The RMR crew had their share of intricate metal pieces to review that strained to make sense. So, one day this early 2023, some RMR hands peacefully rummaged about the moldy lost corners of our review pipe. Just to discover that the Spaniards of As Light Dies brutally struck again.
And I freely admit it here for the record, The Laniakea Architecture, Volume II must be one of the most challenging records this crew ever attacked. This is no album for the faint of heart – and it probably belongs into the realm of Trve Metalheads ov the Weird. Oblivion in a psychedelic parallel dimension. Welcome to avant-garde bedlam. Ready yer meds.
You already guessed it, The Laniakea Architecture, Volume II is for sure not the most accessible record of 2023. So, here’s some early advice. For anyone brave enough to power this record up, do give it a few spins before you judge. And by the miserable minions of the Jester,1 let it flow in one go. If you try to dissect this – thing, you won’t be a happy camper. It will – sadly – cease to make sense to you.
The record sounds like a crazed and insanely baroque marine version of Fleshgod Apocalypse from the afterlife with a Carach Angren-ian knack for darkly ominous storytelling. Oh, and as references go, we could go on filling all these empty spaces with an eclectic selection of bands that Garm2 somehow got involved in at some point. That’s funky, huh? We thought so, too.
And I fully buy into the tale that parts of the band are fans of Virus, the now-defunct Norwegian band. Only, on The Laniakea Architecture, this sounds like a version from the pits of the underworld. Powerful, ruthless, with the daemon trying to poke yer hairy asses with a glowing trident. You get my drift.
Somebody called As Light Dies‘ style avant-garde. But that’s just there to call it something, I reckon. The promo dude nailed it, though. The record majestically gallivants about all sorts of styles. From prog, over tech death, to truly blackened fare and post black. You’ll also be able to pick up psychedelic vibes and some ambient interludes, plus a smattering of folksy passages, metal or otherwise. In other words, this band doesn’t care what genre they play, as long as it fits their narrative. And that’s exactly how it should be.
The whole record is a multilayered challenge of often polyphonic passages on tracks that – at times – don’t deserve the length that they’ve been written on. And suddenly a choir from hell emerges out of wispy mists, running on fumes made of blastbeats from hell with the deceiver’s unctuous voice telling you stuff. Just to have the mourning voices of violin and cello brutally kick into this dialogue, distracting you from – at least – beating some sense into all this. And in all that cacophonous dissonance the piano cheekily steps in to lend its voice into the fray. And let’s not forget the stellar contribution of often gruff but sometimes suave vox of Óscar Martín aka NHT that undoubtedly adds to the somber and ominous flavor of this record. Vocals that sometimes artfully intertwine with female artists for more depth (To Finnish, for example).
Yet, astonishingly, all of that controlled bedlam roars forward on a pretty pristine production and elaborate arrangements. TLAV2‘s out-of-the-box approach to metal doesn’t lose any element in that delicious sea of confused dissonance. And that’s yet another great positive on an otherwise impressive album.
And, as I said before, this is about storytelling. So, you’ll find a number of interludes. Some spoken in polished Spanish, ambient atmospheric musings, or plain medieval tunes. This actually loads the record with some more spice and – at least – tries to give the record some added guardrails.
And already the parting shot Falling Apart in its ferocious ‘coreish Tech Death robe artfully usurps your attention. This one is a masterful tour-de-force and as subtle as a decapitation strike in wartime. The sublime groove of La Ascensión with its heavily syncopated beginning and powerful chorus probably is the filet piece of the record. And the meaty The Green with its prominent violin contribution contains the most delicious group chanting on The Laniakea Architecture. And as the B-side progresses, ever more folksy passages appear. Esus Agápē starts this off with some true medieval folk. With the follow-on tracks that get ever earthier as they progress.
So, indeed. The Laniakea Architecture, Volume II refuses to be neatly arranged in boxes. And for cause. The record’s often annoyingly complex but – at the same time – exquisitely delicious. Once you open the floodgates, you’ll discover ever more juicy little details that hide in a well-organized pandemonium of sounds and flavors. The record’s undeniable hypnotic qualities indeed fascinated us to no end. And this garnered it more spins than it probably should have ever received. And that is the proverbial proof of this here metallic pudding.
This is a record that will demand your considerable attention – and I suggest you do just that. However, if you fancy cheap thrills, head over to Arch Enemy to sate your desires. They got you covered. Everybody else, lean back and let TLAV2‘s ethereal powers flow into you.
You won’t regret it.
Ed’s note: And – drumroll – the record’s made it onto our 2023 Top Ten list. Congrats!
Record Rating: 8/10 | Label: Darkwoods | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 9 March 2023