AUN/HABSYLL "SPLIT" (Public Guilt/Conspiracy)

Amazingly successful split LP of crushing, hurtful drift. Whoever thought this pairing up is a genius because it makes perfect sense and both bands deliver amazing contributions, showcasing two sides of the same coin. This is what a split should do, in essence-you want there to be some sort of sound disparity but at the same time you want a thematic whole. So few records actually achieve such a perfect conglomeration of sonics and ideas; it's to the credit of both labels involved that they were able to craft such a gorgeous, aesthetically aligned product in the end.

Aun is an entity i've been infatuated with for quite some time; the material is hard to come by but never disappointing, leaning towards a metallic dirging tinged with power drone sensibilities. Here they turn in two tracks of extremely focused and paced sludge destruction, replete with looped quasi-disco drums and an MBV style reliance on oblique melody. The two songs here plod on and on with no real evolution but it's a gigantic chunk of carved out beauty; every thwack of the snare puts you one step closer to bludgeoned acquiescence and painful understanding. There's an empty ache contained within and a recognition of the finitude of all endeavours. While not entirely hopeless, Aun do little to advance any sort of pleasant outlook on existence, and their hazy take on banality provides a thoughtful and enigmatic vision of day to day drudgery.

Habysll go even further with their end of the split. Their debut album was one of the most painful, blackened slabs of true doom metal i've laid ears on and even though the labels describe their actions here as "no doom" it's easy to see where this band's allegiances lie. This is true fractured pain ala Khanate and Monarch!, a slow and crumbling form of doom metal cherished by few and mastered by even less. It's stop/start theatrics and glacial chord hangings strung up with totally harsh, agonized banshee-wails, a white wall of lonely static thrown against the tedium of being. Habsyll trump themselves here by turning in the most dynamic side i've heard from them; alongside the droning horrors are crusted out blastbeats and haunting keyboard atonalities disguised as interludes and never once does the motion of the track falter. It's a 20 minute wreck hurtling towards oblivion but it's 100% controlled and planned. Habsyll want to THROW you over the edge.

These two bands make perfect sense together. Taken as a whole this is a mesmerizing cut of wax, an ode to the endless march and the constant reduction of personality. Totally numbing and ultra-loud, it may as well be a trumpet signifying the coming end. Doom indeed...this split is the sound of absolute disregard. No future!