Band/Artist: Panopticon
Song: ...Speaking
Album: Panopticon
Style: Atmospheric Black Metal
country/location: Louisville, Kentucky, US
release: 2008
So here in Massachusetts we've been getting quite a bit of snowfall and grim black metal like conditions. Perfect weather for this song of the day! Well at least it was perfect weather for this song of the day. Again, I'm a lazy and busy bum!
Just from the initial description, I bet some of you are like "hmm, an atmospheric black metal band from Kentucky? That's a bit different." If I told you that Panopticon's lyrical themes were anarchist in nature with some vegan and pagan tendencies, I bet you'd be like "Woah!" Ok maybe not, but I know I was a little surprised by the thought of an anarchist vegan black metal band from Kentucky. I was even more surprised at how amazing this band was.
Panopticon is a new atmospheric black metal band that combines a lot of different elements into a sound that is unique but at the same time traditional. No song on their incredible debut album is completely the same, yet they still keep to the same feel. Some songs are pure black metal masterpieces while others are more introspective and emotional. This song is one of their more melodic and "emotional" sounding pieces. The introductory tremolo guitars here are highly reverbed and clean sounding, slowly and emotionally lulling you into a sorta dark calm. Very comforting and yet haunting, with little drum crashes here and there. About 3 minutes in, this builds up into an explosion of unrelenting pounding almost-blast beat drums that just continues for seemingly forever. All the while the melodic reverbed tremolo guitars continue to sooth you, with just a touch of black metal guitars oh so subtley in the background. Eventually the raspy black metal vocals come into the melodic and extreme fray, but not overwhelming all the other elements but not totally in the back. The drumming is so mechanical and constant that even when there are slight variations or breaks, the intensity stays. It's incredibly beautiful and kinda excruciating all at the same time. When I first heard this song I was both entranced by the melodies (and I'm a sucker for reverbed guitar), but at the same time the drums were so intense that I could barely listen to it. It was amazing. I can tell you that this album is definitely in my Top albums of 2008.
(warning: the track may or may not be fully uploaded. I believe it is, if it's not let me know!)
Panopticon - ...Speaking
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