YODOK III- ‘This Earth We Walk Upon’
This is about as slow a burn as you can get. Touted as post-rock for fans of Cult of Luna and Godspeed You! Black Emperor, there is only slight connective tissue to the genre here. Instead ‘This Earth…’ finds the artists formerly known as Yodok (they gained the III when multi-instrumentalist Kristoffer Lo and drummer Tomas Järmyr invited celebrated ambient guitarist Dirk Serries into their ranks) unfurl a single track for over an hour, incorporating dark ambience, pharaonic swells, tribal rhythms, furious noise and classical weight. There are guitars and drums, yes, but tuba and flugabone too. That might all sound incredibly indulgent but it’s difficult to find a part of this that doesn’t belong, that’s here only for the sake of itself. Obviously some degree of patience, or at least spare time, is required to let it all wash over you, to fall in love with it, but that is exactly what it’s equipped to do. A bold, hypnotic effort from a rare group.
