Love in Shadow
| Love in Shadow | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 21, 2018 | |||
| Recorded | September 2017 | |||
| Studio | Robert Lang Studios in Shoreline, Washington | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 66:09 | |||
| Label | Thrill Jockey | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Sumac chronology | ||||
| ||||
Love in Shadow is the third studio album by American post-metal band Sumac. It was released on September 21, 2018 through Thrill Jockey.[1] Like the band's experimental collaboration with Keiji Haino earlier in 2018, much of the album was recorded improvisationally.[2][3] Love in Shadow was followed by a tour of the United States in early 2019.[4]
Critical reception[edit]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 78/100[5] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [6] |
| Pitchfork | 7.8/10[7] |
| PopMatters | 9/10[8] |
| Rolling Stone | [9] |
| Sputnikmusic | 3.6/5[10] |
Love in Shadow was met with mostly positive reception. The album received an average score of 78/100 from 6 reviews on Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[5] Paul Simpson of AllMusic described the album as "a bracing expression of visceral emotions that refuses to go the easiest, most comforting route, as well as the most focused Sumac album yet".[6] Both Chrostopher R. Weingarten of Rolling Stone and Spyros Stasis of PopMatters wrote that Love in Shadow broke new ground,[9][8] and Pitchfork's Grayson Haver Currin said that Sumac turned "from good to staggering" on the album.[7] Sputnikmusic called the album "startlingly unique" and "the most dynamic and interesting album that Aaron Turner has ever created", but wrote that some of the new ideas were jarring and out of place.[10]
Accolades[edit]
| Year | Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Loudwire | "The 30 Best Metal Albums of 2018" | 20 | [11] |
| PopMatters | "The Best Metal of 2018" | 2 | [12] | |
| Treble | "The Top 25 Metal Albums of 2018" | 4 | [13] | |
| "Top 50 Albums of 2018" | 21 | [14] |
Along with the accolades above, Love in Shadow appeared on several Metal Hammer staff members' top lists and as an honorable mention on The A.V. Club's top metal albums list.[15][16]
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Task" | 21:32 |
| 2. | "Attis' Blade" | 15:45 |
| 3. | "Arcing Silver" | 12:02 |
| 4. | "Ecstasy of Unbecoming" | 16:50 |
| Total length: | 66:09 | |
Personnel[edit]
Credits adapted from Love in Shadow liner notes[17]
Sumac
- Aaron Turner – guitar, vocals, artwork, design, production
- Nick Yacyshyn – drums
- Brian Cook – bass
Additional personnel
- Kurt Ballou – production, engineering, mixing
- Audrey Lowell – assistive engineering
- James Plotkin – mastering
- Faith Coloccia – organ (track 1)
Chart performance[edit]
| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[18] | 11 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard)[19] | 33 |
References[edit]
- ^ Hill, John (14 June 2018). "Sumac Announce New Album 'Love in Shadow,' Tease Music in Preview Video". Revolver. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
- ^ O'Neill, Brian (20 September 2018). "Aaron Turner Seeks 'Love in Shadow' in Philadelphia". Invisible Oranges. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
- ^ Reyes-Kulkarni, Saby (March 2018). "The Collaboration Between Sumac & Keiji Haino is an Experimental Metal Triumph". Bandcamp. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
- ^ Slingerland, Calum. "Sumac Map Out West Coast Tour". Exclaim!. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
- ^ a b "Love in Shadow by Sumac: Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
- ^ a b Simpson, Paul. "Sumac – Love in Shadow". AllMusic. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
- ^ a b Currin, Grayson Haver. "Sumac: Love in Shadow". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
- ^ a b Stasis, Spyros (21 September 2018). "Sumac Break New Ground with 'Love in Shadow'". PopMatters. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
- ^ a b Weingarten, Christopher R. (24 September 2018). "Review: Sumac's Free Metal Breaks Ugly New Ground". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
- ^ a b Xenophanes. "Review: Sumac – Love in Shadow". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
- ^ Irizarry, Katy (26 November 2018). "The 30 Best Metal Albums of 2018". Loudwire. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
- ^ Stasis, Spyros (30 November 2018). "The Best Metal of 2018". PopMatters. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
- ^ Terich, Jeff (30 November 2018). "The Top 25 Metal Albums of 2018". Treble. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
- ^ Hickman, Langdon (6 December 2018). "Top 50 Albums of 2018". Treble. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
- ^ "Metal Hammer Writers Pick Their Top 20 Albums of 2018". Metal Hammer. 17 December 2018. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
- ^ Dowd, A. A.; Anthony, David (27 November 2018). "The Best Metal Albums of 2018". The A.V. Club. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
- ^ Love in Shadow (CD liner notes). Sumac. Thrill Jockey. 2018. Thrill-470.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Sumac Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
- ^ "Sumac Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
