only adds to its insatiable forceful lure and success.
The track opens with a haunting premise setting a weave of samples and dank atmospherics, offering a spatial violation amidst a magnetically expanding intrusive portrait. It instantly has thoughts and emotions playing with the evocative coaxing as a growing soundtrack of post punk shadows and gothic elegance emerges. Thoughts of Bauhaus and Leitmotiv come to the fore as the picture develops, though they are soon dismissed as a harsher and eventual blackened malevolence permeates and fuels the next twist of the intrusive incitement. The track continues to enthral and impress without reservation as it continues to shift and bewitch with its attack and ingenuity, enterprise and sonic hues a mix of spellbinding and searing enticement from the absorbing craft of Slezak and guest session musicians.
The journey never relents in its unpredictable intrigue and flaming endeavour, constantly inspiring thoughts to cast their own drama and story to the experience. Arguably the piece is just too long but with each taking of its danger inspiring a new scenario or certainly a different shade to the persistently giving proposition, it is a minor niggle. As is similarly the flat and dulled impact of the drums though they niggle more strongly, but again within the mouthwatering and continually absorbing mix of styles and inventive prowess of the project and its sounds, this equally is a small issue inside a major success.
Luna is as massive and spellbinding as its name would suggest but also a dangerous and threatening encounter which all fans of unique, unafraid to experiment metal should check out.
Luna is available now on 100 blue-tinted shell cassettes via Broken Limbs @ http://brokenlimbsrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/luna
https://www.facebook.com/LeatherChalice
8.5/10
RingMaster 20/06/2014
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