ALBUM REVIEW: 93696 – Liturgy
Since LITURGY was founded by Haela Ravenna Hunt-Hendrix in 2003, the experimental rock collective has been in a constant state of flux and evolution. What started as a Brooklyn DIY solo project introduced black metal into their sound on sophomore album Aesthetica, dance and trap into their 2015 follow-up The Ark Work, and a philosophical lecture series to go with 2019’s H.A.Q.Q., before releasing an opera that accompanied a film by Hunt-Hendrix in 2020. On 93696, Hunt-Hendrix – joined by guitarist Mario Miron, bassist Tia Vincent-Clark and drummer Leo Didkovsky – pushes the envelope once more with a double album all about “religion, cosmic love, the feminine and metamorphosis”.
With such a weighty central subject, 93696 – a title “derived from the religions of Christianity and Thelema, a numerological representation of heaven, or a new eon for civilization” – is split into chapters that each represent a tenet of Hunt-Hendrix’s own interpretation of a higher kingdom, which she calls ‘Haelegen’ . The first chapter is a foreword that sets the scene for everything that comes after; Daily Bread raises the curtain on this grand performance as an instrumental that consists of choral vocals, glockenspiel and trap beats. If that combination seems jarring on paper, then buckle in, because we’re just getting started.
Djennaration follows, sounding like LIZZO guesting on an episode of The Magic Roundabout all about the Norwegian church burnings of the 1990s. There’s a spectacular dissonance borne of the pulsing guitar riffs interwoven with jaunty flute and it really stops you in your tracks, not least so you can try and figure out what the bloody hell is going on. Hunt-Hendrix’s ferocious vocals are barked spasmodically on top of it all, evoking everyone from CONVERGE’s Jacob Bannon to ROLO TOMASSI’s Eva Spence. Things slow down a bit heading into Caela and just as it settles into a rhythm, it all gets shoulder-checked off the rails by a cataclysmic deluge of drumming from Didkovsky and Hunt-Hendrix’s primal roars, sending Miron’s evocative guitar work into screeching, squealing feedback and high notes.
As if the content of 93696 doesn’t seem challenging and inaccessible enough already, LITURGY have put out a whopping 80 minutes of it spread over 15 tracks. It’s a big ask – their longest record to date, in fact – but by this point, fans of the band should know what they’re getting themselves into and newcomers have plenty of old material to refer to to see that this is nothing out of the ordinary. It also gives enough space to the many elements and instruments that make up 93696; the list includes trombone, vibraphone, pianos of the Toy, Rhodes and Wurlitzer varieties, Marxophone and ocarina. The result is a varied and surprising mix of black metal, post-punk, post-metal, trap and opera, with each track representing a new potent melting pot of characteristics.
And yet, LITURGY have managed to make it all make sense. It’s not a constantly swirling maelstrom of madness, as 93696 is punctuated with atmospheric instrumental interludes. Ranging from the delicate and serene to the orchestral and ethereal, many of these represent those tenets of ‘Haelegen’ we mentioned earlier: Angel Of Sovereignty, Angel Of Hierarchy, Angel Of Emancipation and Angel Of Individuation bookmark the chapters that each consist of one or two songs apiece. While some chapters, such as Hierarchy, consist of only instrumental tracks, others bear far richer and urgent fruit. Emancipation, for example, brings Ananon and the title track together in an apocalyptically heavy one-two that disseminates all of their myriad influence and direction across 20 ever-moving minutes that you will feel compelled to return to time and time again. Each time, you will notice something different too, making 93696 a living, growing beast of its own.
Shout out too to the production of 93696 which is crisp and clean while still maintaining all the muddiness and raucousness that makes LITURGY such a unique project. Every member and instrument is given equal room to breathe and flex; this truly feels like the work of a collective rather than a straight-shot four-person band. Even the runtime of this album does not feel that long, because there is a fleet-footedness about it all that means it never stagnates, even with all their trademark repetition and glitchy effects scattered throughout. It’s a true work of genius on all levels, from the composition of Hunt-Hendrix to the recording of Steve Albini (SUNN O))), THOU, SHELLAC) and the mixing of Seth Manchester (FULL OF HELL, LINGUA IGNOTA, SUNDOWNING).
In short, 93696 won’t be for everyone. Hell, even if you are a fan of experimental black metal, this may not gel for you. At least not right away. But when it does start to make sense, LITURGY have produced an absolute gem here. While Hunt-Hendrix’s core message and theology may require a degree or two to unpick and digest, the musical output of her band speaks for itself. Give this the time it deserves and you will be handsomely rewarded.
Rating: 8/10
93696 is set for release on March 24th via Thrill Jockey.
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