Long Islanders False Gods emerged in 2015 from the ashes of the well-regarded Skeletondealer! Prior releases include a trio of EP’s: 2016’s Wasteland; 2017’s Reports From Oblivion; and 2019’s The Serpent And The Ladde. Twenty-twenty’s full-length debut No Symmetry…Only Disillusion followed soon after, as did 2022’s Neurotopia and finally a 2023 split with Japan’s Abiuro.
The band have quite a pedigree to their name with tours including the likes of Will Haven, Crowbar and Bongzilla; currently they are accompanying NOLA Sludge legends Eyehategod.
Lost In Darkness And Distance, their latest album, promises to reach “into deeper shadows, sonically, emotionally, and philosophically, than ever before,” which along with the band’s trademark punishing sound promises to be a heavy release in more ways than one.
“Voice Of Treason” mixes apocalyptic Killing Joke Post-Punk and the ultra heavy Sludge of the aforementioned Crowbar. Interestingly, there are traces of Die Kreuzen‘s underappreciated and pioneering Post-Hardcore/Proto-Grunge sound (October File era), particularly the shrieked vocals of that band’s Dan Kubinski. All these elements produce an intoxicating and multifaceted blend, which is exactly what this opener is. “Straw Dog” starts off with a moody intro a la early Cure while there are some shades of heavy and crunching Gothic Metal not overly dissimilar to Type O Negative, albeit minus Pete Steele’s bone-dry sense of humour.
The track seems to also incorporate the more expansive and drawn out strains of Post-Metal but in a manner which doesn’t leave you stupefied with boredom, think more latter-day Godflesh than Isis. A pretty impressive feat. Speaking of Post-Metal, “Enemy That Never Was,” the album’s longest piece at 8:24, recalls the much missed Neurosis, especially works such as Souls At Zero, which saw that band also branching out their sound away from their Crust-Punk/Hardcore roots while maintaining that same ethos. It’s this same path that False Gods are treading, to their eternal credit.
“Imposter” in tone and feel may bring to mind Metallica’s “The Unforgiven,” the start of James Hetfield‘s journey into self-exploration (along with the rest of the Black Album). The difference being that there’s less commercial appeal and less likelihood of say, soccer moms singing along to easily digestible choruses. An example of how the Gods have managed to navigate that tricky crossroads of embracing musical growth without incurring accusations of selling out, superb. “Suffering In A Strange Land” occupies a similar space to hypnotic Psychedelic-inspired Drone outfits as Om, Yob and Italians Ufomammut. This is certainly quite a step from the band who previously brought us “Stay Frosty” yet one that feels entirely logical. Meanwhile, “Worldless” ups the tempo significantly with speeds that demonstrate the band hasn’t totally abandoned the harsher sounds of yesteryear.
This will doubtlessly please older school fans of the quartet, a kickass number, make no mistake. The second longest track on the album at 8:15, “Death Is Listening” is an exhilarating, Prog-flavoured beast which reflects Stack’s own reflections and fears on mortality. “I still can’t decide if I’m anxiously awaiting death or deathly afraid of it.” A perfectly apt conclusion for what has been a truly cathartic experience.
In an age of short attention spans, Lost In Darkness And Distance will not appeal to those with a lust for quick fixes and cheap thrills. The track lengths, their relentlessly downbeat nature and the incorporation of multiple genres make this a challenging yet ultimately enjoyable listen.
Buy the album here:
https://falsegods1.bandcamp.com/album/lost-in-darkness-and-distance
8 / 10
REZA MILLS
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