That title should actually have two exclamation marks at the end, since the band’s name is Lo!. However, I decided to use some discretion, as the energy levels on this post are already too damn high. And that’s from the music. Lo! traffic in the high-octane, dynamic, and aggressive progressive metal a-la early Mastodon and some of the post-metal elements of The Ocean . The focus on their album The Tongueless is clearly on the vocals, a choice reflected in the music video for “Orca”. Head on over the jump for your first taste!
Other than being somehow skin-deep weird, the clip really seems to capture the aesthetics of the band. The vocals are writhing (both physically and musically) in the quiet part of the song, with just the chunky bass to back them. The instruments return beneath a scathing iteration of the vocals after it, creating a fuzzy riff and guitar lead which are hard to resist.
In general, these are the elements that inform The Tongueless: it’s short, blistering and coated in groove. Quiet parts exist as well, such as on the opening and ending of “Megafauna”, the closing track. This is an important fact since it establishes Lo! as much more than just peddlers in noise. They can show restraint and weave control into a beautiful tapestry which makes the aggressive parts all the more endearing.
As the first excursion of their new vocalist, the album is a showcase of what these guys are capable of. All that is left to us is to await a new, full length release as this one ends all too soon. Stay tuned for more from Lo! and in the meanwhile, check out and order one of these insanely beautiful vinyl.
-EK