More about: Dean Blunt

London-based sonic provocateur Dean Blunt has been going about the steady business of creating one of contemporary British music's most innovative catalogues for a decade now, and—as those familiar with his output will well know—he has so far resisted the urge to display any definable sentimentalism in his work.

Idiosyncratic (and, at times, self-referential) though his catalogue has always been, the high-brow conceptualisations that have tended to inform his output are the same impulses which have kept him moving forwards without any discernible desire to examine his own prior output. Now, though, he's opted to buck perhaps the one trend consistent to the full breadth of his discographyby offering, with his latest collection, a direct sequel to one of his most popular works: 2014's remarkable Black Metal. An album that brought its author to a larger audience than any he had previously garnered, that record remains a cult classic of hypnotic avant-indie and space-age dreampop, shot-through with the kind of down-to-earth aphorisms that keenly evoke the real-world setting in which the work itself was birthed.

As its title would suggest, Black Metal 2 overtly recalls its predecessor's surrealistic understatement, setting Blunt's droll vocal delivery against a backdrop of hazily atmospheric soundscapes rich in auditory interplays between a wide range of instrumentation. One of Blunt's most impressive skills is his ability to evoke much through essentially minimalistic means; that was as true of the original Black Metal as it is here but where that album bore the grandiose proportions of a double album, this set pares things back to a fleeting twenty-three minutes. Though some might be inclined to assume that such brevity would leave Black Metal 2 feeling fragmentary and dissatisfying, its more ephemeral traits suit Blunt's craft well. Indeed, Black Metal 2's concision only accentuates its author's ability to concoct entire sonic realms in which the listener can lose themselves, a trait usually possessed only by acts who indulge in compositions far lengthier than the mostly sub-three minute tracks found here.

As with the original Black Metal, Blunt's latest offering impacts the listener as much through its distinct sonic aesthetic as its compositional flair, a trait reflected in the stark minimalism of the vinyl edition's presentation. Packaged in a standard-width, non-gatefold sleeve entirely unadorned past a single '2' in its bottom-left hand corner, blank space is the order of the day with this release. For some, it might prove too much; there're no credits, titles or other instances of information pertaining to the album anywhere across the package: there isn't even a title on the spine. Indeed, past a parental advisory sticker attached to the cover itself (which can, with some care, be removed if desired) and a small hype-sticker attached to the shrinkwrap, there's really no information imparted through the packaging at all. Even the labels are entirely blank (a fact which, though in-keeping with the overall aesthetic, makes discerning side A from side B something of a challenge). Truthfully, though, this devout adherence to the tenets of minimalism feels entirely befitting of the album's spartan yet deeply affecting musical content, and, for that alone, such aesthetic simplicity seems entirely apropos.

Manufactured by Germany's Optimal Media, the vinyl LP has been produced to faultless standards in the case of our copy. A heavyweight slab of wax, the disc feels very sturdy in hand and also looks fantastic, bearing lustrous sheens on both sides. Reflective of that, the audio itself is very impressive; we heard not a single flaw during either of the album's two brief sides and the mastering is of a similarly commendable standard, offering the album's eleven compositions in glistening form.

Blunt's vocals cut through the soundstage with a stark immediacy, whilst the drums and guitars make themselves known with sufficient aplomb to lend the whole thing an instantaneous impact. A triumph of understated artistry, Black Metal 2 offers enough of its 2014 predecessor's essence to afford Blunt's long-time listeners a reassuring accessibility which never once comes at the cost of the sheer idiosyncrasy so essential to his craft.

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More about: Dean Blunt