Buzz Sound: Agriculture

Photo by Math Erao

Artist: Agriculture, the four-piece of bassist and vocalist Leah Levinson, drummer Kern Haug, and guitarists Daniel Meyer-O’Keeffe and Richard Chowenhill

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Buzz: If Liturgy opened the gates to transcendental black metal, then Agriculture are the metaphysical extension of that concept, or as the Los Angeles band prefers to refer to it, “ecstatic black metal.” While this elicits a spiritual connection with their sound, their self-titled debut full-length, released this past summer on the heels of last year’s promising opening meditation of an extended play, The Circle Chant, invokes a mend with the energy of the natural world around us. This becomes evident in a listen such as its epiphanic opener, “The Glory of the Ocean”, in which vocalist Leah Levinson’ screams give unto the self her power to forces much greater holding this universe together, and finding a restorative sense of freedom in that act. As the album moves inward to skyward in specificity by etching tiny moments in its tidal of joyous black metal, Agriculture are defining what it is to feel more than just alive.

Sound: Black metal purified by water and light, consuming the body and spirit whole and making you ascendant over this earthly domain.

Recommended: “The Glory of the Ocean”, “Look, Pt. 3”, and “Relier” off this year’s debut full-length, Agriculture

Agriculture’s Agriculture is available now on The Flenser.