Talk Show - Anhedonic Renaissance
Unlike The Politics of Passion (2021), Anhedonic Renaissance features a more austere album cover. While the presentation has greatly improved within the few short months between releases, the songwriting has greatly diminished.
This is partly because the album takes a more tranquil gothic approach à la Lingua Ignota. Unfortunately, the vocalist does not quite have the vocal presence to tie the songs together such as the formerly mentioned artist. Not even the soundscapes are anything to write home about. MANAGED DECLINE is a boring instrumental opener and a poor start to the album. The focus on ambient is even more tedious on SUPERIOR DEFORMATION. OILED NIGHT OF THE SOUL fluffs about throughout its entire runtime and hardly offers anything new to the table. 三星堆 is a tiresome industrial EDM track in disguise. ALLEGORICAL MANIPULATOR is another dud. Abrasive vocal deliveries are incomprehensible among a thrilling soundscape that somehow manages to be suspenseful and dull simultaneously. Seemingly, the mixing brings the quality of the track down. VANISHING SERPENT is a pleasant surprise and the album’s only saving grace; not only is the rippling soundscape design commendable, but its progression subtle and fitting. Sadly, it ends without purpose. The same brilliant sound design can be heard on the final track NETWORKED CONTAGION, another track greatly marred by its poor songwriting.
Perhaps Anhedonic Renaissance could have worked better had it found the middle ground between The Politics of Passion’s brutalness and the current album’s maniacal serenity. While I approach the artist exploring a completely different terrain, it’s not done reverently well. Respectfully, it does score some points in the innovation department, though it suffers greatly in the enjoyability one. As a result, I can’t recommend it, though I hope the artist keeps trying in future.
Below Average
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Anhedonic Renaissance
