Horrors
Self-Released, 2022
8/10
The brainchild of the guitarist and singer Michael Wright, as Luminous Beings he balances both abrasive bouts and delicate moments, where a cinematic backdrop and calculated noise make for this very exciting debut album.
“The Watchmaker’s Son” opens the listen with thundering drums and a driving, ominous quality that blends post-punk and metal as hazy vocals enter the dreamy but volatile climate, and “Life-Giver” continues the formula with shimmering post-rock ideas amid the thick bouts of post-hardcore.
“Bodies” lands in the middle and brings much textured beauty to the affair with slow buzzing synth that builds into a firm display of post-metal, while “Serenity” is just that, a quick moment of cascading waves of warmth that are meditative.
“Ouroboros” and “Ednew” exit the listen, where the former meshes power and melody superbly, and the latter showcases an impressive range vocally as a cathartic presence makes an indelible impression.
Wright wrote and performed this entire record, and while similarities to Deftones, Sparta or Far won’t go unnoticed, he’s certainly carving out his own path, and it is one that should be of particular interest to the post-metal/punk/hardcore crowd.
Travels well with: Little King- Amuse D Q; Dewey Defeats Truman- The Way You Shatter