Geist and the Sacred Ensemble are a tough band to pigeonhole.  To even call them a band seems like an oversimplification, when they’re more of a collective or organization, combining music, aesthetic and ideology seamlessly into one amoeba-like unit.  Take one part Swans, one part Inter Arma, one part Ulver and one part Crass and you might come close to what Waning Hymns sounds like.  Then again, maybe not.  It’s an album that begs a deeper dive than just seeing what box it can be shoved into, a whole greater than just the sum of its influences. Continue reading →