Oh boy do I have a special one for you today. As you might recall, we hosted a guest list from one of my favorite contemporary artists, Christian Cosentino, at the close of last year (was that really six months ago?!) As part of it, he recommended Winterquilt, one of the more bizarre, challenging, and fascinating projects I've had the pleasure of listening to. If you need a reminder, Cosentino plays a type of extremely bright, intricate, and intriguing black metal that sounds like Devin Townsend crashing a Summoning show. Winterquilt is...indescribable but if you forced me, I'd say it sounds like a midi console having a nightmare about a grindcore train accident. Yeah, that sounds about right.
But wait, why am I even describing this to you? Well, it's because something wonderful and strange has occurred: Cosentino and Winterquilt have teamed up to release a split and the results are incredible. Not only that, but we are proud to premiere this split in full right below, ahead of its release tomorrow. So, if you're looking for something unexpected, something that pushes the boundaries of what metal can do and sound like, I implore you to scroll down below. You won't regret it.
I am extremely glad that both musicians have decided to "stick to their guns", so to speak, and make music in both of their unique styles. Cosentino's side of the split is filled with the gorgeous and redolent atmospheres, textures, and themes I've come to love his music for. And Winterquilt's side is...yeah, it still sounds like a computer fragmenting inside of a black hole while trying to play a nu-metal track. Somehow, the combo of these two sounds under the same release seems to amplify the strenghts of both of styles. I mean, hit play on "Disenchanting" from Cosentino's side of the split. There are those bright melodies, more reminiscent of his first release, Lawn, than his most recent album, and there's that black metal edge. Then, hope on over to Winterquilt's "Two's Company" and let the electronic beats fray your mind at the edges, complete with the project's furious and abrasive vocal style.
Are these styles similar? Not at all. Do they conjure some sort of sensual, unsettling allure when placed side by side? One hundred precent they do! More than anything, it's a pleasure seeing musicians who appreciate each other's music collaborate in this fashion; getting to know projects because they came recommended from musicians I love is one of the best things about Heavy Blog. And this is one of the best examples of me doing that in recent years. So, make sure to click on through to Phantom Lure's Bandcamp above (they're the excellent label releasing this split, as well as Cosentino's previous works and other great albums besides) and dive in to some of the more fascinating voices working in our artistic spaces today.
Oh, and here are links to both projects' recent releases. Saved you a few clicks in case you want dive deeper. You're welcome.