Based on the concept according to which Agoraphobic Nosebleed will release four EPs, each representing the musical background of one of each members, Arc is the first of those releases and it is outstanding.
It's quite a surprise seeing the grindcore giants stepping up and excelling in sludgy doom songs that are much lengthier than what the band usually has to offer. Like listening to an Eyehategod record, Arc is spot on, profiling the musical background of singer Kat Katz, who joined ANb in 2009 and made them her main project in 2011 when Salome, her previous band (a doom band from Virginia) split up.
The reason Arc is heavy as hell, not only in sound but in feeling too, is that Katz based the songs on her relationship with her mother and her passing, a woman suffering from schizophrenia who died of cancer. Grim situations like this, make dark art and naturally the EP is gloomy and full of hopelessness, giving Katz an excellent chance to stand out with her fierce, hair raising vocal work.
We're really excited and very curious to see what ANb will come up with on the next EPs of their series, but it's going to be very hard to top Arc, because this thing has set the standards bar high up in the sky.
Also feast your eyes on the brilliant cover art, a painting by Erica Lacombe.
Buy Arc
ZR