Review Summary: Welcome to the abyss, fucker.
I first experienced Yantras at a show in Lancaster, Pa, for the record release of another hardcore band called Chalmers (read my review of their equally vicious record here http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/68762/Chalmers-All-The-Songs-Sung-Wrong/). Yantras consists of a drummer, guitarist, and vocalist, but still manage to drench the room with sound and intensity.
Fans of Yantras have been waiting patiently for their debut release since that record release show, which was already over half a year ago. They finally released their self-titled record yesterday, which is somewhere between an EP and an LP in its 18 minute length. The six concentrated tracks speak of witchcraft, vampires, magic, and everything macabre. Paralleled with crushing drums and erratic guitar, imagery of the all-consuming abyss ensues.
“you chose such a beautiful hill to die on. how strange, there are no birds.”
–A Nearness to Forbidden Things
The crux of Yantras’ debut offering is the pair of “The Golden Dawn” and “Orb Weaver”. The former track begins with a polarizing guitar line almost reminiscent of Pantera, and then ascends into a sludgy but fervent territory.
“Orb Weaver” supplies enough bone-chilling lyricism to give the listener gooseflesh. The opening guitar croons with dirge-like sadness to set the atmosphere for lines such as “She casts her line at dawn she consumes her web come morning, the sun will still rise if she hasn't swallowed it yet”. We’re soon expelled into the haunting atmosphere of a horror film as the vocals demand, “with the usual motives of vampires creep up to your open window maybe I could come in for awhile?”
The listeners find themselves strongly suspecting the vocalist of being an actual vampire, before the line “I'm just hanging around upside down. Still enough to hear my bones grow” exchanges the thought of a vampire for a rabid, bloodthirsty bat.
Yantras reminds me a lot of We Were Skeletons, Chalmers, and Ostraca. If you like any of those bands, or just hardcore/screamo in general, I would urge you to take a listen to this. This record may seem like a dangerous rendezvous with monsters, but don’t fear; it will only hurt a bit.
Fav tracks: The Golden Dawn, Orb Weaver
