Strange Keys to Untune Gods' Firmament

Matthew Bower's continued pursuit of musical extremism on all fronts under his most well-known project name continues with what might be the ultimate Skullflower album title so far. Certainly, Strange Keys to Untune God's Firmament sums up the essential approach of Bower on guitar — uncomfortable or unusual guitar feedback that doesn't sound so much played as willed into creation, aiming to disrupt nearly any kind of structure that might be created. Song titles like "Enochian Tapestries," "Gateway to Blasphemous Light" and, at its most darkly romantic, "Blackened Angel Wings Scythe the Billowing Void" further conjure an atmosphere of cosmic chaos — and not for nothing is this is the first release Bower's had on the Neurot label, given label owner/musician Steve Von Till's clear appreciation for Bower's work in the past. Given all this, it's a touch strange to say this is a calmer disc than others released by Skullflower — not quieter by any means, but Bower's ear for serenity as a result of overload showcases itself well in songs like "Starlit Mire" and "City of Dis" The sheer sense of sprawl created by the two-disc release, accentuated by the sometimes sudden shifts between songs as one variety of feedback suddenly cuts in to replace another, creates its own involving logic.