H.A.Q.Q.

Liturgy

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Black metal has been a genre with very stringent guidelines and those who would consider themselves 'purists' don't like seeing these guidelines broken. As of recent, a few bands have begun experimenting with black metal and incorporating other genres into their own respective styles; much to the chagrin of black metal purists. Perhaps the most notable band is Deafheaven, who have fused black metal with post-rock and shoegaze. However, today I am talking about Liturgy, a band spearheaded by Hunter Hunt-Hendrix. On H.A.Q.Q., Hunt-Hendrix has incorporated elements of opera and classical music into the mix. I really do appreciate the attempts to bring in other instruments and sounds like the harp, violin, choir chants, sung opera, glockenspiel, and probably much more I'm failing to mention. I also really love how cohesive the record feels. I find there to be repeating musical motifs all across the record; the most obvious one being these digital skips and stutters that are used in almost every song. While I did end up enjoying many moments on the record, I wasn't totally blown away.

In my opinion, the record gets off to a really slow start. The first half of the opening track, HAJJ, is pretty unbearable. The guitar is wailing away constantly on this high-pitched, dissonant, guitar chord. Periodically, an instrument that kind of sounds like a recorder attempts to do the same thing as the guitar, but is way more sour and off-putting. The sad part is that the song's second half has really beautiful moments that incorporate a choir, and there is an awesome breakdown towards the end. However, it is physically painful getting through that first half in order to get to the good parts.

The following two main tracks VIRGINITY, and PASAQALIA are interesting in that they feature an atypical instrument that is prominently used throughout; a harp and a glockenspiel respectively. While I like VIRGINITY a little more than the tame, less black metal like, PASAQALIA, they don't really have any musical moments that truly stick out to me. Beyond this point though is where this record really starts to shine. GOD OF LOVE has a perfect balance of harmony and dissonance, creating this constant cycle of tension and release. The way this track ends with a rush of glockenspiel, harp, choir vocals, and tremolo guitars is absolutely blissful and might be my favourite moment on the record. HAQQ is pure metal with a bit of a middle eastern flair. Hunt-Hendrix really leans into the use of these digital skips and stutters but it is used in a way that creates a lot of excitement. The song fades into this album outro that is a droning, feedback heavy, guitar piece. As it goes on, the feedback gets less shrill and becomes warmer and soothing.

The final component to this album are these interludes sprinkled throughout titled EXACO. It is an opportunity for Hunt-Hendrix to explore more classical compositions. Of the three, the last one is the most compelling in my opinion. A piano plays two sections that alternate back and forth while a series of delays and modulations are applied to the piano. All these different effects come and go and the sounds can range from a rich reverb to the sound of a computer having a glitchy meltdown. Like the other interludes, it has this incredibly ominous feeling.

While I didn't love this album all the way through, I feel like I have to reiterate that the experimentation, incorporating unusual instruments (for black metal), and embracing digital aesthetics on this record is something that I truly appreciate. No genre has to stagnate and by pushing boundaries and fusing different genres together, that is where we progress and make things new and exciting again. I would love to see this genre continue to be experimented with and would be quite interested in particular to see where Liturgy goes next.