Light Bearer [UK/AT] †

Light Bearer formed in 2010 in London, United Kingdom, the band is an all encompassing DIY art, music and narrative project, based around a story written by their vocalist Alex, who drew influence from the writings of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, John Milton’s Paradise Lost, and the Book of Genesis. Despite the subject matter, their lyrical content is aggressively atheist/ anti theist, feminist and anti speciesism. It is an allegorical tale which directly deconstructs and derails monotheistic mythology, attacking religious ideology which has created oppressive cultural norms around gender, sexuality, race, species and progressive thought.
The band play a mixture of melodic post-hardcore, progressive metal, post-rock and ambient atmospheric drone. The songs are structured specifically to follow the narrative and therefore peak and trough in equal measure, mixing screamed desperate vocals with sung passages.

 

The story is split into four main parts, collectively known as the "Æsahættr Tetralogy", the first is Lapsus, and subsequently Silvertongue, Magisterium and finally Lattermost Sword. The narrative begins with the metaphorical casting out of the protagonist Lucifer, an angel so loyal and in love with god that he could not submit when asked to bow before humanity, personified as Adam. For this act he is banished from heaven. Here he questions the Allfather - an entity who claimed the universe as his own. In doing so he realises his master has lied, and vows to reach out from his desolation and become his namesake, amongst the other fallen angels - to pass on the torch of free will to all life in the multiple universes.
The story continues in Silvertongue, Magisterium and Lattermost Sword in which the torch is borne by the metaphorical Eve - the ancestor of humanity, her rejection of the will of the allfather, her role and the role of the prophesied second Eve. The establishment of the church and the eventual culmination and war against the patriarchal god.
Alongside the four releases are planned EPs and split records, beginning with Beyond the Infinite, The Assembly of God - an elaboration of the introduction to the first album. A second narrative runs through records not included in the four main parts, these chronicle the uprising of those opposed to the false god, recorded in the "Celestium Apocrypha". Those privy to the truth, of the natural formation of the universe and the roles assumed by the characters in the story are charged with forwarding the original word of Lucifer, they are in turn, light bearers. This begins with the "Book of Watchers".

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Records on Alerta

AA86. Light Bearer - Silver Tongue 2xLP/CD
AA86. Light Bearer - Silver Tongue 2xLP/CD
AA78. Light Bearer / Northless - Split LP/CD
AA78. Light Bearer / Northless - Split LP/CD
AA69. Light Bearer - Beyond The Infinite; The Assembly Of God LP
AA69. Light Bearer - Beyond The Infinite; The Assembly Of God LP

AA86. Light Bearer - Silver Tongue 2xLP/CD

AA86. Light Bearer - Silver Tongue 2xLP/CD

Light Bearer are not stuck in any one heavy music genre, but open to everything. What i mean by that is there is no formulaic style to the songs on this album. But to try to give an idea of where they are coming from i'd draw comparisons to unconventional post metal/hardcore bands like Isis, Red Sparowes or Amenra. The two years of development of 'Silver Tongue' has brought interrelated and interwoven changes which seamlessly merge with it's narrative. Would it be ok to ue a word like 'beautiful' with such aggressive heavy music? With a personality and style well and truly all their own. The cello goes very deep on 'Matriarch', a dark slow passage accompanied by very sorrowful singing. Which leads into a crow like vocal sound on the opening of 'Clarus', but switches to a church like hmyn. These passages lead nicely into a more controntational 'Aggressor & Usurper' which has a real decent ascent and descent throughout. Like an orchestral piece this song has changes which go from a macabre sounding piano and violin. Then to real all out frenzied coarse type hardcore. The final 'Silver Tongue' starts in a completely different manner. It could even be radio friendly in the very beginning. But like a symphony it has changes from a very layererd slow pulsating heavy harcore rhythm to an ambiance with orchestral like percussion. Light Bearer have now set a high standard other band will have to struggle to match.


Pressing Details:
Vinyl:
First Press (02-04-2013): 100x clear, 100x amber with black haze, 100x + 1300x black, housed in a gatefold cover, printed innersleeves, Artwork by ALEX CF
Second Press (08.09.2015): 150x clear with black haze + 350x black Vinyl, housed in a gatefold cover, printed innersleeves, Artwork by ALEX CF

CD (02.04.2013): 1000x CD in a 6-Panel Digipack, Artwork by ALEX CF

 


Tracklist:
A1. Beautiful is This Burden
B1. Amalgam
B2. Matriarch
C1. Clarus
C2. Agressor And Usurper
D1. Silver Tongue

AA78. Light Bearer / Northless - Split LP/CD

AA78. Light Bearer / Northless - Split LP/CD

LIGHT BAERER features Alex from FALL OF EFRAFA on vocals and people from the old english hardcore band DUNGEONS! LIGHT BEARER is a concept band from the south east of England. Bringing together long standing friends and new allies in an attempt to create a musical project, mixing their love of ambient post rock, post metal, beats, noise and experimental soundscapes. The concept itself borrows from The His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman, Paradise Lost by John Milton and The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri For Fans of Envy, Sigur Ros, Aphex Twin, Mouth Of The Architect, 65 Days Of Static, Neurosis!

NORTHLESS is a four piece band from Milwaulkee, Wisconsin who formed in 2007. Northless plays amazing music that incorporates elements of post metal, doom metal, and sludge within their sound. The band cites bands such as Neurosis, Khanate, Bloodlet, His Hero Is Gone, Will Haven, King Crimson, Breadwinner, Coalesce, Gorguts, Swans, Godflesh, Eyehategod, Crowbar, Soilent Green, and Drudkh as influences. Northless will definitely appeal to fans of bands such as Thou, Black September and Light Bearer. Their songs feature downtuned, glacially heavy, sludge filled riffing, mammoth drumming, harsh/strained vocals, and wall of noise basslines. Highly recommended! Enjoy!

Pressing Details European Pressing (15.07.2012): 100x grey, 100x clear, 100x white and 1200x black Vinyl, all 180gram, housed in a beautiful gatefold cover, Artwork by ALEX CF

Tracklist:
A1. Northless – Tears from Crime
A2. Northless – For As Long As You Shall Walk The Earth...
B1. Light Bearer – Celestium Apocrypha; Book Of Watchers

AA69. Light Bearer - Beyond The Infinite; The Assembly Of God LP

AA69. Light Bearer - Beyond The Infinite; The Assembly Of God LP

The B-Side comes with an amazing silk screen picture!!! Light Bearer formed in 2010 in London, United Kingdom, featuring ex and current members of Plague Mass, Momentum and Fall of Efrafa. The band is an all encompassing DIY art, music and narrative project, drawing influence from the writings of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, John Milton’s Paradise Lost, and the Book of Genesis. Despite the subject matter, their lyrical content is aggressively atheist/ anti theist, feminist and anti speciesism. It is an allegorical tale which directly deconstructs and derails monotheistic mythology, attacking religious ideology which has created oppressive cultural norms around gender, sexuality, race, species and progressive thought. The band plays a mixture of melodic post-hardcore, progressive metal, post-rock and ambient atmospheric drone. The songs are structured specifically to follow the narrative and therefore peak and trough in equal measure, mixing screamed desperate vocals with sung passages.


Pressing Details:
Vinyl:
First Press (10-03-2011): 549x black Vinyl with purple silkscreened B-side, printed innersleeves, Artwork by ALEX CF
Second Press (20.06.2012): 508x black Vinyl with grey silkscreened B-side, printed innersleeves, Artwork by ALEX CF
Third Press (15.11.2014): 500x black Vinyl with black silkscreened B-side, printed innersleeves, Artwork by ALEX CF


Tracklist:
A1. Beyond The Infinite; The Assembly Of God