Nine Circles

Receiving the Evcharist is our weekly feature where we pair choice albums with our favorite libations. Drink from the cup of heresy. This week’s offering: Lantlôs’ Wildhund and Paso Dragon Cabernet Sauvignon

_

The Tunes: Lantlôs’ Wildhund

Lantlôs are a rare band that has achieved success through constant reinvention. From becoming one of the founding fathers of the modern ‘post-black metal’ sound on .neon (one of this humble author’s favorite albums of all time, bar none) to the light-dappled sludge of Melting Suns, which saw the band ditch all semblances of black metal entirely, there doesn’t seem to be a style of music that Markus Siegenhort is incapable of making his own. Wildhund is the next step in this state of constant evolution. While there are obvious sonic ties to Melting Sun, from the thick downtuned guitar and stuttering synchopation of the riffs to the copious use of effects, on Wildhund the end result is something that feels only tangentially connected to the band’s past as a metal act. Here, Lantlôs lean into shoegaze and rock influences, picking up the tempo on the songs considerably and creating walls of gloriously hazy atmosphere through reverb-drenched vocals and the aforementioned chunky guitars. The twelve songs here are the most catchy and inventive the band have ever been, and this is the same band that threw noir jazz sections into their black metal. Wildhund is an album that very few other bands could have pulled off the same way, yet somehow this band keeps sticking the landing every time.

_

The Booze: Paso Dragon Cabernet Sauvignon

I thought it might be a good time for another wine week here; this time around we’ve got something from just about three and a half hours north of where I’m currently sitting. Paso Dragon hails from Paso Robles, CA (hence the name) and is a lovely cabernet sauvignon. I am drinking the 2018 vintage, which is incredibly fruit forward, with lots of bright berry and cherry notes and a full, lush body. This wine hits a mid point between a lot of different tastes, and would be great all-purpose table wine; it’s easy to drink and even easier to love.

_

Cheers, and be good to each other,

– Vincent