Pyramids/Horseback--A Throne Without A King

To say that I was excited for this release would definitely be an understatement. Ever since first hearing Horseback last year, I have gone out of my way to find every release by them. So, when this went up for pre-order on Hydra Head, I jumped all over it. After what seemed like an eternity, it finally showed up today. All I can say is, I'm floored. 


I should clarify the format of this album before I start rattling on about it. The album is unique in that each band has an individual track on a 7" included, which starts the album. Then the LP is a collaborative piece in 4 parts, which share the title of the album.



                       The 7"


Having never heard Pyramids before, and now feeling royally stupid for not have, I didn't quite know what to expect from this release. From the moment I dropped the needle on the 7", I knew this was something special. Pyramids' "Phaedra's Love" is an excellent ambient/drone piece. The track is very disconcerting. Random blast beats seem to come out of nowhere, grabbing your attention. You couldn't get lost in this track if you wanted to, as the spastic nature of it pulls your focus back in quickly. Excellent starting point.


On the B side is Horseback's "Thee Cult of Henry Flynt". I have to say, I was not expecting what I got here. Blast beats in the tradition of the finest black metal, with Horseback's signature sound. They really cranked it up a notch here. That track has quickly become one of my favorite in their catalog. Terrifying and brilliant, the track moves and morphs from black metal into more ambient territory. I could not have asked for a better track. 


                        The LP


I'm not going to go into a ton of detail on the LP as it is an extremely ambient affair. Lots of drone on the entire LP, filled with very unnerving sounds. The occasional vocal does show up, but it sounds reversed. Things feel just wrong listening to this.  Of course, it's amazing. The track is split into 4 parts, but they run into each other. It feels very cohesive, though, as if every movement was perfectly planned. The track proceeds to get more intense throughout, building to a disturbing climax. A fantastic melding of the minds, this is what great collaborations are made of. 


I could not have asked for more out of this release. It's exactly what I wanted and more. Sadly, for the moment, this LP is already sold out, but hopefully Hydra Head will repress it. My only complaint would be the lack of a download card for this release, as I would love to be able to listen to this when I'm not in front of my turntable.