ASIAN DEATH CRUSTACEAN

Baikal

AAmbient-metal Londoners go in for the krill.

pparently formed from the ashes of a jazz fusion project and a black metal band, the laudablynamed Asian Death Crustacean were destined to plough their own furrow.

Baikal comprises one continuous, 44-minute piece of music, divided into six parts. Hewn from cosmic post-rock, thunderous sludge metal and unsettling ambience, it begins anonymously with some familiar post-metal tropes, but steadily builds toward a remorseless succession of hair-raising crescendos and fearless descents into near-silence.

Part II is where the action truly begins as they navigate multiple atmospheres and tempos, from graceful and downbeat to furious and explosive. The giant riffs that erupt during Part V indicate an intuitive grasp of metal’s power, but even those more bombastic moments are executed with finesse and nearly always followed by a moment of respite.

There’s also a delicate, jazzy edge to the band’s performances, as showcased on the closing Part VI; a wonderfully serene and soporific rush of amorphous sound that will provide more sensitive listeners with a soothing brain-rinse to mitigate all those monstrous riffs and startling detours.