Jucifer

An original take on the "rock duo” spectacle that has engulfed the music industry over the past few years, Jucifer have actually been belting out their brand of pop/prog-influenced metal for almost 15 years. Utilising Amber Valentine’s ability to switch from whispering beauty to wailing banshee as a means of transferring the band between aural dichotomies, Jucifer treat otherwise pointed rock tunes with a Frankenstein approach: normal just isn’t right… you gotta meld the strangest of the strange. This ideology drags songs out of expected territory on If Thine Enemy Hunger, creating beyond four-minute epics that swirl in bouts of Sonic Youth static, Melvins’ raging oddball attack and High On Fire’s steamrolling, rumbling groove. Overall, the album can be a touch of a trying listen as Valentine and cohort Edgar Livengood prefer the weird over the rockin’, creating an atmosphere where one is waiting for the next twist as opposed to feeling out the rhythm. Over time though, even the awkward Nirvana noise of "Antietam” and "Lucky Ones Burn” becomes appealing when contrasted by the lilting beauty of "My Benefactor.” You just need to familiarise yourself with the band’s even more out-there ramblings before sentiments of comfort set in.