How I missed this is beyond me. I am a fan of The Psyke Project and I knew that LLNN was formed by a few guys from The Psyke Project. I can not explain how Unmaker is the first LLNN album I heard. Not only is it LLNN’s third album, also it has been out for the world to hear since early autumn. On Pelagic Records too, a label I follow because of it’s high quality standard. And yet, like some sort of Houdini act, this band and this release managed to escape my attention. No more! I’ve got my eye on them now!
So, this has something to do with The Psyke Project? Yes, it does! It is definitely not a continuation though. LLNN plays a style that is difficult to describe. Is it post-metal? I would say yes, but without the long build-ups I associate with that style. Is it post-hardcore? Yeah, it has some characteristics I associate with that style too, but it is much too heavy to really fit that bill. Their bandcamp tags tell me it’s hardcore and sludge and synths. These are all as correct and not precisely fitting as the two tags I threw into this review.
The synth part is the biggest difference with The Psyke Project. Where the riffs are very recognisable, these added layers of synths give them a whole different feeling. The riffs are minimalistic and big at the same time. They are very dense in nature, crushing and almost suffocating. They are very focussed on rhythm and not so much on melody. Combine these riffs with the occasional synth and the result is something that can be used on a sci-fi soundtrack when picturing the vacuum of space. It is endless, it is cold and it is crushing you. There is no escape. The danger of playing riffs this heavy is to create a record that is so dense it becomes tiring after some time. LLNN avoids this trap by giving you some space to breathe every once in a while. “Tethers” is a prime example of how they play with dynamics in a song.
The drums and bass play a very important role too. These are very much focussed on offering the right support for those crushing riffs. Both are rather minimalistic. Not a note too much is played. Over all of this is the pure vitriol spewed by the singer. The production of music like this is very important. With the wrong production the whole sound falls apart like a house of cards in a storm. Here, it is just right. The guitar sounds as if the player has found an amplifier that can be turned up to eleven and is not afraid to do so. All instruments have enough space to breathe in the mix; everything can be heard, including the bass guitar, an instrument that is too often buried somewhere in the mix.
A small smudge on this record is the song “Vakuum”. This interlude that exists of some spacey sounds is just boring. It breaks the flow of the record. Especially as it is the fourth track of this record.
I would like to recommend everyone to check this out. I do understand that this might be too harsh on some ears. If you have some tolerance to harsh music, give this band a go. Now, if you'll excuse me, I am off discovering the back catalogue of this band!
