Extreme music has the ability to be a powerful mode of expression for feelings of absolute bliss, overwhelming love, and awe-inspiring sublimity. Extreme emotions no less and those which black metal quartet Agriculture, a recent signing to The Flenser, evokes with its ecstatic subversion of the sub-genre’s tropes.
Daniel Meyer from the band was quoted when interviewed by The Fader as saying “At its best, extreme music is about pushing every aspect of the musical experience towards something that feels like a limit. On a musical level, that might involve playing hella fast, super-dense textures, detuned guitars, impossible drumming, and screaming. But it’s also the live show, which can involve moshing, weird dancing, or just the act of listening to something so intense. In the past, even though a lot of artists have used these techniques to describe horrible aspects of the human experience, the live shows are often scenes of communal ecstasy. I bet that anyone who has ever been to a good black or death metal show can attest to the sense of catharsis and joy that comes from gathering to listen to such intense music.”
