Devotional

Heavy and hypnotic, Devotional marks the unusual pairing of doom metal stalwart Greg Anderson and genre-averse vocalist and violinist Petra Haden. Active since the late 1980s, Anderson is something of an experimental metal guru known for projects like Sunn O))), Goatsnake, Thorrs Hammer, and running Southern Lord Records. Billing himself simply as the Lord, he moved into solo work in early 2022 with Forest Nocturne, a tense merging of instrumental horror soundtracks and Scandinavian death metal. Haden, daughter of iconic jazz bassist Charlie Haden, has a much rangier discography that covers indie rock, jazz, avant-garde, and ambitious a cappella pop. This is also not her first pairing with Anderson, who has in the past invited her to collaborate with both Sunn O))) and Goatsnake. On Devotional, the two explore heavy sounds through the filter of Indian classical music with a focus on the darker aspects of worship and devotion. On the title track Anderson saws away on a thickly distorted repeating pattern as Haden layers a wordless chant into hair-raising crescendos and howling improvisations. Largely drone-based, the six lengthy tracks cycle through a variety of anxious timbres with looping guitar figures punctuated by sudden eerie shrieks and occasional harmonic radiance from Hadens wild voice. The more subtle "Ma Anand Sheela," named after the controversial spokeswoman for the Rajneesh Movement, is a powerful highlight that really taps into the intense lure of worship. Almost sitar-like in its resonant rattle, Andersons guitar sits across the mix like a granite plinth, helping to ground Hadens ephemeral halo of vocals. Devotional is some of the more challenging and difficult music either artist has made, but it wields a unique energy that could only come from this strange union. ~ Timothy Monger