Album Details

• Artist: The Human Quena Orchestra
• Album: The Politics Of The Irredeemable
• Label: Crucial Blast
• Year of Release: 2009
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: patchen on 2009-05-01

Now a duo (with Ryan Unks adding Nathan Berlinguette, a former bandmate with Creation is Crucifixion), The Human Quena Orchestra deepen their sound and their unique take on ambient/metal. "The Politics of The Irredeemable" is almost entirely instrumental, yet it there are haunted echoes of voices everywhere.

The six tracks feature a similar structure of keyboards, guitar and occasional drums, that keep to a quiet center, branching out into more noisy interludes. That constant pulse makes the more metal outbursts seem deliberate and a part of the silence, rather than a chance to shred and break up that silence. The structure works best on "Progress" and "Aspiration."  The rest of the set consists of two two-part tracks,

"Mores" and "Denial." "Mores (Part 2) is, for most of its thirteen minutes, the most aggressive track on the set. Guitar fans will appreciate the excursion into overload, but even here, it fits with the aims of the entire record. A good scream is important once in awhile, even when you're trying to be quiet.

"The Politics of The Irredeemable" is ironically full of redemption: most sound is redemptive. Human Quena Orchestra know this, and deliver this.

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