Larvae is by far Sutekh Hexen’s most diverse and complex work to date.  What I usually expect from this outfit is a large electric curtain of impenetrable guitar and noise that’s embroidered with inscrutable screeches. However, we find ourselves somewhere else with Larvae. It is a dark and mysterious wonderland. The album title makes my skin crawl as I hear it come alive throughout these three insectified tracks that total a half hour. For example, the first track is “Isvar Savasana” which opens with the unsettling rattling, cracking, and scuttling of what I perceive as insect legs over an eerie ambiance. It evokes the nesting and wriggling of squirmy bugs, which just gets me squirmy all over just thinking about it. In addition, screeches accompany the movement, giving a voice to the little critters. After about two and a half minutes some Locrian-esque dismal guitar chords get strummed as the mood really sets in. That goes on for maybe another minute and a half and then a pummeling blitzkrieg of thrash and typical Sutekh Hexen vocals come in. But then, a minute after that the track explodes into an all-out attack with Dwid Hellion (Integrity) type shouted vocals. I’m not so used to that style from Sutekh Hexen, but nevertheless here it is. It then winds down into an ambient drone for a short while. Then, it changes again to a typical Sutekh Hexen climate with its usual downpour of blackened reverb. Then, the other vocals kick in again and I’m kept guessing. I can’t believe how wild that track was as it kept reinventing itself continuously for almost ten minutes! The second track, called “Lead Us in Warfare” is kind of like a cross between their usual style and a slower doomy dirge. It chugs along with low-end guitar sludge. It’s a good interlude between the first and last tracks. It’s the shortest at about five and a half minutes. The third track is “La Det Bli Lys” which returns us to the ambiance of darkness and dampness that creepy crawlies call home. It has a metal folk quality with the simple and sporadic strum of guitar. Over the guitar balladry is the muffle of subtly spoken lyrics. It almost takes me back to something like Dwid Hellion’s Roses Never Fade project. As the track progresses there’s various added background noise that sounds like the tick-tock of an antiquated clock and other whispers from the shadows. This all lasts for over ten minutes and then there’s another guitar blast that casts its net over you and squeezes tight. The guitar grip gets looped into a white-knuckled crush as the cold wind of whispered growls blows through the track. It ends with some deconstructed crunch.
Overall, I get the impression that Sutekh Hexen really made a bold move for this sophomore LP. With most second efforts, bands either sink or swim. Usually, the monotony of an identical second album can kill an artist, but then changing the formula too much from the standard that a debut sets can be risky too. I think Sutekh Hexen really did change up their formula with this one. In my opinion, it works for the most part though. But, I can imagine that there are some other fans who would disagree. Sutekh Hexen does try to stay enough within the parameters of their genre, which I think would still please most of their loyal listeners. I would say that Larvae is Sutekh Hexen’s attempt at a Locrian-like avant-metal that’s all their own. I’ve heard their third full-length, Behind the Throne, which is more familiar and fits in well with their other work. This makes me breathe a sigh of relief with the assurance that Larvae didn’t begin a huge departure for them. However, Larvae is a nice representation of the spectrum that they can do. I’d be interested to hear from the band themselves exactly what their statement was when they made the album. It would help me appreciate it a lot more.
The CD version that I have is pretty awesome. It comes in a DVDigipack that has amazing allover art. It’s matte with some spots that have a sheen to them thanks to spot varnish, like the band logo, etc. Of course, the art comes to us courtesy of one of the members, Kevin Gan Yuen, as well as Dwid Hellion himself. If you’re lucky, you can grab one of the limited edition of three hundred vinyl. Two hundred are black but one hundred are sexy clear with pink splatter. I understand that Analog Worship is also working on getting this sure-to-be classic onto tape soon, as well. You’ve got your pick of formats. Whether you drop the needle, skip to the first track, or punch play on your deck, you’re bound to have fun with this one.
