In many ways, Botanist are no surprise. While the concept of black metal played on a dulcimer may turn heads, one listen to Roberto Martinelli's bold project will quickly dispel any misgivings. For the past three years, Martinelli's misanthropic black metal anthems about plants destroying humanity (yes, seriously), painted against the eerie not-quite-percussion of his dulcimer, have explored a dimension in black metal that, while at first requires some adjusting, rapidly makeS sense. Botanist, at its core, embodies the folk-y essence bands like Ulver introduced to the genre of black metal early on, as well as the dearth of atmospheric black metal acts the genre has produced, but at the same time seeks to explore what makes black metal, intrinsically, black metal. Is it the atmosphere? The instrumentation? Both? And by limiting itself to one instrument (besides the drums), thus, Botanist is as much an experiment with unusual instruments as it is a study of what, technically, constitutes the genre.
Flora, the project's sixth release, continues this trend, and while earlier Botanist records went for a rougher, more "raw" (though hardly in the traditional sense) sound, Flora's glowing, summery colors and layered instrumentals give the record a lush, almost carefree texture. 'Dianthus'' moves flawlessly between spring sunlight and eerie tension that recalls White Light-era Swans, while 'Callistermon' opens with what could almost be a post-punk section.
The record features Martinelli's prowess with the dulcimer at an all time high, as he switches rapidly between the more heady attack of Botanist's earlier work and new, starry instrumentation. The dulcimer layers upon itself beautifully, contributing to the verdant atmosphere the record paints with erudite brush strokes. Record opener 'Stargazer' evokes imagery of post-black acts like An Autumn For Crippled Children or Lantlôs, with Martinelli's dreamy dulcimer sweetly and gently easing the listener into the record's bizarre-yet-beautiful radiance, but nevertheless the intricacy of many of Flora's songs is what drives the album forward.
Flora is an album dripping with its own atmosphere, as much as Alcest's 2009 full-length Ecailles de Lune's ethereal dreamscapes did the same. Botanist prefers not to limit itself to one mood, instead switching between mysterious and brilliant, and there's even a hint of Cascadian mysticism in the closing section of 'Pteridophyte'. But that's not to say all of Flora is effervescent, post-rock like atmosphere. For as much as the record is a departure and a refinement from previous work, Martinelli pushes the attack as the record comes to a close, focusing less on summery textures and on more driving pieces, oftentimes breaking up the marching drums with yawning chasms through which one or two dulcimer notes manage to float through.
With every release, Botanist explore a new corner of the genre, and with Flora Martinelli seems to be determined to sniff out the essence of post-black metal, exploring the starlit textures that define it, while weaving the massive, peaceful atmospheres that spring up in spite of the stormy drums and howled vocals. Martinelli does a deft job, as always, but between the sheer depth of Flora's eleven tracks and the scope of the experimentation, the newest Botanist outing is the band - and one of the year's - strongest treats yet.
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