Hissing – Permanent Destitution (Profound Lore)
Tuesday, 27th November 2018
One of those cases where both the band name and cover art speak volumes about what you are about to hear, Hissing sounds exactly like the name implies. The music doesn’t speak to notable riffing and emotions but mostly sounds like a dissonant hiss. The cover is a bit avant-garde and offers a feeling of disorientation, which is something the band absolutely revels in from beginning to end.
Blackened death metal with more than a fair share of dissonance to back it up, Hissing provide one of those bone-rattling, otherworldly experiences on Permanent Destitution. It’s all about the atmosphere (much like other acts of the style like Portal) and listening to it from start to finish. This is not the type of release where one has a ‘favorite track’ or moment that speaks to them. It’s an experience that’s filled with unsettling tones and dark, brooding vibes. Of course, subterranean growls are the norm here, enhancing the feeling that you are on some sort of trip barreling you towards some alternative and hellish dimension. Wrapping it all together into a noisy bow is that of a bit of well-placed electronics and thoroughly muddled production. The type that is meant to suit this sort of jarring material and push it a step further over the edge.
While it is the type of thing that many will find practically unlistenable, the quirks and charms necessary for something like this are there. It’s not an album you’ll listen to every day and have it connect with you. But when you want to be yanked out of your current plane of existence, turn off the lights and crank this one loud (or though some solid headphones), and let the nightmares commence.
