Lento - Anxiety Despair Languish

Full Length, Denovali

October 26, 2012

Genre: Atmospheric Sludge / Post - Metal / Black Metal / Gothic

Region: Italy

Icon was one of my favourite albums of 2011. It's a beautifully warm album unlike any other, a huge improvement over their previous release Earthen. I was surprised to hear Lento would be able to release another album in 2012 and what a release it is. 

Anxiety Despair Languish is a tough album to dissect. Lento seemingly got together and asked themselves "how do we get heavier than Icon?" They somehow managed to not only get heavier, but more complex, dynamic, and more interesting than ever before.  Anxiety Despair Languish is without a doubt Lento's masterpiece. 

Recorded live off the floor, Anxiety Despair Languish is an absolute sonic assault of pure evil. While Icon was a warm blanket of chugs and low-end, Anxiety Despair Languish has a harsher sound overall, and is filled to the brim with gorgeous, ghostly synth and spaced-out atmospherics. 

Anxiety Despair Languish is an overwhelming listen. I sometimes wished it would just slow down and allow me to take everything in, but before you know it, Lento have moved on to their next surprise. I'm still as baffled when I listen to it now as I was the first time I heard it. The synths alone on this album are enough to put a huge smile on anyone's face. I just can't get enough of those fucking synths. 

A few of the jams wouldn't be out of place on a Russian Circles album. There were times I swore I could hear Brian Cook's style of bass playing, The Roof and A Necessary Leap being a good examples. The way they play with time signatures on A Necessary Leap is ridiculously awesome. 

I highly recommend giving this album a listen. If you dig instrumental metal at all, there's a good chance you'll be blown away by the variety and complexity that Anxiety Despair Languish has to offer. I can't imagine what Lento will do next.

DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)