Unheeding Sun (EP)

A relatively new Norwegian project featuring Dødheimsgard bassist Lars Emil Måløy, IHXHI play a kind of black metal that is at once more and less experimental than you’d expect. This second EP from the group (after last year’s self-titled EP) consists of two long pieces, both over ten minutes, and although often closer to pretty post-rock a la Alcest at points particularly on the opening title track, is overall convincing enough in its pursuit of dark perfection that those necronauts looking for something fresh will find much to enjoy.

Finding fault here will be entirely down to taste and liking certain song sections from these lengthy and complex pieces more than others. Personally, the way that the title track toys with blackened shoegaze is less compelling than the lighter and flowery female-vocal led sections that reach for territory more shimmering and transcendental, not to mention the final, almost psychedelic section - “blackgaze” very much seems like the mainstream idea of what underground metal should be all too often nowadays, and it grows wearisome to read Pitchfork awarding some flavour of the month special status only to discover they are doing nothing that Alcest or even Lifelover didn’t do long ago!

Fortunately the second piece here In Afterglow does far better for these tastes, keeping the slightly ear-piercing shrieks but looking beyond blackgaze to something even more ethereal and even avant-garde. Here, the dominating female vocals are more whimsical and strange, particularly towards the album end where the shoegaze elements are pushed back a little more. It’s genuinely rather original, like a strange mix of Ved Buens Ende and Hail Spirit Noir, and is the kind of lengthy piece of music that reveals more on each listen, rewarding those with attentive ears and very clearly showing the talent of the band off. Sure, there will be those who argue that IHXHI are mixing styles too much and should batten down and focus a little more, yet the charm of Unheeding Sun as a whole is largely in its diversity and it’ll be fascinating to see how the band proceed to develop their sound on future releases.