Lotus Thief: Rerum

Atmospheric and eclectic esoterica from the hills of San Francisco

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Formed by the intrepid duo of Bezaelith (Botanist, Mina Loy, The Night Falls) and Otrebor (Botanist, Ordo Obsidium), this San Francisco-based outfit offer an eclectic debut album that incorporates various strands of esoteric rock and metal in a potent and highly atmospheric way.

Ending each of the six tracks with an extended ambient section effectively causes them to flow into one monolithic piece, thus establishing a classic concept album format and feel.

Thematically, it’s backed by appropriately arcane and obscure subject matter, namely De Rerum Natura (‘On The Nature Of Things’) by the Roman poet and philosopher Titus Lucretius Carus. If this is all starting to sound too much like hard work, well, it does require investment on the part of you, dear listener, but the effort will be well worth it.

Conjuring a heady concoction of shimmering guitar, rumbling rhythms and ethereal vocal harmonies worthy of Dead Can Dance, it’s an immersive experience. Lovers of post-rock, post-black metal and the more experimental end of prog metal should investigate.