[DOOM METAL] On its self-released debut, Usnea offered a
psychedelic nightmare of twisted riffage and effects abuse that set the
band a comfortable parsec apart from the Portland metal pack. Sophomore
albums can be nerve-wracking to compose, though, particularly for a
big-time label such as Relapse. With Random Cosmic Violence,
Usnea chose to adhere to its own formula. Four songs take just under an
hour to unravel. The members trade vocal duties, with bassist Joel
Williams providing the deep cleans of opening track "Lying in Ruin," a
paean against the folly of religion, while guitarist Justin Cory takes
the lead on "Healing Through Death" with shrieks that recall an animal
caught in a trap. From there, it's just more bleak, misanthropic metal,
tempered by a few quiet interludes and a thesaurus-worth of minimalist
gothic lyricism and hopelessness. The album's title track describes our
insignificance in appropriately cosmic terms: "Sights seen in new
dimensions/ Matter crushed to quantum beginnings/ Parties shifted,
planes upended/ At the edge you see no ending." In the end, though, this
album is a small step for Usnea, not a giant leap.
SEE IT: Usnea plays White Owl Social Club, 1305 SE 8th Ave., with Lord Dying and Cold Blue Mountain, on Saturday, Dec. 13. 8 pm. Free. 21+.
WWeek 2015