I was rifling through tapes like a madman, looking for something to give me a fright fix and BAM — I knew a Land of Decay release was what I needed. Persistence In Mourning grind it out à la Neurosis in an endurance test that couldn’t be more grueling if you fasted for 30 days and set yourself on fire. A. Lippoldt’s scream is transcendent; I was never a huge fan of Strife, but that dude sounds small compared to Lippy. A sunn 0))) guitar stack, piano figures, a revolving cast of voice-over talent — actually, these are likely news clips or old interviews — and a cloud of dust. Then comes the beyond-minimal synth interlude, then comes a slow build-up into more of the same. And in no way is that depressing. Later attempts at melody even work out circa Bloodlet’s “Seraphim,” alternating with the screaming in an audio game of cat and satan-mouse. I will admit the time has to be just right for Confessions of an American Cult to make sense. Technically, it should be 4 AM (or later; I’m writing this at 4:30), dark, dank, and you should be wasted on whatever floats your big flabby boat. Lippoldt’s here to fuck shit up. Let him.
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