Could there possibly be any more strange a pairing than the two artists that participate in this split release? Sure, there might be; but you would be hard pressed to find such a diametrically opposed sounding pairing than this split. Where they like a similarity in sound, Lonesummer and Planning For Burial display an intriguing level of mindset synergy not just in the fact that they are both one man projects but also in their recording methodology (and possibly some esoteric philosophical mumbo jumbo if you read between the lines).
Lonesummer is, at times, all squealing guitars and spastic drums relentless hammering your eardrums with a wall of white noise with a decidedly black metal twinge that seems intent on disorienting you (see “Joy Is A Burden” and “Regrettably, Our Harvest Never Grew”) while at other times the songs are less caustic to almost poppy (“I Wish I Could Delete Last Night” and “Your Eyes Always Shake Me”). When the focus shifts from assaulting listeners full on and shifts to something much more poppy (save for the anguished caterwauling of the vocals), the songs now take on a strange aspect almost as if the tracks are fragments of ideas that we are barely able or allowed to hear (with “I Wish I Could Delete Last Night” it feels like you are joining the song mid way through and ending mid play as if you are only getting to hear part of the song or hearing a song with no beginning or ending, at least not that we are hearing).
Planning For Burial is less blatantly disorienting preferring to envelope those listening in a warm soothing sound that seems to suck all feeling from you at the same time while you are lost in the swirling atmospherics and dispassionate vocals; lots of bass (check out “If I Knew What To Say” and its devastating bass sound) and organs generate a blissful three songs that might be the soundtrack to living in the womb. Quite simply, Planning For Burial depart from their previous sound (see Leaving) to create more of the same infectious milieu that the musical project previously produced (like a different method to achieve the same result); their side of this split is a refreshing respite from the fragmented musings of Lonesummer.
So, again, could there possibly be any more strange a pairing than the two artists that participate in this split release? Sure, there might be; but you would be hard pressed to find such a diametrically opposed sounding pairing than this split while being such a perfectly apt juxtaposition and simply providing a great batch of songs. Lonesummer hammers one’s senses while Planning For Burial cajoles and sweet talks you into the loving embrace of sheer obliviated numbness.
