Kneeling by Dan Meyer

Agriculture has taken the extreme metal scene by storm in the past couple of years, and every fan needs to know about the new side project from guitarist and vocalist Dan Meyer, Kneeling. Best conceptualized as two distinct musical statements released concurrently, this record uses two clearly demarcated styles to tell two separate stories. The album’s first half makes a natural pivot into indie rock, compressing the enormity of Agriculture’s guitars into one warm atmosphere. Telling the story of the absurdity of God’s justice in the Old Testament, the record takes inspiration from the post-shoegaze sound of bands like Have a Nice Life to draw us into a terrifying dream. On side B, the album shifts into more familiar territory, taking on an atmospheric black metal sound while retaining the extreme compression found earlier. This section paints a picture of a lonely night of driving in Los Angeles, an eerie experience of a high-density environment entirely devoid of visible people. Both stories push us into ourselves, yearning for communion while finding none but with the gentle glow of the universe.