Any time we receive a note promising music that “marries traditional coal mining songs with harsh, expansive black metal” we’re intrigued. And Panopticon’s “Kentucky” is sort of the metal equivalent of a William Faulkner novel: dense, multifacted but also soulful. The album, due in June from Handmade Birds/Pagan Flames, touches on the difficulty and despair of American Appalachia, as well as the spirit of the place. There’s also banjos, but this album won’t remind you of the theme from Deliverance. Check out “Bodies Under The Falls” below.
