EP REVIEW: The Raging River – Cult Of Luna
There’s very few ways – if any – of describing CULT OF LUNA that don’t involve some variation on the words “consistent” or “excellent”. Over the course of their twenty-plus year career the band have been on an envious run of form, with 2004’s Salvation widely considered as their breakthrough release. Since then the post-metal troupe have only continued to impress, each album evolving their musical world another step. In the band’s own words, their latest effort The Raging River is a bridge to finish what they started with 2019’s A Dawn To Fear and their next era.
Releasing via their own newly established label Red Creek Records, The Raging River is five tracks and nearly forty minutes – arguably album length, though the band consider it to be an EP. Where many of the old guard of post-metal bands have either ceased to be or radically departed from the original template, CULT OF LUNA have stuck to their guns with tenacity and zeal, resulting in a storied career and their near single-handedly revitalising interest in a genre many were all too willing to write off as grown stale.
The Raging River is not a radical departure from this original template. What it is, however, is a stunningly well-executed slab of post-metal majesty containing an emotional core stronger than adamantium. The rage of opener Three Bridges feels less directed outward but is instead the examination of one’s own trauma, building gradually from its minimal opening to a glorious crescendo with Johannes’ now-iconic bellow. In stark contrast, there’s a melancholy to Inside of a Dream, thanks in large part to bucket list guest vocalist Mark Lanegan, who slots effortlessly into the emotional vein CULT OF LUNA are so adept at mining. It elevates the song, adding a brand new colour to the band’s sonic palette without feeling forced at all but as if it was something just waiting to be unearthed by the right voice.
The synths and gothic elements are masterfully utilised throughout, from the interplay between synth and guitar of What I Leave Behind to its understated grounding of closer Wave After Wave, broadening the soundscapes and depth of the music considerably. The band’s churning wall of sound is on full display but the band have a true knack for knowing when to pull back, using restraint rather than force such as on the minimalist moments of I Remember, where rumbling bass is accompanied only by sparse guitars and understated drumming.
Over two decades into their career and still continually outdoing themselves, The Raging River features some of the band’s finest work of their career, especially the show-stopping closer Wave After Wave which is cinematic in scope and beautiful in its bleakness. That CULT OF LUNA have released a companion piece to its predecessor that was produced separate to it rather than being offcuts, without ever growing stale or falling below expectations, is nothing short of masterful. The command over their niche and craft the band now has is phenomenal and whatever comes next, it comes from a place of true creative freedom now the band are releasing on their own label, on their own terms. The Raging River marks the beginning of a new era and if it’s anything to go by, fans of the band and post-metal are in for a treat – the band’s best may still be yet to come.
Rating: 9/10
The Raging River is set for release on February 5th via Red Creek.
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