"The Tenth Sub Level of Suicide" Review

Nine months ago, Noisey, a music-based imprint of Vice magazine, released a three part documentary entitled "One Man Black Metal." The film focused on three one-man black metal bands- Xasthur (real name Scott Conner), Striborg ( First Name Russel), and Leviathan (Jef Whitehead), and the profound sense of isolation that inspires them to create their bleak, emotional music.

The documentary is earnest, and the subjects are fascinating. Leviathan, in particular, struck me. While Russel  shows his emotional discontent by screaming in a cave while wearing makeup, and Scott is too encumbered by his own childish misanthropy to leave his apartment, Jef, the only one with a steady job and an ability to  explain his malaise in a  dignified manner. He shows the interviewer the house in which he lived with his  girlfriend who killed herself after a bout with cancer, he attempted to take his own life, and he recorded this album, "The Tenth Sub Level of Suicide."

With a backstory like that, I had to give the album a listen. I was not disappointed. This is one hour and eleven minutes of dark,anguished depressive black metal.The songwriting  sounds similar to other USBM bands like Twilight or Absu but it differentiates itself in several ways. The production, although very necro sounding, is still quality enough to detect each individual instrument in the mix. This is a nice touch as Jef is clearly very technically proficient and it shows in several parts of the album. The minimalist bass break in "The Bitter Emblem of Dissolve" and the guitar work in "The Idiot Sun" are good examples.

The vocals also stand out. Jef is a fantastic vocalist who utilizes both typical black metal screaches and throaty, horrifying yells. It really emphasizes the tortured, depressed aspect of the music.

Problems are few and far between. I will say that this album is slightly too long. I'm all for long form pieces (Miles Davis is one of my favorite mucisians) but when the theme of an album is so consistent, I loose focus.

Despite this, "The Tenth Sub Level of Suicide" is a great album and a great introduction to the USBM scene.

8/10