Latitudes is a band that mixes a lot of heavy music influences into a sonically engaging post-metal heavy music dreamscape. I am only recently acquainted with this band, having first encountered them about four years ago. A UK act, they have been around since 2006 and as per their experimental bent, their music continues to evolve. They perform a compelling mix of progressive, doom, and black metal with a twist of hardcore into the mix. The vocals can range from soaring and ethereal to hardcore style screaming. I love the juxtaposition of harmonic sound and cacophonous brutality.
The Agonist, a 2009 full album really showcases their range. The opening track, Myth Cathexis starts out bombastic and is followed up by the more harmonious Antechamber. Fluxes of the Womb, the third track is almost shoegaze-like at the beginning, but ascends into a more resonant and robust sound. Steppe & Veld and Braille are driving instrumental pieces that hold the centre of the album very well. Hunting Dance goes back into a very dreamy and soaring style and the album is rounded out by the title track, the Agonist – which has the feel of closure to it, nicely closing out the album.
Overall, Latitudes does an impressive job of maintaining a consistently compelling sound for the entirety of the album. Each song is well crafted and the flow of one song into the next is well done, I find that album-oriented rock these days can be a bit of a lost art. Often times it seems that albums are a collection of songs, rather than a progression along a sonic journey. Latitudes does well to take the listener on a sonic journey without a sidetrack or mis-step in the bunch. If you like well-crafted, somewhat ethereal/dreamy post-metal tunes, then Latitudes Agonist is worth adding to your collection. Check them out on Bandcamp here: https://latitudesuk.bandcamp.com/album/agonist
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