Review: Botanist Solidify Love of Plants with New Release Paleobotany

‘Green metal’ outfit Botanist and its singular mastermind Otrebor is back with a new slate of avant-garde metal titled Paleobotany, and the latest in its ongoing series of love and dedication to plants is as experimental, heavy, and focused on nature as one would hope.

Out this Friday, May 17 via Prophecy Productions, this record has a lot of weird instrumentation, which is something the project’s been known for over the years. Utilizing instruments like a 110-string hammered dulcimer, the combination of sounds and atmosphere amplify the weird and wonderful tones found within the band’s latest effort.

Like most records from Botanist, there aren’t really singles or standout tracks, more an overall flow of music that works well together and conjures up a somber, reverent mood and feeling. Things kick off with “Aristolochia,” which is quite melodic for the band, though still very sad-sounding, mixing clean and harsh vocals. “When Forests Turned to Coal” has an epic, poetic name and some really interesting sounds that clash in a thought-provoking way. “Archaeamphora” is another standout track, almost proggy in moments and very memorable.

This time around, Botanist takes a more experimental approach to things. “The Impact That Built the Amazon” features some piano and a lot of ancient history, which is a strange and wonderful combination. “Sigillaria” is perhaps the best use of clean vocals on the album, adding a softness to the overall record. While it’s definitely possible to put this whole record on and just vibe and have it as background music, there are also moments that make you sit up and pay attention.

Another memorable moment is “Dioon,” which is dissonant and heavy, mixed with lilting piano and keyboards but still one of the most crushing tracks on the record. Closer “Royal Protea” is possibly one of my favorite moments, ending on an almost uplifting note. I like to think of it as reminding us that the world is in a dark place right now, but if we actually pay attention and take care of our environment, things could slowly start to get better.

Botanists’ Paleobotany is out May 17 via Prophecy Productions. Preorder the album here.