Oblique Paths review

I don't understand the pop structure. I enjoy it, I try to write in its parameters, but I am never successful. That's why I've always been more comfortable with more experimental, looser compositions. Noise/Power electronics is the last genre that really challenges me as a listener.  I also love metal, despite its reliance on more typical song structures. Rarely do these two sounds combine but when they do, whatever record that contains will most certainly be one of the best of the year.

Culted's new album is that record, a swirling, lurching monolith of death/black metal, ambient and noise sprinkled with unsettling, chopped up vocal samples. The whole record is unpredictable. Very few tracks have discernible patterns. "Brooding Hex", the first track on the record, is nineteen minutes plus of pure experimentation, with several different riffs, melodies, drum patterns, and electronic interludes. It's amazing.

Some songs, like "Distortion of the Nature of Mankind" are more industrial, Swans-esque joints, pounding drum beats and all. That's about the closest this album gets towards metal. This isn't for everyone, as experimental music can and probably will descend into dead-serious wankery. What makes this album special for me is the musical competency of it. A lot of experimental musicians rely on very simple techniques but the members of Culted are all clearly virtuoso players. It's refreshing.

Speaking of the musicians behind this project, none of them live near each other. Daniel lives in Sweden while Micheal and Matt live in Canada. This adds to the tone of the record, misanthropic, isolated. It really amazes me that these guys put this record together without ever meeting face to face.

This is a 9/10 for me, a very well done piece of experimental music. It's stopped from being perfect by the lack of flow between the tracks. That's a big plus for me.

You can stream the album here: http://www.terrorizer.com/news/streams/stream-culteds-new-album-oblique-paths-full-terrorizer/ but you should buy a copy through Relapse Records.