If you’re in the mood for some serious introspection, look no further than Spectral Lore and Jute Gyte’s very personal and experimental split album.
To start with, the two projects are very different, but their sounds complement each other well. Both are one-man bands, but Spectral Lore hails from Greece and borrows more from the classic aspects of metal despite his experimentation. Jute Gyte is from Missouri, and the Americana influence definitely comes through in spite of the weirdness. The two decided to come together and make a record consisting of just two tracks, and inspired by “Helian,” a 1913 poem by Austrian expressionist Georg Trakl.
Both tracks clock in around 20 minutes and are called “Helian” each one by a different artist. The entire mood is oppressive and suffocating, and even though the two bands have very different sounds, somehow this works. The whole feel of the album is much like a journey, and listeners will find themselves waiting with anticipation to hear what happens next.
This is definitely a record for those who love a good experiment. A concept album by two solo project bands about an expressionist poem isn’t exactly light listening. But for those who do want to delve and explore with these two, it is definitely worth it.
