(((((OPENmind/SATURATEDbrain))))): LIBIDO WINS

Sunday, 24 July 2016

LIBIDO WINS

Band: LIBIDO WINS

Genres: Punk / Post-Hardcore / Emo / Screamo / Skramz / Metal / Ambient / Experimental / Prog
Related artists: ?.
Country: HUNGARY
Years Active: 2008-present
Song: "The Stendhal Syndrome of Wasting Away"
Album: "Anhedonia"
Year: 2016
For fans of: Eaglehaslanded, Vi Som Älskade Varandra Så Mycket, Jiyuna, Vivre Sa Vie, They Sleep We Live, Crows-An-Wra, 124C41+, Ubiquity, The State Secedes, Angel Eyes, Her Breathe On Glass, Danse Macabre, City Of Caterpillar and Healing Powers aka PROPER SCREAMO.

Label(s): Self Released / Dingleberry Records
This post's artist is from the June 2016 Mix. This is track #11.

You can download: the July Mix#7 right here or get the new August 2016 Mix#8 here.

LIBIDO WINS hail from Hungary and I didn't know anything about the band until they sent me their 2016 LP 'Anhedonia' to be reviewed. Before delving into that I think it's necessary to follow the band's chronological history.

Let's begin with 2008's 'Q.E.D.' which is the band's first effort and shows some hints of what's to come, but I personally find mediocre and a little basic when compared to their later material. In 2009 the split with Nothing (aka 'The Split of Solitude') was released and these three songs mark a more obvious shift from hardcore to other genres, most notably screamo and a bit of metallic hardcore ("Sons, Dreams, Homes" is a very cool song). 2010's full length 'The Outcasts of Outcasts' expands the guitar solos to more songs, which, when mixed with the almost Danse Macabre-esque vocals, sounds excellent, and can be found on "false invocation for fallen poets" and "past,present,future tenses are the same (breaking constancy is not possible)". There is some piano on this album also, which is repeated on future releases. The LP is pretty good, but there just seems to be something lacking. It should also be noted that there is a lot of fantastic bass work on all of these recordings that shines through as early as the split with Nothing. In 2011 LIBIDO WINS released their 'Hanoi split' which was their last in a string of yearly releases dating back to 2008, and then nothing again until 2016. This split is pretty decent and sounds like a slightly different band, with more atmospherics and genre clusterfucking.

Ahhhhhh, here we are. The new album. LIBIDO WINS dropped 'Anhedonia' in February of 2016 digitally and there will be a physical version coming soon led by Dingleberry Records and some other labels. As noted above, there was a huge lull of five years between the 'Hanoi split' and this new full length, and if I had trouble describing their sound before it's even more difficult now. Let's try a track by track run through:

"Ember and Our Reflections" is the opening track sporadically littered with drops of notes, spoken word and ambiance. At 1:27 it reaches its peak and slowly descends downwards with atmospheric noodling not unlike Vi Som Älskade Varandra Så Mycket and 124C41+. "The Stendhal Syndrome of Us Wasting Away" is probably my favourite song by the band as it reminds me of Crows-An-Wra and their ability to weave experimental tangents and layers into a song that, when it starts, sounds nothing like some of parts contained within. There's the Danse Macabre vocals, the Hot Cross noodles at 1:40 and then serene female vocals stringing together multiple screamers and a chuggy breakdown. "(Endless Cycle Of Aching Déjá Vu)" is a chill 1:12 of Standstill/Gantz intro music that may or may not be inspired by 80s horror movies and/or Home Alone and even embeds some screaming into the final few moments. "Everyday Kalopsia" is a screamy punk/hardcore midpoint that reminds me of earlier Eaglehaslanded work or perhaps the new Ubiquity EP before it gets its An Albatross on in a spacey and trippy segment at 1:28 that leads to an aggressive and screamy tail end. "Sempiternal Timelapses" is another ambient interlude, this time with piano and synths. "The Crush of the Century" follows and is a progressive and screamy hardcore number with classical influences, as is par for the course. The intro also includes a Leonardo DiCaprio bit about their being no such thing as love, which is interesting. The final song is called the "Nocturnal Diary Sessions" and it's broken into three parts, the first, "Part 1" is mostly a piano intro with screaming and is pretty dang cool. "Nocturnal Diary Sessions - Part 2" is a massive 7:15 and the longest song on the record. It touches on progressive screamy hardcore such as The State Secedes and They Sleep We Live or a rawer, looser version of City Of Caterpillar and Angel Eyes. "Nocturnal Diary Sessions - Part 3" is obviously the closer and exits on purely piano.

LIBIDO WINS are certainly attempting to push the boundaries of modern, screamy hardcore, but need a few more tinkerings before they've nailed down a sound that will have people discussing them for years to come.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2008 - Q.E.D. LP (stream/buy here)

2009 - The Split of Solitude EP (split w/Nothing) (stream/buy here)

2010 - The Outcasts of Outcasts LP (stream/buy here)

2011 - Hanoi split EP (stream/buy here)

2016 - Anhedonia LP (stream/buy here)

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(2016) LIBIDO WINS - "The Stendhal Syndrome of Us Wasting Away" (from 'Anhedonia')