Date Released: September 30th 2022. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD
Counting Blessings On Broken Fingers: Tracklisting
Dizzy
Private Pain Made Public
While The Iron's Hot
In Awe And In Anger
Making My Peace
Kirkane
That Was Then And This Is Now
Long Nights On Slow Trains
Sacrosanct
Members
Aaron DC Edge - Everything
Review
Counting Blessings On Broken Fingers is the new album by The Lumbar Endeavor who used to go under the moniker of Lumbar about a decade ago. Back then Aaron DC Edge was helped by Mike Scheidt (YOB) and Tad Doyle on their debut album. Aaron has recently reimanged that album under The Lumbar Endeavour which is quite a different beast when compared to the original.
However, I'm here reviewing the "true" new album from The Lumbar Endeavor and it's a nightmarish or gloomy mix of Industrial Metal, Doom Metal, Sludge Metal and even Stoner Metal with dark twisted Ambient noises that creates an unsettling atmosphere from the very first opening riff of opening song Dizzy.
DIzzy is a frantic and gloriously LOUD and VIOLENT style of Industrial based Doom/Sludge Metal with Aaron's frantic, aggressive and harsh vocals being too real and believable with vocals you can easily understand. The instrumental work can be quite relentless but Aaron plays a great mix of different styles with harsh atmospherics but always warmly engaging in places. Parts NIN, Neurosis and THOU with some Stoner based riffage that sounds dynamic and wholly original.
Second song Private Pain Made Public carries on that style of music but with a heavy digitised and industrial based Psychedelic sound that feels quite mechanical but still allowing Aaron the opportunity to play fantastic riffs and extended jams. The vocals are harsh yet again but I fully understood what Aaron was shouting about The lyrics are deeply personal for Aaron and none so more here with his long standing medical condition of Multiple Sclerosis. A brave and bold choice for Aaron to make to chronicle his personal journey through the power of music. A frantic style of aggressive grooves fades into darkness that leaves the Sludge Metal environment quiet for a few solemn moments before the next heavy round appears.
Third song While The Iron's Hot brings perhaps a Blackened Doom/Sludge sound to the album but the eerie Stoner and Industrial vibes become ever more real when the song takes a Post-Metallic turn. The down-tuned and screeching glitches still grow into extended guitar jams that maybe too extreme for some but this is some mighty fine creative instrumental work from Aaron.
The album only lasts for around thirty five minutes but feels longer and that's a compliment to Aaron's overall creative vision for making an album that feels longer and never wastes a second in playing a different style of music that moves further into Ambient and Sonic based sounds on the later stages of the album.
Other standout tracks are: In Awe And In Anger, Making My Peace, That Was Then And This Is Now and Sacrosanct. This is where The Lumber Endeavour go even further with their dark and twisted Industrial sounds. The music can be quite gloomy and progressive in places with Aaron remaining true to himself with both the excellent harsh vocals and bleak lyrics contained on this album. The music is experimental with the digitised elements working superbly well with the more straight forward Metal based grooves.
Production is excellent with Aaron handling all of the recording duties himself along with being responsible for all of the instruments and other wonderful sounds that appear on the album.
We may have waited the best part of a decade for new music from The Lumbar Endeavor but this has most definitely been worth the wait. As this album stands alongside his classic debut release and perhaps be considered a better release especially with the whole creative composition of the album. This is a raw, intense, aggressive and beautifully realised bleak vision from an artist that everyone should check out now.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words by Steve Howe
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