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Mar 18, 2014 Issue #49 - February/March 2014 - Portlandia By JR Moores

Since venting all his mature and folky instincts on 2011’s solo LP Demolished Thoughts, Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore has not only U-turned into rockier territory but also made tentative steps into the uncharted world of proper-mega-heavy-shit. He’s remoulded his backing band into the crunching, punky Chelsea Light Moving, collaborated with deafening desert-noise crew Porn, and now he’s gone and hooked up with black metal supergroup Twilight. (Just don’t say “midlife crisis”).

As the Porn shows demonstrated, Moore’s signature guitar style works rather well when fused to the pummelling audio revolutions of big hairy blokes in dark clothing. Most of these tracks are lengthy hollows of bleak, epic intensity, with Moore’s hip, gonzo skree-shapes evoking those of Sonic Youth’s meatiest record, Dirty. Though he adds unique textures, it’s not all about the guest star. Even without Moore this would’ve been a superbly-executed vast, dark dollop of experi-metal. Shame that they’re already splitting up. (www.facebook.com/TwilightBlackMetal)

Author rating: 7/10