That Sisters Of…, a new instrumental project from multi-instrumentalist and ex-Appleseed Cast drummer Aaron Coker, plus a revolving cast of collaborators (Coker is joined by Isaac Kahn and ex-Blackpool Lights man Chris Clarke), took nearly three years to follow up their debut EP – the exploratory Follow Me As A Ghost – tells you a lot about what you need to know this post-metal troupe.
You might not need to approach The Serpent… with an abacus, although strong coffee is advisable. Eschewing many of the post-staples – deliberately discombobulating time signatures, stolen Neurosis riffs and so on – Sisters Of… deal here in build and dynamics.
While moments of Germana Cele are reminiscent of the more noodly aspects of Animals As Leaders, and the swelling, tidal force of Annabelle calls to mind a Panopticon-era Isis, the trio clearly realise the benefits of measured restraint too, notably during the Russian Circles-esque Annaliese.
That they rarely diverge from the formula of ‘quiet, less quiet, loud, louder, loudest’, however, is their greatest failing./o:p
