Liturgy: Aesthetica

Label: Thrill Jockey

What’s immediately gripping about Aesthetica, the second album from Brooklyn quasi-black-metal quartet Liturgy, are the contrasts: On one hand, the densely melodic guitars and relentless bass; on the other, the uncanny screams of Hunter Hunt Hendrix. Opener “High Gold” pushes the group through shifts in tone and tempo, culminating in the series of blastbeats that bring the song to its conclusion. There, as well as on the cathartic “Tragic Laurel,” they make their grasp of volume and unsettling sonics clear. It’s elsewhere on the album, though, where they demonstrate an ability to surprise: “True Will” opens with quietly sung wordless vocal intonations, while “Helix Skull” nods in the direction of late-70s horror-film soundtracks. The sum? An impressively textured album, satisfyingly direct yet nuanced enough to keep things interesting.