Drone metal is an elusive genre. Few artists that land under that banner play the style consistently, often mingling drone and experimental sounds with doom or stoner metal. Likewise, it isn’t a widely consumed or appreciated sub-genre in the metal world. Long stretches of a few chords and amplifier hums isn’t as immediate as most metal fans prefer or as soothing as fans of ambient music prefer. On top of that, drone music, in general, isn’t particularly easy to pull off. Sure, in a sense, anyone could theoretically sustain notes and distortion for long periods of time, but making it emotive, thrilling, cleansing, or anything other than a more musical form of noise is a challenge that few artists overcome.
My own interest in the genre, as I suspect is the same of other fans, came from a love of doom metal. Listening to Sleep, Burning Witch, and Bongripper inevitably lead you to artists like Boris, Earth, and Sunn O))). For those inclined to the style, there is something therapeutic about letting loud tones wash over your senses, a meditation guided not by breathing or walking, but by the dense pulses of soundwaves obliterating thoughts and all other sensations into a trance-like mind warp. Since my infatuation with the style began some 15 years ago, I have longed for more artists to explore the genre and recreate that sonic high. Perhaps the first new act that deserves to be uttered in the same breath as the almighty Sunn O))) is this week’s featured artist: Apparitions.
Apparitions are a trio of Andrew Dougas (guitar, amplifiers), Igor Imbu (modular synthesizers), and Grant Martin (drums) who all hail from different parts of the United States. Apparitions say of their genesis:
‘The project started with a one-off show in December of 2019 in Houston, TX. Andrew and Grant conceived of one hour of music as an avenue to experiment with the combination of free improvisation and heavy drones. The musical result of this exploration was successful, so we decided to continue the exploration as a recording project during the early days of the pandemic. It was at this point that we recruited Igor, who joined us for our first record, and helped to more fully realize our sound.’
This lead to the unique process in which their debut album, Eyes Like Predatory Wealth (2022, The Garrote). Concepts and structures were conceived for the three songs on that album, but each musician recorded their parts separately without hearing the other members’ contributions. Similar to how SUMAC has done some recordings, this guided improvisation created three tracks, 10, 20, and 30 minutes long filling out an album that feels completely cohesive. ‘It was an interesting and ultimately fruitful experience,’ the band said, ‘This process essentially informed us, retroactively, of what our ensemble sound is and can be – the sum of our three unique solo voices.’
The results are entrancing. Andrew’s guitar and amplifier manipulation create ebbs of tension and release while Igor’s synth work haunts and soothes while Grant’s drums whip up a deluge of fury and texture. There are no vocals in Apparitions, allowing for each new instrumental twist to be absorbed fully and creating the sonic equivalent of impressionistic, abstract art leaving the listener pondering traditional concepts of form and structure and the complex dynamics of sound. The conceptual elements of their artistry is well informed:
‘Translating visual and poetic or theoretical concepts into sound is a fundamental aspect of the band. Mark Rothko and abstract expressionism more generally, Georges Bataille, Arthur Rimbaud, the Surrealist movement and its techniques, Diane Wakoski, the book Thought-Forms, the Bauhaus Movement, fashion designers Christophe Lemaire, Dries Van Noten and Rei Kawakubo, and visual artist/musician Faith Coloccia, who we commissioned for the album art of our full-length albums (though we’d also cite her musical output as Mamiffer as an influence as well).’
Of course, musical influences are abundant as well, Apparitions said, ‘In terms of production, sound design, and general aesthetics; Sunn O))), Sumac, The Body, and Low,’ are big touchstones. Music as adventurous as this also takes notes from;
‘jazz from the late 50’s to the 60’s; John Coltrane, Cecil Taylor, Elvin Jones, Albert Ayler, Milford Graves, Sonny Sharrock. We also draw from techniques of 20th century and contemporary composition; Morton Feldman, Witold Lutosławski, Gerard Grisey, and Georg Friedrich Haas; our name is a reference to the György Ligeti piece of the same name. Lastly, a hugely influential artist for us is a group called Mob Of Unruly Angels, a collaboration between guitarist Mike Severson and drummer Mark Guiliana. They made a few recordings about 15 years ago, which are pretty obscure at this point, but they significantly impacted the sound of our band, and we count them personally amongst our musical mentors.’
All of that is a lot to take in and draw inspiration from, but it is important to note the level of dedication to artistry and craft that inspires Apparitions‘ music, or for that matter, the artists and fans who are drawn to high-caliber experimentation. Outsiders to drone metal or experimental music are often quick to deride the styles as ‘noise’ when they hear it, especially in comparison to more pop-forward media. Something that we could all benefit from as we consume art is asking ourselves if and how does this art challenge our expectations. While we may not always want that, avoiding transgressive and unique art does not do us any favors. There is no need to voluntarily cloister yourself for the sake of comfort.
Despite distance, Apparitions have come together to record since Eyes Like Predatory Wealth in person for both a split with My Heart, An Inverted Flame and their forthcoming album, Volcanic Reality (out 3/24). Though recorded in person at Machines With Magnets with Seth Manchester, the improvisational approach remained, with most of the recordings finished in one take. ‘Recording together was always the ultimate goal, due to the improvisational nature of our performances, and post-lockdown we were finally afforded the luxury of coming together in the studio,‘ Apparitions said, ‘The composition process was different in the sense that the entire album was conceived as a whole, versus three separate pieces.’ So we can expect more cohesion, but just as much intensity. ‘The recording process felt more direct, and the performances benefitted from the shared presence of the other performers breathing the same air in the same room,’ they added.
Conceptually, Volcanic Reality seems to be rooted in a similar cloth as Eyes Like Predatory Wealth. ‘The phrase Volcanic Reality was taken from the French theorist Georges Bataille, in an article he had written for Acéphale in 1937, and speaks to our interest in his larger theoretical framework of excess and expenditure,’ the band explained. Though it isn’t entirely about lesser-known French theory,’ It’s also a subtle nod to the first Black Sabbath album to utilize down tuned guitars, Master of Reality.’ Hell, yeah. Black Sabbath rules, dudes.
Though I am writing this a few days before Volcanic Reality drops, I am very excited to hear how Apparitions continues to grow and experiment. They aren’t close to being done, either. ‘We’re planning some shows in Texas (Dallas, Houston, and Austin) near the end of May,’ they said of any upcoming live performances. ‘Our third record is almost finished, and we hope to document our live performances soon as well. We also have some killer new merch featuring a logo we commissioned Mark McCoy for, that we’re looking forward to releasing,’ they added. So be on the look out for rare live performances and new material from this uniquely heavy band. Apparitions seem to be only just beginning to make their mark in the drone and experimental metal world. Make sure to follow them on Instagram and Bandcamp for upcoming news.
Apparitions are:
Andrew Dougas – guitar, amplifiers
Igor Imbu – modular synthesizers
Grant Martin – drum set
