Liturgy - Renihilation (2009, 20 Buck Spin Records) and Transcendental Black Metal (2010, Hunter Hunt-Hendrix self published)
"One could propose a new meaning for black metal along with a new array of techniques to activate that meaning. The meaning of Transcendental Black Metal is Affirmation, and its new technique is the Burst Beat." The term "mission statement" is often used in music journalism and music critique in an oblique, nonliteral way; songs and albums become "mission statements" after the fact by showcasing the absolute essence of an artist and what goals they want to achieve. Liturgy has a literal one - a manifesto entitled "Transcendental Black Metal" penned by band leader Hunter Hunt-Hendrix in 2010 and published a few months before the release of their second album Aesthetica. I've described Liturgy as the most exciting band in the world right now on this blog because I don't know who else in history that paragraph could describe. Liturgy exists at an intersection of black metal, math rock, horrorcore, and opera in way that alienates audiences of...