Leviathan: True Traitor True Whore – new album

Chosen by MSN Music as the metal album of the week, controversial and prolific multi-instrumentalist Wrest (Jef Whitehead) delivers what is probably one of the most introverted, claustrophobic, disturbing, maniacal, and eerily beautiful LEVIATHAN albums yet, even hinted at as being black metal's answer to early CURE or FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM. Provocatively titled ‘True Traitor True Whore’ (“Everyone’s met one by now, I’d imagine - not too cryptic,” explained the multiloquent musician in an interview he gave to Pitchfork), the album is the first LEVIATHAN album to be recorded in an actual studio (Engine Studios) with producer Sanford Parker. Released November 8th, 2011 on Profound Lore Records, download yourselves a free new track, ‘Her Circle Is The Noose’, off of the ‘True Traitor True Whore’ by this notorious U.S. black metal enigma here.

“Opening with snarling, heavy breathing that feels like the purest expression of rage possible, ‘True Whorror’ erupts into a series of movements, including jagged, atonal, hardcore-derived riffs, black metal riffing, post-punk groove, and SONIC YOUTH-style noise. Reminiscent of nascent early '80s gothic rock, ‘Her Circle Is The Noose’ is a lot more controlled, tetchy drum fills accentuating fluid guitar riffs and accents, while the haunting ‘Brought Up To The Bottom’ boasts the closest thing to a hook on the entire album, a nasty ascending riff accentuated, BURZUM-style, by a chiming, minimalist synth note. ‘Contrary Pulse’ is pure post-punk and post-rock, JOY DIVISION meshing with GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR, albeit filtered through Wrest's psychotic imagination. ‘Every Orifice Yawning Her Price’, meanwhile, gets totally weird, centering on a groovy, strangely catchy little jam not unlike late-70s CAN before descending into a mass of improvised noise. ‘Harlot Rises’ starts off sounding more extreme, but quickly descends into a second half reminiscent of LURKER OF CHALICE, complete with an inexplicable acoustic guitar riff that pops in for a few measures. Two songs from LEVIATHAN's 2002 ‘Verräter’ compilation, ‘Blood Red And True’ and ‘Shed This Skin’, are given thorough re-imaginings, and come across as more majestic than they ever sounded before,” [shows off his vast knowledge Adrien Begrand, MSN Music – more here]