Experimental death drone for fans of Sunn O)))
Throughout time, music has continued to get more and more extreme and obscure. The blues, jazz and rock were all hailed as nothing but deafening noise when they first emerged into the music world; Black Sabbath is a prime example. But when we look back at that music now, it is considered to be tame in comparison to today's music tastes. And now bands like Sunn O))), Boris and even the relatively unknown Vverevvolf Grehv are creating a similar stirring in the metal world with their barrage of doom ridden, experimental drone.
Dapose is the mastermind behind the one man experimental death drone band Vverevvolf Grehv, who hails from the desert isolation of Omaha, Nebraska, which has no doubt has had an influence on his new album The Zombie Aesthetic. Following in the footsteps of genre pioneers Sunn O))), the music is often difficult to comprehend, as rhythm is scarce, and the drums and guitars often go off on different tangents completely. The black metal inspired vocals are about as experimental as the music, but they are definitely the strong point of the album, and without them the music might be just a little bit tedious and unbearable for all but the most die hard drone fans.
Over Active Appreciation is the highlight of the album for me, and it was a breath of fresh air as there was a sense of rhythm and structure present that made it almost sound like a standard black metal song, but the experimental elements are still strong enough to make it interesting and to keep it from being alienated from the other tracks on the album.
The Zombie Aesthetic won't be seen on the charts anytime soon, and all but a cult few will block their ears with disgust on their faces. But who knows, maybe they're just ahead of their time, and in 20 years they will be doing world tours and playing in front of stadiums of thousands. You either get it or you don't.
(Relapse Records/Riot! Entertainment)
