ALBUM REVIEW: Lovers In Wartime – Lotus Thrones

For many musicians, 2020 allowed time to venture down a musical rabbit hole that previously had been left unexplored. The innovations in home studios and technology has made this far easier, and now many solo projects are record entirely in the musician’s bedrooms. For Philidelphia based musician Heath Rave, 2020 gave him the chance to start LOTUS THRONES, making suitably dark music for a suitably dark time. 

As a record, Lovers In Wartime pulls from a myriad of different influences. One can imagine Rave thumbing through his record collection, trying to figure out the core sound of this project is a subtle blend of industrial, goth and post-metal, which varies greatly in it’s level of dynamics and tone. Opening number Precipice evokes it’s own title, sounding cavernous in it’s sonic story telling, with down tuned guitars slapping the listener into a downtrodden reverie. Fatigue moves forward with a sinister intent, with the drum pattern evoking a sense of ritual, yet also a sense of industrial lethargy, before giving way to the atmospherics of Lovers, which features some excellent use of extended techniques on the saxophone.

After all this brooding, it is time to shake off the tension with a borderline goth banger, in the form of the Quarry, which will get those at the back in the fishnets and leather dancing. The return of the atmospheric saxophone is a perfect contrast to the previous barrage of stomping energy, which Liberate does perfectly, building on the themes at musical textures of the previous instrumental, before the dancing goths return for the shoegaze influenced Diametric Retrograde. The centrepiece of the record, I and I Survive rattles and roles during it’s six minute run time, evoking an true sense of uncertainty, before proceedings are rounded off with another upbeat number in the form of 1000 Suns.

As a bedroom project, this is an interesting and engaging album, which has enough contrast in it’s songs to be truly engaging. For those feeling broody and dark, there is plenty of atmospheric writing to get lost in, but when those moments of seething tension are over, it is time for a dance to the more upbeat numbers. Fans of the clubnight Slimelight pay attention.

Rating: 7/10

Lovers In Wartime is out now via Disorder Recordings.

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