Band – Lurk
Album – Fringe
Country of Origin – Finland
Genre – Atmospheric Sludge Metal
Release Date – August 5, 2018
Label – Transcending Obscurity Records
Author – Hayduke X
Creatures claw out of the depths of your id, creatures of whose existence you were completely unaware. Lurk calls them forth with dark words of encouragement, woven into the texture of the second level of hell. These creatures stagger across your waking mind with malevolent lopsided grins across their fanged maws. Come and play, they whisper, learing, and you find you want to. You want to feel their sensuously vile touch weave across your body. You want to join them at their dark masquerade.
Hailing from Finland, Lurk is the latest musical master to grace us with heavy sounds through Transcending Obscurity Records. K. Nurmi (drums), uses syncopation and pace to drag you on the journey into the depths of your inner darkness. A. Pulkkinen (guitars, synthesizer) uses riffs and melody to weave the near invisible web trapping you in place throughout your travels. K. Koskinen (vocals) uses both clean and harsh styles to whisper evil nothings in your ear. Last, but not least, E. Nurmi (bass) pushes where the drums pull, creating a tension and a sense of dis-ease. The overall effect is marvelously, salaciously dark and grim, like forbidden love with the undead.
The closest musical kin I can put my finger on for this release is Neurosis. I’m not claiming they’re a clone, far from it in fact. I just can’t think of anyone else making atmospheres that are simultaneously so lush and so bleak, music so enticingly beautiful and so grimly dark. It is hard to describe Fringe. Words fail to capture it, though I tried above. The most I can say is that you need to immerse yourself in this. You won’t be disappointed.
Recommendation – Hell yes!
Rating – 4.5/5
Biography: Hayduke X has been writing for MoshPitNation since June of 2016. Prior to joining the MoshPitNation team, Hayduke published reviews on his own blog Rage and Frustration. In addition, he has DJ’ed an online metal radio show of the same name as his blog, written for TOmetal.com, done interviews for Metal Rules, and collaborated with The Art of B productions to create video interviews with a wide variety of bands.
