Serena Maneesh/ S-M2: Abyss in B Minor

Serena Maneesh
S-M2: Abyss in B Minor
(4AD)

I was not expecting this. I didn’t know what to expect. Clearly I haven’t been looking in the right direction, because I missed Norwegian genii, Serena-Maneesh’s first album and THIS is how I am introduced to it...
Lured into the Abyss from the get-go, I potter around the house while listening to the fairly unobtrusive intro to 'Ayisha Abyss'. Then, like a giant Godzilla-sized foot crashing through the roof of a house full of hippies, the music turns into a beast that SMASHES and PUMMELS its way into your ear drums.
This opener surrounded me – the beautiful escalating instrumental reminding me of a savage version of Neu!’s Hallogallo, while flying by despite its eight minutes.
‘I Just Want to See Your Face’ creates mass cacophony - the music flies backwards while the drums and guitar move forwards, leaving the soothing vocals to bring order to an otherwise fucked up galaxy.
Later, ‘Reprobate!’ is reminiscent of Bjork’s ‘Army of Me’ but delivered with far more menace. The drums feel as though they’re being blasted out by a fucking mini-gun, with cymbal crashes blowing like sticks of dynamite. Hell yeah.
‘Blow Yr Brains in the Mourning Rain’ notches up intensity with a wall of noise, and things don’t let up until we reach the finale ‘Magdalena’, which has a divine resolution to it. A calming ending to a thunderous album. This is massive. Just go with it.