Lilac Vegetal – The Accursed Share

When a band decides to tackle the heavy end of the spectrum, they usually pick a lane, either the lumbering, monolithic groove of doom or the sharp, chaotic noise rock intensity. On their new monolithic release, The Accursed Share, Lilac Vegetal refuse to choose. They build a towering, structurally unsound monument by welding these disparate styles together, making an intellectually challenging and wildly overwhelming album. From the first abrasive seconds, it’s clear that The Accursed Share is designed to reconfigure your expectations. The sound is thick, dense, and powerful, rock-solid, downtuned sludge and stoner doom providing the rhythmic cement. But this foundation is merely the platform from which the band launches into wild, fully experimental, and progressive territories. This is the crucial, complex balancing act that defines the LP. They give you the satisfying pleasure of a massive, slow-motion riff, only to shatter that groove with sudden, angular shifts and moments of outright virtuosity. The truly exceptional guitar works act as the primary agent of chaos and complexity. The guitarist demonstrates an uncanny ability to pivot between two extreme modes. On one hand, you have the profoundly heavy riff, sludgy, downtuned, chest-caving power that defines the genre. These moments are tight, focused, and designed to generate maximum physical impact. But just as you settle into the hypnotizing rhythm, the guitars transform entirely. They shed their sludgy skin to engage in intricate, progressive themes, threading complex melodies, harmonies, and even moments of outright, breathtaking virtuosity. This is intelligent, thematic soloing and complex counterpoint that injects a strong sense of progressive rock identity into what could otherwise be pure sonic mud. The guitar is a significant tool here, unlocking primal aggression and the advanced musical thought that characterizes this band.

The basslines are also sludgy, raw, and abrasive, but depending on the song’s mood, they levitate towards warm, dense, heavy notes. The tone is dialed up to the maximum, emitting a sound that brings immense heaviness and a profound sense of depth to the mix. It operates as a massive, grinding engine, contributing essential power and a noticeable rawness, even rarely heard or seen in a doom world. Even when the guitars are spiraling into noise rock abstraction, the sludgy bassline keep moving forward, making sure that the listener remains grounded in the physical reality of the rhythm. And no discussion of Lilac Vegetal’s mastery would be complete without highlighting the magnificent drumming performance. In an album that transitions wildly from tight, downtuned sludge to experimental frenzy, the drummer serves as an ultimate anchor and source of dynamic control. This is far beyond basic timekeeping. The beats perfectly pair with guitar themes, showcasing a constant flow of dynamic shifts. Whether delivering a crushing, half-time sludge beat or executing frantic, surprising breaks and fills, the drummer always enhances the energy. These percussive acrobatics, unexpected rolls, sudden dynamic drops, and complex polyrhythms make sure that the rhythm section constantly challenge the listener, yet holding the entire structure tightly together. The vocals cut through the dense sonic layering with such confidence. The delivery is uncompromised, using ultimate force and intensity to channel the thematic weight. These raw, abrasive, aggressive vocal harmonies serve as a powerful focal point to the instrumental complexity. They are projected with fury that matches the album’s most aggressive passages and play a significant role in maintaining the hardcore edge in their sound.

The Accursed Share is a piece of art that understands the value of tension. The moments of crushing, monolithic doom are made heavier by the preceding noise rock textures, and the experimental, progressive segments feel all the more sharp against the familiar comfort of the sludgy, stoner groove. Lilac Vegetal navigates this difficult terrain with the skill of seasoned sonic cartographers, delivering a developed and realized album. It’s an immersive experience that pulls you through cycles of hypnotic heaviness and frantic intellectual release. The shift from the tight, rock-solid segments, where the band locks into a unified, head-nodding rhythm, to the moments of open-ended experimentation and noisy exploration, is handled with such precision and finesse. This fluid movement between structure and chaos is the hallmark of truly great heavy music that aims for something more than just volume. The Accursed Share is a landmark album that demands to be studied and played loudly. It exemplifies a vision of a band unafraid to take the heaviest, dirtiest elements of doom and sludge and elevate them with the intellectual curiosity and demanding technique of progressive rock. It’s a sludgy, abrasive, and magnificent piece of work that establishes this band as essential listening for anyone who wants their heavy rock served complex, raw, and crushing. Head to Grazil Records for more information about ordering this gem on vinyl.