Detroit composer and guitar player, Anthony Lipari, has returned once again to challenge our ears, releasing a new album this past October which is appropriately tinged with terror. Fans of the legendary horror game, Amnesia, will immediately recognize the title of the new album, Brennenburg. His project, Thoren, released their self-titled, instrumental debut in November of 2014, which at the time of this writing, is "Name Your Price" on their Bandcamp page and it would be a crime not to download this incredible work.
Brennenburg, their follow up, while no less technical, isn't quite as colorful or dynamic as their self-titled debut, but makes up for it by being so terrifyingly dissonant and cold as one would expect from an album taking its name from one of the most horrifying games ever made. It's certainly not an easy listen. It's certainly not for everyone, even the majority of metalheads. This album is black, icy, bleak, and sharp like the rusty forgotten amputation knives of a condemned insane asylum. The simile sounds hyperbolic and maybe silly, but give it a listen and tell me that's not accurate. This album is as abstract and discordant as it gets and should be on loop to fully digest. Lipari twists and breaks the limits of theory and melody. It's truly nasty sounding stuff that needs to be heard to be believed.
Joining Lipari is Joseph Paquette on bass guitar, and Christopher Burrows on drums, but most of you will know him behind the kit of Coma Cluster Void. John Strieder, also of Coma, provides a guest guitar solo as well as the cover art for Brennenburg.
Download both Brennenburg and their self-titled debut here.