Caïna - Temporary Antennae [Profound Lore Records - 2008]After last years superb post black metal masterwork Mourner Temporary Antennae see’s one man project Caïna pushing the envelope further to breed an album that is still just linked to blacked metal but drifts effortless into post rock, 80’s shoegazing and gloomy pop , folk and all manner of sonic genre. All to build an album that is shiver inducingly great managing to be epic and personal, noisy and harmonic. Really every track here is perfectly conceived, recorded and executed with the song tones effortless building, dropping and simmering. Through some of more bludgeoning aggressive surges have been ironed out, which may disappoint some there are still a few intense and angered runs present, but really I think too much would have taken away from the albums complex emotional mix. Highlights are hellishly difficult to chose, but a few come in the form of; Ten Went Up River which starts with an urgent blacked metal meets 80’s indie guitar riff and emotional post-rock piano wall of sound. As the track goes it dips into poignant & stripped guitar harmonics, folky blacked country strums and expansive post rock. The cold blackled metal Thorn like guitar stabs of Tobacco Beetle which dips into sinister and expansive 80’s guitar wonderings with vocals eerie and emotional panning around you. Or the Larval Door with hand clapping like 80’s drum machine opening and cure like harmonic guitar scaping which all boils up into breath taking post-rock expanse. Really I could write on and on about each and every track here. An album that needs and deservers to be celebrated and cherished way beyond the Black metal and post black metal scene. Really and truly if you enjoy post-rock or any kind of creative and emotional tinged guitar based music you need this. unmissble in every sense. Roger Batty
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