Label - Talheim Records
Release Date- 24th November 2023
Words- Joey
Cathartic. It's a phrase used often enough when making an album in any genre, not just the metal scene. Various artists describe the process as a form of release after a traumatic experience.
Well, this is the most obvious cathartic experience one will have heard of. Vocalist-guitarist Haitao Yang of Tawainese Black metal duo Laang was shot in the head during
a car-jacking gone wrong. He was declared medically dead and experienced hallucinations of an otherworld, a 'place beyond hell'. Laang was born as a consequence and used as a way of coping with such trauma. So, it's fair to say the creation of the band and all their albums is a very cathartic experience indeed.
Although described as a Black Metal band, Laang offers more than your meat and potatoes BM. Yes, there are blast beats and pained vocals but they also incorporate other styles from the metal genre. For example, 25 seconds into track 5 'Gui Xiang' is a riff which wouldn't be out of place on a KSE track. Alongside the staple BM template, you find wonderful orchestrations which add another dynamic layer to Laang's quite frankly huge sound.
The album itself explores death, unsurprisingly drawn from the traumatic experiences which Haitao encountered. You can hear the pain and torture in the vocals, and the album itself
drags you into the depths of despair. Yet, simultaneously, it happens to be a kind of out-of-body experience. On that note, a good set of headphones or sound system is essential
when listening to the album.
The third track 'Honghai' is a stomper, littered with wonderful keys and thunderous drumming to boot, with a special nod to the kick drums. This is one of the standout tracks on
the album and one could imagine this being a staple in their live set.
There are tracks such as 'Bayou' which uses rain as a metaphor for bleeding out. This should give you enough of an idea about the album's lyrical content.
But, track 6 'Yequ' is the real show-stopper. 6 mins of frantic, aural assault. This encapsulates everything to love about this band. The song is well structured and although it is
a barrage in your face, subtle breaks with keys give you a microsecond to realign your mind.
Production-wise it is clean and mixed so well that you can hear every element of the music, nothing is muddied in the mix. This works especially well with all the riffing, orchestras
and synths.
Although not directly comparable, fans of Blackbraid will find plenty of similarities in this album to gorge on.
This album is not just for BM diehards, this album has plenty of variance to appease any metal fan, from grand orchestration to galloping riffs.
Death has never sounded so good.
8/10
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