The Body – Christs, Redeemers – Limited Edition, Double Clear Vinyl, LP, Thrill Jockey, 2023
2xLP presented in a gatefold jacket with printed inner sleeves and free download card.
“There’s heaviness. There’s brutality. Then there’s The Body.” – Metal Sucks
“From its morbid and sonically insane noise-wall backdrop, blood-throated, six feet under screams, stadium-sized death-grip riffs, symphonic arrangements and pummeling drums torture, The Body has reached its terror epic apex.” – Noisey
The Body, hailed as one of the most brutal bands on the planet, crafts relentless music that transcends traditional notions of harshness and violence. Since 2004, duo Chip King and Lee Buford have redefined metal by blending doom and black metal with noise, avant-garde composition, and experimental electronics. Their latest album, Christs, Redeemers, dives deeper into themes of misanthropy and despair, creating a soundscape of foreboding and isolation.
The album opens with haunting atmospherics and builds into the crushing dirge of “To Attempt Openness,” featuring collaborators like the Assembly of Light Choir. Unexpected noise bursts and eerie samples heighten tension, while the duo masterfully alternates between punishing volume and ominous silence. King’s panic-stricken screams, paired with bleak lyrics like “Life worthless and devoid of any meaning,” anchor the band’s aesthetic, while Buford’s drums oscillate between chaos and control.
Recorded at Machines With Magnets in Pawtucket, RI, the album features diverse contributors, including the Assembly of Light Choir, noise artist Work/Death, and Ryan Seaton of Callers. King and Buford act as both musicians and auteurs, constructing their nightmarish vision. Christs, Redeemers marks another step into the unknown, with an extensive U.S. tour planned for the fall.
