Cult Of Luna

Cult of Luna so want to be Isis, or vintage Neurosis, that a restraining order should be filed against this six-piece from Sweden. The funny thing is, they may have done it. Of course, it helps to alleviate your stalker cred when Isis mastermind Aaron Turner releases your seven-inch on his label, Hydra Head, and the band signs to Earache, but even after multiple listens of The Beyond¸ it’s impossible not to wonder if you’re listening to the lost Isis album between Celestial and Oceanic. Of course, one thing the Cult has going for them is the skill, precision and opaque heaviness with which they unleash The Beyond. The overwhelming dense riffs that crash over you like the most aggressive tidal waves, the cycling, repetitive structures that relentlessly bludgeon until you submit, the clean, melodic moments of tranquillity that break up the unholy buffeting, allowing the listener to quickly grab a breath before being forced under, it’s all here and it all sounds excellent. The irony that Cult of Luna are tagged as Isis imitators when for the longest time Isis was tagged as Neurosis imitators is not lost either. Garnering a bizarre amount of hype, probably because they are Swedish (stupid rock revival), The Beyond will satisfy, at least until the next Isis record.