October 2015 Album of the Month: So Hideous’ Laurestine
Monday, 9th November 2015
As the year begins to come to a close (at least from a writer’s perspective), it’s time to start looking back on the albums that made an impact. October ushered in the last big wave of fall releases, and it’s So Hideous who managed to come out on top. Taking their unique blend of symphony and black(ish) metal, Laurestine really raised the bar for what the band could accomplish. And at just the right moment, as many are finally turning their eyes and ears towards the band (finally having a label backing from Prosthetic probably helped too). This is beautiful and powerful stuff.
An excerpt from Kyle McGinn’s 9/10 review, which posted on October 11, 2015:
The way that So Hideous writes their material stands in stark contrast with many like-minded bands that use orchestration. Most metal bands write out the “metal parts” and then insert orchestration, but So Hideous begins with the orchestra and weaves the rest around it and the results are often spine-chilling. The band’s thirty-piece orchestra (The First Light Orchestra) has a healthy interplay with the band, giving the album a real, soundtrack-worthy approach and really allowing the highs/lows to emotionally resonate.
No sophomore slump in sight for So Hideous. If anything, they’ve realized the potential that Last Poem/First Light had and really pushed the boundaries of their sound. Laurestine is nothing less than captivating from start to finish, and an exemplar of what can be done with a properly executed orchestra in the metal format.
Read the entire review HERE.
