Return to Annihilation

Chicago’s blackened noise geniuses LOCRIAN spent the second half of 2012 crafting ‘Return To Annihilation’, their Relapse debut. Locrian have been creating their own brand of epic noise drone for close to a decade, but ‘Return To Annihilation’ is the culmination of their sound. Equal parts black metal, noise and drone, LOCRIAN’s ‘Return To Annihilation’ is a terrifyingly beautiful vision of bright menace. The soundtrack of the bright white lights we’ll all see before the very end of days.

Locrian aren't the only act that use elements of experimental drone, black metal and noise to create their alchemical musical formulae, but they certainly are the only ones to do so this beautifully.

Contrary to what its title suggests, LOCRIAN's latest, "Return to Annihilation", is no predictable swan-dive off the done-to-death avant-garde black metal cliff - a move that would frankly do this astoundingly prolific, ever-evolving Chicago ensemble's blossoming career a major disservice. Instead,...

A review of Return to Annihilation by Locrian, available June 21 in Europe and the 25th in North America via Relapse Records.