Agriculture have been developing quite the name for themselves since lading on the scene with their 2022 debut EP, The Circle Chant. Using black metal as the emotionally raw and cathartic foundation, the band showed a unique take on the modern blackgaze style that has become prevalent; drawing influences from bluegrass and folk as well as ambient, noise and post-metal touches. Their self-titled full length effort in 2023 was a critical darling, furthering honing in on their unique melodic sensibilities and again doubling down with their 2024 EP Living Is Easy, pushing the boundaries even further. Through relentless touring and open, honest collaboration, further evolving and pulling new influences, Agriculture have slowly sculpted their next vision of ecstatic black metal in the form of second album The Spiritual Sound.
The album makes for a distinctive fusion of two halves. The first locks into unbridled fury and explorations more firmly planted in the band’s black metal side, whereas the second half is a slower burn, deeper explorations of textures and more ambient and experimental moments. From the opening moments of first track ‘My Garden’, The Spiritual Sound is already in full demand of your attention and Agriculture are going straight for the jugular. A four count summons a flurry of churning metal fury, feeling inspired by Wiegedood’s nauseating instrumental intensity, vicious howls carry through the relentless assault as the track morphs. It sinks into a neck-whipping half-time chug before falling into an ambient bridge, a moment of spiritual ecstasy amongst the chaos that is welcomed back in harrowing fashion, rinse and repeat for the five-minute run for a breathtaking opener.
‘Flea’ feels more akin to the band’s earlier works, highly emotional melodic black metal over spoken word, however with developments into a post-hardcore realm and a ripping guitar solo packed with a weighty punch. Flowing straight into ‘Micah (5.15am)’ with a piercing scream, it breaks into screamo worship and seems reminiscent of Svalbard’s poignant blend of black metal and post-hardcore, heavy on the d-beat, melodic intensity and explosive noise hooks bridging the various sections of the track before collapsing with the final defeated melody. Aptly named ’The Weight’ follows as expected, with a mammoth noise soaked post-metal riff bludgeoning the subs of any sound system, continuing to build the intensity of the album’s first half with the atonal shredding becoming almost too much to bear. When the song reaches its climactic crescendo, the final melodies feel that much more frail and delicate. ‘Serenity’ brings the first half to a close with a burst of melodic black metal, ecstatic melodies balancing the unstoppable blast beats at the core of the track.
“Everything still has the right level of grit to it, not feeling commercialised or bowing to any notions of softening for a wider appeal, portraying their message as they want it to be heard”
Agriculture continue their DIY approach to recorded music, with The Spiritual Sound once again being self-produced. The band’s sound has evolved somewhat, with each project having a unique feel. Whereas previous the band have leaned a little closer to the traditional rawer aspect of black metal, The Spiritual Sound is a touch more polished, mainly in terms of clarity for the performances, without losing that caustic edge. The whole album feels deeply intimate, from a songwriting, production and lyrical standpoint. Everything still has the right level of grit to it, not feeling commercialised or bowing to any notions of softening for a wider appeal, portraying their message as they want it to be heard. It makes for a stellar presentation, drawing you in deeper with the range of instrumental textures and timbres across the project, perfectly complimenting the lyrical themes of staying present amongst suffering, from philosophical musings about Bodhidharma, the founder of Chinese Zen, historical collapse and grief; to explorations on survival informed by queer history and AIDS-era literature.
The title track welcomes in the second half of the album, a thirty-second instrumental ambient burst that works as an intro to ‘Dan’s Love Song’. The vibe has shifted into noise soaked shoegaze, the slow-burn nature of the second half already in full effect. It’s a love song that feels grounded in loss and heartache, deep longing for something that cannot be attained again with swelling, delicate instrumental textures. Following is ‘Bodhidharma’, a simple drum hook brings forth pendulous neck-cracking post-metal grooves. The instrumental routine collapses, fragile and intimate spoken word passages are woven into experimental noise reminiscent of The Body, the contrast between the two passages is crushing and makes for a definite standout of the experience.
Much like ‘The Look’ from the band’s debut LP, ‘Hallelujah’ drops a soulful near-acoustic refrain and as an extended outro for ‘Bodhidharma’, Dan’s vocals soaring with the continued melodies as the solo section fades for a grandiose closing passage. Finally, ‘The Reply’; a shuffling drum beat perpetuates the song, slowly building the intensity of the main repetitious riff. This is where Agriculture nail the aspect of ecstatic. ‘The Reply’ is such a powerful closer for the album, the melodic refrain continues to build through the finale, slowly pitching up with each repetition. The emotional fragility and intensity becoming so moving, helped with guest vocals from the incredible Emma Ruth Rundle, like transcending this plain and almost being able to touch the next. There is no doubt that this is one of the most important bands in the underground scene at the moment, their forward-thinking approach to melting intense music with frail explorations of humanity continues to be unlike anyone else out there despite comparisons to their contemporaries. The Spiritual Sound is another rousing success, and Agriculture will continue to stun with their unique approach to extreme music.