We may have used the word “epic” a buttload of times when reviewing Loviatar’s last collection of recorded tunes so we’re going to come up with some different descriptors this time, okay? Like awesome. And monolithic. And gargantuan. And bold. And beautiful. But mostly masterpiece when it comes to Lightless and this band overall.
But I digress!
Loviatar is back with Lightless, a sprawling beastie of Doom with Prog tendencies and a burgeoning sense of urgency that’ll stay with listeners long after the closing chords of the, ahem, epic (Last time, we swear!) ten minute title track ring out. Opener “Suffocating Delerium” is pretty much Doom incarnate with vocalist J.D. Gobeil’s broad passages strengthening the lush, dense textures that J.P. Sadek, Mike Bond, Shane Whitbread, and Gobeil’s guitar work create. Speaking of broad passages, Whitbread’s massive guitar strokes are beyond comprehension while Bond’s fret work on the bass is foundation shaking as Sadek’s accented attacks throughout drive the songs forward to their inevitable end.
“Horse In Thrall” is menacing and ominous, bringing to mind Isis with its’ drawn out instrumental build up, as it slowly crescendos to hit all the right Loviatar spots: rumbling bass lines, guitars that practically weep, cacophonous drumming, and Gobeil’s vocals on top of it all offering to guide listeners through the aural maelstrom. “Cave In” really goes for with a full throttle barn burner propelled by Sadek’s relentless percussive push while next, “Silica” is a burgeoning Metal grinder, adding coat upon coat of heavy sheen before culminating with guitars that practically glisten and Gobeil’s grandiose layered vox preaching to the high holy heavens.
“All The Witches You Failed To Burn” just sounds like it’s gotta be awesome, right? Well, lucky for you! It is! Kind of a mystical journey heralding an oncoming storm, this “Planet Caravan”/”Riders On The Storm” hybrid acts as the perfect segue into the similarly spiritual title track which gradually meanders in to take listeners on one final sonic journey. With these frenetic, unearthly guitar lines weaving throughout escalating towards the most grand of all finales Loviatar manages to produce yet another….wait, what’s better than a masterpiece? Well, Lightless is. Obviously.
Lightless lands on April 3rd through Prosthetic Records. Pre-orders are live now and can be gotten in a variety of formats by clicking here. For the latest on Loviatar, including info on live shows in the future and more, follow them online by clicking here or here.
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