Yautja - Songs of Lament (2015)

Prodigious craftsmen of song and verse Yautja announced two weeks ago that a new album was on the way, streaming the opening track of what seemed like an advanced successor to their previous record, Songs of Descent. This masterwork will make whatever you were listening to previously sound brutishly rudimentary by comparison - because, after all, raising the bar is what Yautja does best.

Artwork: Anderson of Tapes of a Neon God designed and released the cassette version of Songs of Descent. Given full reign over the visual aspects of this record, Anderson has taken Yautja's already shattering presence even deeper into unsettlingly beautiful territory.

Nashville, TN's Yautja have returned from Songs of Descent with what seems to be a follow-up EP titled Songs of Lament. This record tops the impossibly high standards set by ...Descent in 2013 by every measure and is an absolute jaw-dropper of an album. I drove two and a half hours to see Yautja last week, bought this tape, and played it on repeat the entire way home.

Structure: The song titles' format would hint at an A-B-A-B... sequence to the track list, but after many listens, I can't find that type of rhythm. Songs of Lament seems to be seven songs strung together in several ways, namely, effects and noise that are consistent with the tonal quality of the songs. This EP stands with its foot on the boundary of "LP" without crossing it.

 

Sound: This record opens with Shibby Poole's guitar establishing the opening passage with a tone that somehow sounds even clearer, thicker and more razor-sharp than on Songs of Descent. The production here captures the animal aggression of Yautja, keeping it loosely leashed while allowing it to writhe and thrive in its environment. Every passage that goes by demands the listener's attention. Riff upon riff upon oddly syncopated beat upon melodic butchery of key signature - Yautja's only rule seems to be that they abide by no rules. These songs break all barriers of normalcy like they never existed, and thus stand as something truly great. 10/10, buy it HERE before scrolling any further.

For Fans Of: Neurosis, Gaza, Rush

Favorite Track: Crumbling

1. Breed Regret
2. Thankful; Appalled
3. Of Lament
4. Revel; Writhe
5. For Naught
6. Disgust; Disguise
7. Crumbling

Rating: 10 / 10 

Merch: (tape) Tapes of a Neon God // (LP preorder) Forcefield Records
Listen: Bandcamp
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