Album Review: Mycelia – In A Late Country (Eclipse Records)

Mycelia are a djent metal band from Zurich, Switzerland who have continuously defied the traditional boundaries between metal’s various subgenres, while still keeping their sound fresh and engaging. In A Late Country is the band’s fifth full-length release and it will be released on September 16th, 2022, via Eclipse Records.

The album is a post-apocalyptic concept album which tells the story of a young man trying to find his lost girlfriend in the midst of a government-controlled evacuation program dealing with an overpopulated city.

An epic concept, Mycelia have always been a band who challenge but even by their standards, In A Late Country is something quite extraordinary.

Fifteen tracks long, the storytelling is just as important as the music here but making both elements work in tandem is where the difficulties lie. Of course, Mycelia see this enormous hurdle and comfortably jump over it. In A Late Country is, eccentric, vast and electrifying. With lyrical content made up of the lines of the various characters within the story and djent metal that ignores a lot of the traditions in that sub-genre.

It’s a fresh and unique take, with synthy ambience an important factor to making the sci-fi touch the story has, feel all the more real. Which is no easy task considering its basis. Yet, thanks to the how Mycelia let the ambience spread and how intense their metal can be, it works phenomenally well.

If the thought of synth and ambience is off-putting, fear not, In A Late Country is still an undeniable showcase of metal. The complex weirdness of their djent detail, unrestrained death-infused mercilessness and melodic meandering is captivating stuff. From beginning to end, this is an arduous journey for both the main character and the listener. A shared experience which is testament to how well constructed this album is.

After all, great storytelling chops and the ability to play wacked out metal wouldn’t mean much if Mycelia didn’t have the talent to hold attention spans. Happily, they don’t just prove they have talent by the bucket load but go above and beyond to prove just how much they’ve developed over the past releases.

Prepare to be amazed. Prepare to be enthralled. This is Mycelia’s opus and they have succeeded in their goal to create something truly awe-inspiring.

Mycelia – In A Late Country Full Track Listing:

1. Prologue
2. A Rude Visitation
3. The Beginning of a Long Hangover
4. Cryostatic Clubbing – Part 1
5. Cryostatic Clubbing – Part 2
6. Through Memory’s Eyes
7. Towards the Melting Library
8. The Librarian and the Flock of Birds
9. Conversing with Terrorists
10. Two Numbers
11. An Appointment at the Doctors
12. Across the City and into…
13. In a Gas Station at the Outskirts of the Meth Desert – Part 1
14. In a Gas Station at the Outskirts of the Meth Desert – Part 2
15. My Own Private Spot of Snow

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