Leadeater - "Oxalis" (2015)

Leadeater - "Oxalis"

Year: 2015
Genre: Black Metal, Dark Ambience
Country: United States

Track List:

1. Oxalis

bandcamp

Leadeater begins with a sound very ambiguous, yet dark. They then harken back to the time of the 90s grunge and punk at about a minute in with a slow, rhythmic guitar that continues the musical interlude, without vocals. Their music slowly builds up to an explosion of bitter frustration with vocals after the five minute mark, which descends slightly more rapidly into despair and frustration. Eventually this mesh of feelings comes together and fuels more of the fire that is urgent need resulting in despair and frustration which is the constant showcase of the song throughout. The song was a bit too repetitious for my taste for the first 12 and a half minutes, but regardless it was done skillfully, albeit repetitiously.

Afterwards, the dark ambience sometimes doesn't sound so dark as it sounds like a popular 90s rock song as a musical interlude, in my opinion until the twenty minute and thirty second marker where the song explodes and becomes the rightful black metal/dark ambience song it deserved to be. Perhaps this is a representation of the Oakland, California music scene and I'm quick to judge, but there seemed to be something missing from the song regarding the modern black metal scene until that last mark at twenty and a half minutes. The dark ambience really sets in afterwards after the twenty-four minute mark.

Altogether, pleased enough with the last eight minutes and first four minutes to say this album is worth the listen. Unfortunately, it was so worth the listen that it's apparently already sold out. Give this band a listen, definitely!