Metalcatto
I’ve been waiting forever to do this. Cult of Luna is without a doubt my favorite Post-Metal band. It’s like Neurosis but with better vocals and less abuse. So that’s good for you people who care about morals and stuff. I should also mention this top will include the band’s collaboration with Julie Christmas. I hope you can live with that. Anyway, let’s start.
10. Cult of Luna: The only CofL album I don’t own. It’s not terrible—it’s actually pretty interesting—but the thing is that the album shows a band still figuring out what it wants to be. Part Doom, part Post-Metal, the production feels a bit bootleg. Like a 90s Funeral Doom album, but more colorful. It makes sense; the whole subgenre wasn’t well defined back then. The emotional complexity is also smaller here. Overall, it feels like an album to “get ourselves out there,” and not a test of the band’s full potential.
9. Eternal Kingdom: This album is great like any other I’m naming here, but it has the tragedy of having “Ghost Trail” in it—a track so potent it leaves the others feeling kind of small. Afterwards, the album could use some editing, but still, the whole king-of-the-woods narrative and how the music replicates this spacious wilderness is compelling. The album requires patience and some Post-Rock love, but it’ll reward you. Also, look at that stunning artwork. This will be a trend in CofL albums.
8. The Long Road North: Another album with killer art and slightly more experimental songs. I come back to this album pretty often, and it has “Blood Upon Stone.” I’d say it’s CofL at its most comfortable. The band isn’t pushing itself to the limit, yet it’s getting a 4/5 with next to no sweat. The album is better than 95% of what’s out there. The sad part is that it has to compete with an almost flawless catalogue. It’s amazing, just a bit too safe. Kind of an album for seasoned fans.
7. The Beyond: Perhaps the band’s first breakthrough, the album is disgustingly heavy. Every track is trying to crush you with utter brutality. It’s really looking into death and despair and sinking even deeper into cold water. Only CofL can make a track like “Further” spectacular. If anything, the album is so overwhelmingly hostile that it might wear down even the most hardcore fans. The band would later develop a higher sense of patience. Yet there’s some charm in this young rage that can’t be contained.
6. A Dawn to Fear: I might get some hate for putting this one so low, but it’s not for any negative reasons. Dawn is peak CofL. The perfect balance between the early rage and the more mature sorrow of later releases. It’s also an album that’s unafraid of throwing long track after long track at you. It’s hard to pick one signature song because they’re all great. However, the concept isn’t just as engulfing as the albums I’ll talk about later on. If your friend can’t get into CofL, this is the album to get them in. And if it doesn’t work, consider breaking up with them.
Stay tuned for part two.
Metal Eclipse Reviews 