Album Review: Lords Of The Drift – Throat (Stay Gold Records)

Lords of the Drift is a drone project conceived in 2020 with the release of their debut record, The Arecibo Message. The album was a nod to the 1974 interstellar radio message carrying basic information about humanity and Earth sent to globular star cluster M13. The record consists of one track clocking in at just under 30 minutes with three acts.

Now, Lords of the Drift return with their second album, Throat, out September 15th on Stay Gold Records. An acapella drone/doom record recorded only with human sound. It’s one complete track meant to be listened to in its entirety with headphones.

Clocking in at 34 minutes and 33 seconds long, Throat’s single track – Throats – is a sonic experience like no other. A truly unique listen. A truly baffling experience. Words will never quite do it justice and it betrays all musical sensibilities.

Exciting stuff, right?

Featuring performances by David Bason (War Orphan, Barfbag), Stephen McBean (Black Mountain, Pink Mountaintops), Richie Cipriano (War Orphan, Ex-Sick of it All), and Timo Kamarainen (Finnish avant-garde musician), Throat can be called experimental, but that suggests Lords of the Drift have less experimental moments.

They don’t, the project exists as one giant experiment and what comes out is beautiful, belligerent, and bizarre. While also being undeniably polarising. How can this record possibly be recommended to a listener? It requires a person to be willing to step well out of their comfort zone, truly open their mind, and give the record the time it needs.

Do that, and a sonic pathway of dark mystery opens. The strong sense of doom, not just through their sound, but via the vibes of the record, weighs heavily on the mind. The monotonous drone noise infects the soul, creating intense levels of anxiety. This album, this track, feels like a living and breathing organism, and that is both terrifying and exciting.

It’s worth your time, even if it’s just to hear the uniqueness of it, and even if it’s just the once. Throat is different and most of the time, different is good. Make up your own mind here.

Lords of the Drift – Throat Track Listing:

1. Throats

Links

Bandcamp | YouTube