It would seem that the recent 7" single was truly an apt preview, because Jenks Miller (and band)'s newest full length explores the same combination of southern rock and black metal in further depth, with his usual penchant for disciplined minimalism and experimentation in tow. Half Blood is definitely the best rock/metal/whatever album for me this year, and anything else is going to be hard pressed to compete.
The first half of the record takes the more conventional rock direction that "On The Eclipse" did, right from the bass/guitar/organ opening of "Mithras," which wastes no time in locking itself into a memorable groove.Although it is still heavily steeped in a rhythmic sense of repetition, it feels much more dynamic than Miller’s more drone-based endeavors.
The following "Ahriman" mines similar territory: a loping, cyclic rock sound with just a bit of twang.Unlike most of the songs here, the lyrics are almost understandable, even if they are delivered with the demonic snarl that Miller has adopted from the black metal world."Arjuna" finishes up the mantra-esque metal sound, throwing in a bit more guitar soloing that stands out, but it never comes across as overly self-indulgent or masturbatory.
The remaining pieces still keep that bit of twang, but are less about convention and more about abstract ambience."Inheritance (The Changeling)" heralds its arrival with clattering percussive sounds and droning organ, eventually bringing in animalistic screams, and a funereal march of drums and piano.
The three part suite of "Hallucigenia" also opts to keep things more about texture and mood rather than headbanging-ready riffs.The first of these, "Hermetic Gifts," pairs elegant piano and almost delicate guitar playing above a bed of completely dissonant noise, each of the extremes balancing the other nicely."Spiritual Junk" initially is even more out there, focusing on clattering field recordings and distant synth static before bringing in the more conventional sounds of twangy guitar and repetitive drumming.
The expansive closer "The Emerald Tablet," returns to the disciplined repetition of The Invisible Mountain, beginning sparsely with feedback and a repetitive kick drum thump that slowly builds in complexity, adding guitar and electronics into a repeating, classically minimalist motif.
I have never been a fan of what generally is called southern rock, but Miller has integrated some of its better elements into Horseback, while keeping his penchant for rhythmic, old school minimalism.Even with the shift from Sabbath to the Allman Brothers as the musical touchstone, Half Blood is an even more fleshed out work that is as catchy as it is complex.While none of the Horseback material has been weak by any means, it has hit a high point here, and is one of those rare birds that isn’t afraid to rock out, but in an intellectually stimulating way.
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