We’re only at the beginning of March and thanks to Boise, Idaho’s Wolvserpent, we may already have one of the more unique and interesting metal releases this year. The list of adjectives that could be used to describe Aporia:Kāla:Ananta (Relapse Records) is absolutely endless. Ranging from haunting, beautiful, destructive, the list goes on. This album can only be described as an album that looks to fill you with utter darkness. The first emotion it will evoke however will be of curiosity. Aporia:Kāla:Ananta clocks in at just over forty minutes long, and at first glance you‘ll notice it is just one track. Yes, Aporia:Kāla:Ananta is just a forty minute song. Can we expect to see Aporia:Kāla:Ananta performed in it’s entirety on the road fairly soon?

Aporia:Kāla:Ananta starts with a build up of a looming atmospheric tension eventually being paired with a dreary violin. You feel as you’re floating through an inescapable bleakness that slowly surrounds and engulfs you. Taking the trash out late at night while enjoying Aporia:Kāla:Ananta on my iPod, I felt like I could have been on a movie set with the monster in the woods stalking it’s prey. Once Aporia:Kāla:Ananta reaches the seven minute mark, we hit a change of pace. A constant snare keeping pace, the atmosphere is building to what feels like the climax of a blockbuster. A subtle recitation of growls flowing with the marching snare and rhythmic violin leaving you mesmerized.

Like any climax all there is left after is the decent. The next few minutes have an ambience that feel like you’re falling into pure darkness. Further down the rabbit hole backing drones with light percussion and a haunting violin drag you straight down until the composition of your inner demons comes to an end. You’re then grabbed by the throat by pure despair. Funeral Doom metal at it’s finest. Dreary droning, echoing shrieks, dark ambience, this is clearly the soundtrack of your demise. The last twenty minutes continue with a droning doom. At times it feels like moments are drawn out too long but never in a negative way. Aporia:Kāla:Ananta has clearly been drawing out all emotion.

Aporia:Kāla:Ananta to me seems like an interesting album to recommend to others. You definitely need to be open-minded to appreciate the composition before you reach the Funeral / Drone / Doom Metal. The album as a whole is quite a bleak listen. Wolvserpent has essentially perfected the art of what being buried alive and eventually realizing you are doomed must sound like.

7.5/10

DEREK RIX

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