Yoga are the manifestation of utterly frightening subjective culminations put to sound. I remember when i was an 11 year old kid the first time I had heard Slayer “hell awaits” and the intro seeping in through the beginning of the album as if the devil himself was being summoned into my room. It scared the shit out of me and brought a sense of panic that was only somewhat relieved by the pounding, underwhealming thrash that followed.
Yoga is anything but underwhealming, and it will certainly scare the shit out of you and induce a state of panic while listening to it… Without very much information on Yoga out there little is known on the band. Apparently there are two individuals who put to life the menace and torment that gleams throughout “Megafauna”. As per the bands myspace and last fm pages they are inspired by “cryptozoology and all things unexplained”. Although with Yoga Im inclined to think that it doesnt really matter what inspires the music, but the effectiveness with which it is delivered.
“Megafauna” is an album that is always in flux between basement black metal sensibility, and thick, complex layers of repetitive noise, droning, and mesmerism. While the music is scary in itself as the melodies are awkward and mysterious, what may be the actual fear inducing quality of the is the appearance of intention to put the listener into a trance. All too often throughout “Megafauna” I find myself disturbed by the use of repetitive sound that comes across as if the attempt is to put a spell on me. While obviously music is a type of magic in-itself, and Im not actually worried I will be put under some evil curse- the fact that I get to have that feeling at all is a beautiful thing!
There is something human and appealing to society about wanting to have the elevation of fright and the sensation of being scared shitless. Why else the existence of horror movies, and television shows about people catching ghosts? Yoga appeals to this instinct without flaw, and in one of the most fine examples of it put to music in quite some time… I can make one type of analogy and say “imagine Swans, Neurosis, and Mayhem stretched out on the rack, ripped down to bare essence and eliminated of all pretention or rock n roll stupidity and you have Yoga.” But the better way to go would be to say listen for yourself, and DON’T DO IT at a time when you are vulnerable and its the dead of a winter night while you are all alone.
Matthew Kinne
VITALS:
Release: 2009
Label: Holy Mountain
Avantgenre: Zoophilic Yoni Metal
Duration: 99:99
Origin: Bermuda Triangle
Official site: None
Review online since: 23.06.2010 / 20:54:54
| TRACKLIST:
01 – Seventh Mind |
Leave a Reply