I don’t know what there is upon which to capitalize in the drone/ambient genre, but Lustmord does pretty well for himself, this being a recent cap on his 25 plus year history in new album [Other]. I’ve personally never been much for the genre, but after taking the bait on one of the genre’s most influential songwriters, I can definitely see the appeal.

Lustmord is a simple, brooding creature aiming for those that like to read between the lines in his songs. I can guess that much, because if you were to look at the songs on [Other] in a more theoretical fashion, there wouldn’t be much to look at. Deep, bass-heavy swoons like the churning bowels of a forgotten god are the pieces by which you’d be deciding favor in Lustmord. I’m a patient listener, and between decidedly cold, detached synth-choruses in “Ash,” the doomiest of doom guitar strumming in “Dark Awakening,” and the howling winds in “Er Ub Us,” I can tell this isn’t my normal cup of tea, but it’s certainly effective at conveying the chilling darkness at Lustmord’s core. On more than one occasion, I could picture this album for use in the soundtrack for a horror movie or video game. As long as fog is in heavy supply, [Other]’s effectiveness will cease to wane.

However, like I said, I’m a patient listener. Lustmord is NOT for everybody. I could see the Sunn 0))) kids gunning for a record like this in a heartbeat, keeping it around as the soundtrack to death by whispers. Alternatively, I don’t see how anyone who’s into music with the intent of finding melody would pursue this album with unwavering enthusiasm. Some may not have the stomach for it. I mean, this is really, really dense stuff, and so inconsiderate of theory that it’s further unnerving when you take into account that this album is so…calm. And it’s effective because [Other] is so natural and monolithic. The 23-minute long “Godeater” is a joyless voyage into the abyss, but capable of evoking such palpable emotion and atmosphere.

[Other] will probably not swoon the masses like I wish it would, but its entrancing nature will certainly spark interest in those with mild admiration for drone. Lustmord frightens me and chills my heart, but the beautiful part about this genre is its openness to interpretation (though any subsequent interpretation of [Other] as “sunshine and happy smiles” is an indubitably wrong interpretation). I recommend this to anyone willing to sacrifice high definition for a musical experience perhaps all your own.

[Visit the band's website]

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