Ludicra - The Tenant

Profound Lore was one of first labels to release their back catalog on Bandcamp, including many out of print releases; Giving you a chance to learn about bands that you might otherwise have missed. I became interested in Ludicra when I read the "Thank You Ludicra" loveletter Cosmo Lee wrote on Invisible Oranges after they had split up. Then The Tenant was uploaded to the Profound Lore Bandcamp, and a few clicks later it was mine.

Most loved this band, a few called them "hipster metal". AllMusic has this to say about the first two tracks:

"Stagnant Pond" is quite pretty, but "A Larger Silence" is as ferocious as anything by Mayhem or Darkthrone. This dichotomy between savagery and refinement is at the core of Ludicra's music

Photos by Carmelo Española.

And the esteemed Full Metal Attorney writes about the one aspect of Ludicra that set them apart from most other bands:

This is decidedly feminine black metal. The primary vocalist (the screecher) and the guitarist/backing vocalist (the clean singer) are both women, and it seems they must be the driving force behind the band ... But by calling it pretty and feminine, I don't mean to diminish any of its metallic qualities. The music still manages to be heavy and even aggressive in some places. It also covers a lot of ground, from the somewhat staccato heaviness of "In Stable", to the doom-like "The Undercaste" ... But mostly it centers on isolated-sounding sadness.

Photos by Carmelo Española.

The isolation and confinement is expressed in lyrics like the ones to the brilliant Clean White Void:

Take me to the cut and dry
Cold... a frozen place
Makes me hide any expression
Makes me hide in the fake

What makes Ludicra so fantastic is the way the beauty and aggression of the music seem to offer an escape from the dark places detailed in the lyrics. Check this out if you haven't.