One of Philly’s most promising up-and-coming venues, Underground Arts, recently played host to a fantastic avant-garde metal bill featuring touring artists Agalloch and Taurus. Now sixteen years active, Portland’s blackened experimental metallers, Agalloch are becoming more and more epic with age. The band is supporting a new single track EP, Faustian Echoes, a two-part, over 21-minute song, based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe‘s epic masterpiece Faust. Faustian Echoes was released via Agalloch‘s bandcamp page in streaming, cd, and vinyl formats in June. Faustian Echoes was recorded in a predominantly live setting at Portland’s Jackpot Studio by Billy Anderson (Melvins, Sleep, Neurosis), and mixed by Anderson and later mastered by Justin Weis (Ludicra, Hammers Of Misfortune, Worm Ouroboros) at Trakworx. During an over 2-hour performance, Agalloch played “Faustian Echoes,” the band’s longest song, in full. When describing Agalloch‘s live approach, ‘colossal’ is not an overstatement. It is easy to see why Agalloch‘s influence can be seen in many of the next-generation black metal bands, often accredited as the first to bridge the neofolk and black metal genres.
Featuring Stevie Floyd of renowned sludge duo, Dark Castle, and Ashley Spungin of stoner rock band Purple Rhinestone Eagle, relative newcomers Taurus also have a knack for epicness. Supporting a self-released, 2-song , 35-minute LP, entitled Life, Taurus take listeners to the true psychedelic end of the doom metal spectrum. Soundscapes unravel slowly on top of thick, driving drums and heavily distorted guitars. Taurus is more of a study in abstractness than than the sonic annihilation imposed by Agalloch, while conveying an equally imposing effect. Here we have two bands bands meant to be experienced live.
Senior Staff Photographer, Dante Torrieri of Useless Rebel Imaging was on hand to deliver another set of amazing photos for your veiwing pleasure.
Taurus
Agalloch
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