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He Done Did It Again - 97%
With Panopticon being one of the most revolutionary acts in black metal, let alone metal music as a whole, there's no question as to why the one-manned project has gained such a loyal and vast following. The bands main man, Austin Lunn, has once again failed to disappoint us by giving us what may be his most innovative work yet. With 2018 coming to an end, I dedicate this review to his 2-piece masterwork, Scars of Mankind, and why it has hit the top of my list for albums of 2018.
The album is divided into two parts, the first half being melodic, nature-bound black metal, steeped in atmosphere and aggression. The second, more experimental, half is lonesome, melancholic Appalachian bluegrass Americana, an ode to his homelands beautiful folk music. Both sides are very contrasting to each other, balancing the bands unique black metal sound with his more personal and emotionally provocative chill-out folk music. Lyrically, they represent two sides of the same coin. Part one speaks of the beauty of nature, why we should protect it and not take it for granted. Part two, on the other hand, talks of lonesome urban life. A life where nature has been obscured and the world is dominated by cities and factories, losing the beauty that can only be found in the once nameless wilderness. These factors create the perfect contrast and allows it to flow very well while keeping its sound varied. The album is best listened to when both pieces are listened to back to back, if you wish to obtain the entire atmosphere of the music.
Diving into Part One, there is a lot to talk about. This side of the album just soars with aggressive ambition and melodic structures. Its sound is EXTREMELY unique and varied, while at the same time very flowing. Whether its the tributary melodies to Valfar on Blåtimen, or En Generall Avsky's furious death metal riffage, it all blends together and stays true to the albums objective. The emotion captured in this album truly just grips you and doesnt let go the whole way. This album reaches farther than just the "mount'n man playin' geeterr by the campfer screamin' at some trees" feel. It sounds like Austin is really puttin his soul into this, as if he's playing for his life even. For example, En Hvit Ravns Død (A White Ravens Death in English) bursts the metallic segment of Scars into play, away from the folky opening track and into its raw and brutalizing sound while strangely maintaining its melodic and soulful nature. This is an album of nothing but raw spirit, something that few other modern black metal artists can master. By the end of the end of the album, Lunn ensures that the energy from his musical powerhouse is drained, leaving us questionate of what's to come next.
Contradicting one of my prior statements, Austins energy hadn't been drained completely YET. Part Two begins with the 12 minute long "Moss Beneath The Snow" where Austin proves that he still has it in him to carry on his work into a completely uncharted territory of his discography: the acoustic album. The previously stated track is really the closest to metal Part Two gets, leaning more towards post-rock territory. After this is 50 minutes of Lunns signature classical americana music. There's not as much to get into with this one because I'm not totally experienced with this kind of music other than the fact that it's absolutely beautiful. Personally, I find that "Wandering Ghost" is probably my favorite from this side of Scars and has become one of my ideal songs to just hit play and chill out to, if I'm not just listening to the album as a whole, that is.
There is a lot to be found in Scars of Mankind and carries many different influences from many different genres. This 2 hour treasure absolutely refuses to allow you to get bored when listening to it. Lunn has proved once more of the wonders he is capable of accomplishing. If you have not listened to this work of art yet, I advise that you go ahead and take an hour or two out of your day to listen to it because it's completely worth it. Skal!
