I: THE SUICIDE TREE / II: A ROSE FROM THE DEAD

Botanist's début actually consists of two albums released together in a single package. The song lengths seem like they'd be more at home on a grindcore album, but this deliciously weird music actually has a lot of prog influence. Beyond the fact that the songs are more like movements of two lengthy compositions than they are separate compositions themselves, there's also the bizarre composition techniques and odd time signatures scattered throughout the work. There are arguably more passages in odd time signatures than there are in more familiar meters like 4/4 or 3/4.

Despite being based entirely around drums, vocals, and hammered dulcimer, this album conforms heavily to expected black metal tropes, so if the more traditional bands in the genre alienate you, you probably won't find much to enjoy here. But this is highly adventurous, vital music that makes a wonderful addition to more open-minded metalheads' collections, and I strongly recommend it. The only thing that stops me from giving this the maximum rating is that some of Botanist's future releases were even better.