VERTIKAL

An album loosely based on Fritz Lang's science-fiction classic 'Metropolis'. It's a dark, brooding, heavy and synthesizer-laden epic. Yes, it's just another post-metal album, but it's in a style I've not quite heard before; certain parts wouldn't sound out of place in a Nine Inch Nails album, others Godspeed You! Black Emperor, then the slow-burning epic riffs that Cult of Luna have become known for. But what's most original about an album of this genre, is it's use of synthesizers; the closest I can compare it to is Klaus Schulze or Tangerine Dream.

I've always found post-metal albums a little hard to digest. The way they interchange from instrumental/post rock to sludge metal often means I struggle to find a 'mood' that can accompany the music. However, Vertikal is almost all I've played for the past few days. In between the mostly 8-to-20 minute songs I find myself involuntarily and almost hypnotically swaying my head. The way they've managed to portray this dystopian soundscape in each and every song, truly is, something very special.

In my eyes, or by my ears, this is the best Cult of Luna album to date, and perhaps even the best post-metal album that I've ever heard. 5 stars out of 5.

7/10

Pixillated Sludge Metal That Still Rocks.

At their sixth album, Cult Of Luna once again keep their roots solidly untouched, experimenting more with sound and exploring new sonic territories they'd yet to venture in. 'Vertikal' hasn't pleased all fans because of these reasons, or because it's been thought that these new ideas haven't been developed in a better way. Opinions vary, but in my eyes this is one of the better albums by the Swedish band, and it's good to see that experimentation in Metal bands today is still very embraced.

On this new album, Cult Of Luna take a step forward especially with the sonic decorations, these bursts of electronic layering that in the past were present, excellent, but not essential, are now pretty prominent, and sound quite different as well: the rough production creates these razor-sharp synth pulses that come and go throughout the album, some of them are not at all accompaniments and play a major, if not completely essential role for a track. This peculiarly rough production compliments also the crushing guitars, here more crushing than any other Cult Of Luna LP so far, and that is saying a lot.

But Cult Of Luna have not distanced themselves from their original style enough to not sound like Cult Of Luna: the riffs are overall crafted in the same fashion as their previous compositions, and anyone who has heard their previous work can confirm.

As for the album itself: it's an album that at first feels a little generic and familiar, but with further listens, it reveals a sophistication that was heard only on the band's better albums. Every song has its unique role, and they all do the job done well, some times, excellently. 'I, The Weapon' and 'Synchronicity' are the catchiest and at the same time better structured songs, in spite of the eighteen minute monster 'Vicarious Redemption', which is nicely arranged and structured but doesn't quite justify its length. 'Mute Departure' has nice, heavy moments, 'The Sweep' is an interesting divisive interlude of the album and 'Passing Through' closes everything quite well, a calm, tense piece that ends it all with a suspended note.

'Vertical' is the living proof that Cult Of Luna have not stepped down their game just yet, and are willing meander into new paths and directions, sounding a whole lot more interesting than many Sludge Metal bands today, who merely model a sound that is perhaps too familiar nowadays.

It's been five years since Cult of Luna published his latest album. Five years is enough time to create expectations (false or not) and feed hope (false or not). But the fact is that Vertikal is an outstanding album for any lover of the genre. There's nothing new in here really, but Cult of Luna want to take a further step and venture into unknown territories for them. At least we get an album that sounds fresh and mature.

I didn't want to talk about any song in particular, but hell, Vicarious Redemption is terrifying (in the good sense of the word). I really like how these guys construct that monster. The first part reminds me a funeral jazz sound.

So yes, a fantastic album. Maybe you have to be in the right mood to digest it, but if you are it is a great experience.

The three Cult of Luna albums I'd heard preceding this - the run from Salvation to Eternal Highway - had all presented enjoyable post-metal soundscapes, but I'd always felt that there was the potential for them to raise the bar a little, and on Vertikal they had just done that. Juxtaposing their trademark sludge metal-derived rants with bleak instrumental passages which really capture the bleak, monochrome sound the band are going for. It particularly comes together on the epic Vicarious Redemption, which comes into slow, juddering life like an engine firing up and doesn't let go once it gets rolling. In short, it's Cult of Luna's best yet.

After the schizophrenic stream of consciousness demonstrated at Eternal Kingdom, Swedish post-metalists from Cult of Luna turn to the abstract elevation and move further away from sludge component, replacing it with abundant electronics inlays, which, by the way, open even more and even larger spaces, as if the listener put in place of the lyrical hero of Mute Departure. In general, post-metal is a genre in which you need to perfectly play intonations, and Cult of Luna always succeeds in doing it great, although, it would seem, the entire field of the genre was plowed almost 10 years ago, when the ball ruled by a well-known group with a forbidden name (in Russia at least).

Yet not burdened by talent, Cult of Luna somehow miraculously still shows the power of post-metal, and they can create truly mesmerizing things with its extraterrestrial beauty in such a chimerical genre, whether it's a psychedelic and powerful I: The Weapon, epic in every sense Vicarious Redemption or piercing Mute Departure. There is a place on the album for more classic CoL things, such as Synchronicity and In Awe Of, well, where without electronic interludes.

Vertikal shows that Swedish adherents are still great masters in creating monuments of their genre, monuments that grow different muscles and which function in a completely magical way. Whether it's the chemistry developed over a long time between the participants, or it's just a huge talent, multiplied by the expedibility of the material on the album (based, as you all know, on the masterpiece of German cinema of the 20s called "Metropolis"), verdict remains simple: a magnificent sample of the '10 post-metal and one of the best albums made by Cult of Luna.