We are into the second half of 2024 and what a year it has been for new music! Even some of the reissues of older recordings coming out so far have been really good. The latest that deserves attention is the 2020 topical album about isolation and loneliness during the COVID Lockdowns, Show Me A Dinosaur’s Plantgazer (AOP Records). The Saint Petersburg post-Black Metal outfit toys with your emotions for nearly forty-five minutes. All while a “fictitious” man lives out his days in lockdown staring at his home plants, pondering about life under the new normal.

“Sunflower” kicks off Plantgazer with an almost uplifting and playful mood, just like all of us felt in those first few weeks of lockdown. The song progresses and starts to become a bit more sullen and depressive. The refrain and outro leaves some room for hope to shine through and remark that there is beauty in everything in life.

“Marsh” picks up after the initial stage of lockdown as clean guitar riffs are calm and almost soothing, but still with some fleeting melancholy. The distortion kicks in with minor chord progressions and eventually double bass as the riffs and vocals become even more sad, almost as if the man is defeated. There is chanting in the outro that is both catchy/memorable, but also giving that sense of hope again at the end of another track.

“Selva” is the height of the isolation and loneliness felt by the protagonist. Delay pedals and tremolo-picking an ominous guitar riff opens us up and feels like actual pain is being felt. This trend continues as the protagonist falls deeper and deeper into a depressive state from the isolation and the media displays the world burning to the ground.

“Unsaid I” starts off with straight-up atmospheric black metal elements: tremolo guitar riffs, blast-beating drums, and more screeching vocals to further exude pain. There are moments in this track that include clean guitars (even a solo!) which feels as if hope itself is trying to break through to the lonely man. The outro riff is a true tear-jerker as it goes from distorted to clean and our protagonist has a big break mentally and emotionally.

“Unsaid II” is a great closing, instrumental track. The progression to the big ending climax will leave you teary-eyed and with goosebumps. Perhaps the character in this story is finally going outside, back into the world, and realizing the world is not in flames.

Show Me A Dinosaur continues to put out bangers (and reissues, evidently) that bring forth all sorts of emotions as they continue to grow in the world of blackgaze/post-black metal. Plantgazer came out at the right time as we all suffered isolation, depression, loneliness, etc. It truly makes you realize the power music can have on oneself. We are not alone in this world. Take care of yourself and your loved ones.

Buy the album here:
https://showmeadinosaur.bandcamp.com/album/plantgazer

8 / 10
TIM LEDIN