I became mildly fascinated by Liturgy despite missing them at Big Ears (I was on the other side of Knoxville when their set began). While I obtained 93696 shortly thereafter, I have been holding off on reviewing it for months. Why? The album is…difficult.
Difficulty is not a characteristic that disqualifies music for me – indeed it often achieves the opposite. But 93696 is simultaneously brilliant, jarring, beautiful, and just plain hard to absorb. I try not to throw around the word “unique” too frequently, but that term works as well.
Led by vocalist / guitarist / keyboardist Hunter Ravenna Hunt-Hendrix, 93696 has its own underlying mysticism, an esoteric raison d’etre of sorts. I have yet to dig that deep, as there is so much going on in the music itself. Ultimately, Liturgy can be described by putting various combinations of the adjectives technical, death, prog, experimental, extreme, and chamber in front of the word “metal”. If your ears don’t agree, just wait a few minutes.
In between shorter choral pieces and keyboard or flute interludes are relentlessly fast-paced offerings with multitracked speed-picking, start-stop time changes, short loops, and occasionally nods to classicism. The compositions and execution are tight, even if they are slightly muddy in the mix.
Hunt-Hendrix’s vocals are guttural howls that do not vary much throughout the album’s 80-minute length. This likely will be a make-or-break factor for many listeners, as one can easily get worn out with their unyielding and overwhelming nature.
Having said that, a lot is going on musically with 93696. Multiple listens are required to unpack it, perhaps dozens or more. This is where the album exhibits a dark charm – despite all of its harshness and tendency to be tiring, Hunt-Hendrix’s creation keeps drawing you in. Every few weeks I feel compelled to put it on and each time my appreciation (if not my understanding) grows.
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