Bury Them and Keep Quiet/Lust Hag – Split (Review)

This is a split between two solo US black metal acts – Bury Them and Keep Quiet and Lust Hag.

Bury Them and Keep Quiet start us off with two tracks, with a total duration of 14 minutes.

Delusional is a powerhouse of aggression and atmosphere. It’s a 10-minute journey that combines exquisite otherworldly synths with modern blackened hostility and impressive songcraft. Delusional is a work by an artist that knows what she’s doing, and the song serves up a storm of knives and ambient darkness. Having said all of that, I also like that this is a multifaceted piece, with a shoegaze/post-rock section that’s just sublime. Vocally we get murderous screams, with some occasional clean singing, both well-performed.

Only Time is an Enya cover. It’s very much a furious black metal cover, but does come with beautiful ethereal singing. I like it a lot.

My first encounter with Bury Them and Keep Quiet has been a very positive one, and I can’t wait to hear more.

Now we turn to Lust Hag, a definite favourite find of mine from this year. Like Bury Them and Keep Quiet’s side, this one has a 14-minute duration, and consists of a 10-minute original and an Enya cover.

A Long Awaited Arrival opens with a dirge-like organ that progresses into a layered synth-piece, before embracing the sort of blackened doom metal that’s instantly engaging. It’s yet another sign that the artist behind Lust Hag just continues to update her skills and abilities, and I’ve been very fortunate to witness her development over the last few releases. The song continues to provide the sort of Lust Hag experience that I want – otherworldly synths, a massive feast of riffs, frenzied screams, and esoteric atmosphere. That there’s also a healthy doom element is just icing on the cake.

The Enya cover here is I Want Tomorrow, a scathing black metal assault of rage and aggression, with curiously calm synths. It’s an interesting juxtaposition that is not uncommon in Lust Hag’s work, but here feels especially pronounced in places. Top work.

I have never yet been let down by Lust Hag, and this split is no different.

I thoroughly enjoy exploring split releases when I can. I find them a great way to discover new bands and/or catch up with old friends. This one offers the best of both worlds – new Lust Hag material, but also a great find in Bury Them and Keep Quiet.

Don’t miss out on this.