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Up to this point, Jute Gyte<\/strong> has made an almost annual tradition of releasing the boldest black metal album of the year. With this project, multi-instrumentalist Adam Kalmbach has channeled the black metal blueprint through classical composition techniques\u2014microtonality<\/a> and serialism<\/a>, primarily\u2014and paired the results with elements of dark ambient, industrial, and noise. His recent output has been particularly exceptional, with our staff bestowing high praise on albums like Perdurance<\/a><\/em> (2016), The Sparrow<\/a><\/em> (2017), and Oviri<\/a><\/em> (2017). Each release is challenging and rewarding in its own way, as Kalmbach continuously reconstructs his music around different ideas.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a rare, rewarding feat when an already ambitious artist manages to enhance their music further, which is exactly what Jute Gyte has accomplished on Birefringence<\/em>. While Kalmbach still employs advanced compositional concepts with these tracks, he revealed via Bandcamp that \u201cthis album was written more freely than the last few.\u201d As a result of that, Birefringence<\/em> is far and away Jute Gyte\u2019s strongest release in recent memory. \u00a0The album just as experimental as Kalmbach\u2019s back catalog while also boasting a fresh, varied approach that makes its density all the more worthwhile to parse out.<\/p>\n First, let\u2019s address the elephant in the room regarding the ability of listeners to \u201cget\u201d Jute Gyte\u2019s music. I\u2019ll openly admit to my limited background with music theory, which is why I was happy to link to articles explaining microtonality and serialism rather than attempting to explain them myself. Yet, despite Jute Gyte\u2019s incredible complexity, Kalmbach\u2019s approach to songcraft produces music that\u2019s universally enjoyable to those with an affinity for avant-garde music. Regardless of your own musical background, his compositions should strike you as intriguing and stimulating, making for an inherently worthwhile listening experience.<\/p>\n For instance, Kalmbach developed album opener \u201cAngelus Novus\u201d with \u201call pitches and some rhythms\u201d serialized. While I can\u2019t dissect precisely what that means, I can elaborate on the chaotic black metal maelstrom that\u2019s produced as a result. A flurry of atonal notes and manic drumming coalesce into a disorienting swirl of noise, adorned with blackened shrieks from Kalmbach. It\u2019s an admittedly jarring experience that could very well alienate some listeners. Yet, for anyone who enjoys bands like Deathspell Omega<\/strong> and wants to kick it up a notch, Jute Gyte is the perfect place to start and end your search. Though Kalmbach has proven this point time and time again over the years, \u201cAngelus Novus\u201d once again reinforces this narrative with perhaps even more urgency than before.<\/p>\n From there, the album twists and turns though truly surprising territory, even by Jute Gyte\u2019s standards. If I\u2019d ever imagined what microtonal blackgaze would sound like, I bet \u201cDissected Grace\u201d would be a better manifestation than my prediction. The track follows a post-rock\/shoegaze style song progression, with a hushed arpeggio exploding into a reverb-soaked crescendo. In typical Jute Gyte fashion, the quasi-melody dissipates into the darkness of atonality, as the latter half of the 15-minute behemoth is defined by cacophony and dissonance.<\/p>\n Kalmbach distills this down into creepy, standalone guitar chords plucked repetitively amid dark soundscapes. This continues on \u201cProsopons,\u201d an equally unsettling track comprised of echoing guitar progressions, sporadic drumming, and effect-laden vocals. As the tempo picks up, Kalmbach marries his atonal guitarwork with a generous dose of heavy riffing in the background. It\u2019s much more of a mid-paced, somewhat brutal affair, which churns and burns with continual motion and evolution.<\/p>\n Similar to \u201cDissected Grace,\u201d the track essentially becomes a dark ambient track as it draws to a close. Skittering samples and noise keep the proceedings mystifying throughout; that is, until Kalmbach erupts with a straight-up, pummeling breakdown. It\u2019s a shocking development, more so because I never expected to hear such a conventional motif in Jute Gyte\u2019s music. Yet, the choice pays off beautifully, making for one of the album\u2019s finest moments and a spectacular finish for the track.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Unformed Volcanic Earth\u201d expands the album\u2019s dark ambient leanings into a full 12-minute experience, leading into a further development of this concept on the amazingly-titled \u201cThe Foam That Flows from the Mouths of Wild Boars.\u201d It\u2019s a subdued industrial ballad of sorts, almost akin to a more reserved Nine Inch Nails<\/strong> track. The haunting beauty and simplicity of the track are striking and offer continued variety and respite on the album.<\/p>\n Before too long, album closer \u201cNew Plastic\u201d resumes the album\u2019s dissonance, with a refined noise burst more in line with an experimental modern classical piece. In hindsight, the album implodes on itself, slowly easing out of the black metal foundation and embracing the darker sonic influences that inform Kalmbach\u2019s songwriting.<\/p>\n A dense, challenging album warrants a verbose, overly long review, but I\u2019ll conclude my thoughts for now. Birefringence<\/em> is an exceptional achievement for Jute Gyte and arguably the finest avant-garde metal album of the year. Despite having little to nothing to prove, Kalmbach continues to push his songwriting into new directions with every release, resulting in a master class in synthesizing a diverse crop of ideas into a cohesive, rewarding album. There\u2019s no sugarcoating the fact this is an uninviting listen, but those who brave the musical intensity will discover expert innovation within metal\u2019s already expansive blueprint.<\/p>\n