Barrowlands

***NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL!!! "Barrowlands are the heir apparents in a loosely defined scene of American black-metal bands erasing the stylistic boundaries put in place by the genre's Scandinavian forebears. But what truly differentiates Barrowlands from the black-metal pack are the lyrics. Where a lot of bands in the genre steer clear of political statements—or worse, dabble in nationalism and xenophobia—Hollingsworth addresses issues of social justice head-on, often drawing from his experiences as an educator… Musically, the band is unique as well. The first thing you'll notice about the Portland five-piece is their cello player, Ray Lorenz. He and Hollingsworth have been finding ways to incorporate the bowed instrument into black metal since their days in the group Mary Shelley. In Barrowlands, Lorenz saws ferociously amid the rest of the band's assault of blast beats and tremolo picking, then mournfully heaves back and forth during downtempo interludes."—Willamette Week