Leviathan – Scar Sighted (Profound Lore)

Leviathan – Scar Sighted (Profound Lore)

In 2011, Jef Whitehead — aka Wrest, the man behind the long-running black metal project Leviathan — was arrested, facing a litany of sexual-assault charges and life behind bars. Ultimately, the great majority of those charges were dropped; he was found not guilty on all but one, and sentenced to two years probation. With the worst chapter of his life behind him, Whitehead moved from Chicago to Oregon, sobered up, and fell in love with fellow musician/tattoo artist Stevie Floyd. And in that environment, he made the confident, warm Scar Sighted. Wrest’s music still feels vast and labyrinthine, discordant and gnarly, but here it’s robust — wondrous, even. It doesn’t merely submerge you in darkness; it illuminates the cavern’s every detail, its depth, its dimensions. And once inside, you can see: This thing is enormous. –Michael

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