DeepDiscount.com

Darkest clouds have sealed the sky, Powerplant is back and has brewed it's strongest release yet. Bridge of Sacrifice emerges from the cauldron - a fun, black metal infused journey through all that is heavy and gothic. Powerplant, the solitary project of Ukraine-born, London-based Theo Zhykharyev, is distinguished by it's giddy bass, sizzling synth lines and melancholic vocal hooks. On Bridge of Sacrifice, Powerplant's second full-length album, Zhykharyev once again rebrands and reinvents Powerplant as a gothic beast. Zhykharyev's voice takes center stage with resolute and dramatic singing. The familiar Gary Numan-esque synth of early Powerplant works is elaborated with orchestral strings, grand piano and heavenly choirs. Heavy and full drum sound replaces the vintage digital drum machine samples. The musical pallet is further expanded with moving cello performances by Hani Hooper, adding a grotesque cherry on top of this musical cake. Although the new release is styled in an eerie, extreme metal fashion, Bridge of Sacrifice is Powerplant to it's core. The album's quest for avid genre exploration keeps the musical journey fresh, as it carries you through the depths and extremities of metal-punk, blackgaze, industrial and acoustic campfire folk. The album was mixed and mastered by Stanley Gravett (Idles, The Horrors, High Vis) in the heart of Hackney at Holy Mountain Studios. Powerplant's rich atmospheric qualities comes from the textural layering, which receive more ground to shine on, by virtue of Gravett's precise finishing techniques. Black metal has never sounded this crisp and pronounced. Powerplant's new full-length release is full of highlights, twists and turns, and boldly steps out of the preconceived sonic aesthetics of the moniker, exploring niche corners of music in a more pop foundation. It offers space to mosh, to reflect, to laugh and to dance in a whirlwind of themes and emotions centered round a gothic aesthetic.