A real pair of oddballs this pair going by the monikers of J & G. They are well known underground entities of the French black metal scene notably for main project Glorior Belli but also for their participation in a host of other outfits from Ad Hominem to Obscurus Advocam. The last Glorior Belli album ‘Meet Us At The Southern Sign’ was rather odd and it certainly went beyond accepted black metal structures throwing all sorts into the mix. The band then confounded by cancelling festival performances saying they did not have the right live band to back them up and we wondered what was going to happen next. In effect it is this album which was put together as the next Glorior Belli release. Again on finishing they found they had gone well beyond black metal strictures and decided that this would be better represented not as a GB album so set up side project with the very odd name 11 As In Adversaries.
It is evident on pressing play on first track ‘The Full Intrepid Experience Of Light’ that this is a very different beast. It has been described as psyche and post rock and in essence that is what it is. I would also mention post hardcore as well here as at times this really reminded me of ‘Red Medicine’ era Fugazi and that is right down to J’s vocal stance at times sounding very close to Ian Mackaye’s. The opening track is a monster though, really long and following a myriad of convoluted paths. Again despite the fact that it is not immediate it does give that experimental edge that Fugazi were playing around with around the mid nineties and if someone played it to me and said it was their come back album I might even find myself falling for it. Bass and nasally vocals are joined by shrill jangling guitars on ‘Agitation In The Glorious Theme’ and again I am of exactly the same mind, this is Glorior Belli living on the (straight) edge.
Something you can do to prove yourself far from straight is get old Nik on board and that is exactly what the duo do on ‘The Night Scalp Challenger.’ Kvarfoth mangles and moulds the music into new territories and it takes on a lunatic edge akin to getting on an unhinged merry-go-round. It sounds more avant-garde black metal now and the rock feel has gone although the wailing vocals from J linger strangely in the background, gradually getting louder and taking control again. There are plenty of beard stroking moments which see the band noodling their way along, some of it all a bit pointless quite honestly but we finally get to last song ‘Verses From Which To Whirl,’ where a beat is laid down and more post whatever you want to call it is knocked out with jagged zeal.
I pretty much didn’t like this on first listen and knew nothing about it apart from the fact that Kvarforth was involved on the one track. I was surprised reading behind the lines after and seeing who else was behind this, as well as slightly confused. The album has grown on me a fair bit and if anything it has made me want to go and drag out some of that old Fugazi vinyl and give it a spin. So basically if you go into this not expecting the sound of the player’s day jobs you may enjoy, if that’s what you are looking for there is a good chance you may not.
http://www.myspace.com/11asinadversaries
