Ethan Lee McCarthy is a purveyor of all things heavy, having formed other successful bands such as the primo deathsludge band Primitive Man and brutal-grind force Vermin Womb. Many Blessings is Ethan’s dark ambient noise platform and their most recent album, Emanation Body, is like a salve over the dark cloud of our times that lets us know we are all suffering together. Strength in despair and unity in our resolve.
Emanation Body opens with a bleak landscape of dreamy industrial pads and far away feedback patters. A dreadfully slow sub kick keeps the flow as an ever increasing squeal builds and wanders in the background. “Immersion” follows up with distorted samples on the edge of breakup and feedback surrounded by caverns of reverb to create an ambient wash fitting of the track’s name. “Pandaemonium” rounds out the first 30 minutes of the album in reverse-delay ladden plucks while violin like feedback pans across the soundscape. The first three songs play like God Speed You Black Emperor meets Ari Aster. The album continues with HNW feedbacked pulses in “Ruina” setting the tone for the album’s final stanza “Harm Signal”. The track follows heavy footsteps balanced by pumping subs and a piercing pitch set high in the mix. The 10 min trudge through bleak noise leaves the listener with a distinct sense of dread and unseamly activities that the mind can only guess.
This album shows the growth and maturity of Many Blessings and the artist’s development of their techniques. Prior works (see Ripe Earth) were indeed interesting and accomplished their goals, but lacked the pacing and completeness that Emanation
Body has realized. Even their split last year with Pulsating Tinnitus showed growth and a honing of their craft. This album succeeded in creating a desolate landscape with rich textures and allows the listener to get lost in the artist’s vision of the world.