Genevieve’s “Escapism”: Are You Afraid of the Stark?

Janky, stark production gives me a hard-on when applied to the right music. It’s obviously not right for all bands; Origin don’t need to sound like they were recorded in a basement, or be mixed to sound like they were recorded in a basement. But with the right mix of brute force and mind-warp, that scathing stripped-down sound can be very cool.

We recently received a promo for Maryland experimental black metal band Genevieve, and while their album as a whole has different flavors of production value throughout, their starkness is what sets them apart. Their vicious blasts of cacophony are broken up with these desperate moments of raw emotion that channel unhinged menace in a compelling way. Think Krallice broken up by Scarlet with some really dilapidated production value going on.

Listen to “Charnel Flow” below. Genevieve’s full-length debut Escapism comes out October 23rd via Grimoire Records.