Bodies Under The Falls
PANOPTICON:KENTUCKY

Panopticon have never been a band to stick to “traditional” black metal norms; Austin Lunn (the sole member) chooses to tread the path of personal reflection and introspection whilst putting out punishing yet distinctly beautiful records of contrast. His take on the black metal blueprint is a standout in a genre often too keen on keeping within boundaries. That’s not to say that there isn’t some terrifically exciting and genre-pushing black metal out there, but the bands that are truly forging new territory are few and far between. Panopticon is one of those projects.

Last years Social Disservices was a disturbing look at a subject close the Lunn’s heart (an overview of this record can be found here) and Kentucky is no different. Taking the heritage of his home state, Lunn imbues this release with a mix of barbaric rage and deeply affecting traditional elements. Splicing his compositions with time-honoured mining songs means Kentucky has a vast sense of history; the coal-mining landscape of the state runs deep within its people and the tribulations of the workers are laid down for all to hear and feel.

Beginning the record with a lively banjo riff, Panopticon immediately forces you to rethink your ideas regarding how black metal should sound. The aesthetic is still there regardless of how the music is actualised – the commitment to honesty and to truth and the belief in roots and a deep respect for the natural world is something that is found in a wide variety of black metal styles and here Panopticon uses personal influences to push opener “Bernheim Forest In Spring” into an unfamiliar realm. The gentleness of this opener is completely blown to pieces when “Bodies Under The Falls” arrives. Ferocious from the offset that familiar roar splits the calm like a thunder crack and Kentucky takes on a new raw dimension. There is still beauty in the soaring riffs and a sweet melancholy feeds into the track yet the vicious nature of Panopticon is never far away. Lunn is a master of using private subject matter as the basis of his output, and the coal mining theme of this record and the history of the state is woven into the very fabric of its being.

Without knowing a great deal about the issues Lunn is so passionate about here, and in his past works, it’s difficult to truly give a deeper insight into what he is portraying (this is something we hope to address in a forthcoming interview) and as the topics are so deeply ingrained into the lives of the communities involved it would be moot to try and be authoritative on those facets of the record. As mentioned previously, traditional mining songs make an appearance on Kentucky, “Come All Ye Coal Miners,” and “Which Side Are You On?” as well as spoken word anecdotes and heated truths from miners themselves. These individual factors give the album a depth and weight that other acts can only ever hope to achieve and Lunn gives the plight of these men and families a voice – and it hits hard.

The folky elements of Kentucky share much with Panopticon’s recent split with black metal/drone/doom act Wheels Within Wheels – a split which featured the calmer side of Panopticon and was evocative of the splendour of nature and the melancholy which is found when so far from home. Those touches find their way into the instrumental pieces on this record and sit behind harsh and aggressive vocals – “Black Soot And Red Blood” – as a counterpoint to the savage nature inherent in life. It’s these antithetic impulses that give Panopticon a depth of emotion, after all, what is life if not a confusion of extremes?

Closing Kentucky in a similar manner in which it started, the title track is one of sweet simplicity. The banjo makes a return in a track of tender grace and bluegrass-tinged melody and the final moments of this record are enveloped in a warmth that can only be found when you are truly at home. Divine.

Order from Handmade Birds Records or Pagan Flames now.