Celan - Halo

The dead flowers and simple font on the sleeve almost landed this album a spot in my “don’t bother” pile, as I usually can’t tolerate most bands with this sort of image. However, one glance at the press sheet told me that would have been a mistake. Featuring members of Unsane, Einsturzende Neubauten, and Oxbow, Halo is a unique beast. Post industrial may not be the most mainstream genre out there, but in this case it’s the most fitting. The band seems to be working on three fronts: ambient sound, screaming punk vocals, and creepy keyboards. The eerie, experimental nature of these songs should appeal to the doom crowd while the synthesizers and moodiness flirt with the gothic. I’m reminded of the Ian MacKaye side project Pailhead, Tool, and Nine Inch Nails.