Khanate

Khanate, consisting of Stephen O'Malley, James Plotkin, Alan Dubin and Tim Wyskida, (all known for being members of other slow punishing sonic death-type rumbling ambient bands), should be put on the FBI’s "ones to watch” list. Things Viral comes off and out of the speakers like a very deliberate (did I forget to say evil?) record that is meant to torture the listener in a therapeutic way, much like the LSD experiments on actor Cary Grant back when. This album is more upfront than, say, Sunn O)))'s and Earth's are, containing some of the same elements — droning guitars, long tracks similar in timing and pace like it has geographically taken Earth's crust to shift to where it is now etc. Occasionally moments of divine intervention stab the sonic affair in the form of odd little out of place noises that make the silence in between the notes even more damning. When the voice — (that voice!) kicks in, the listener gets strapped to wherever they are at that moment and thus begins their therapy. The voice, which I swear almost speaks in tongues, has that perfect whiny mid-range Linda Blair meets Bon Scott pitch that is so universal that it specifically conforms to your brainwaves and flushes out the worst nightmares you've ever had. Sort of like being presented with images of the worst moments of your life (and fears) right before your eyes before you expire. Listening to this is like being taught a lesson. It’s the most effective album in years to have such an effect, daresay even on a naysayer.