AILS - The Unraveling / LP

After Bay Area avant-garde cornerstones Ludicra called it quits in 2011, most of the band continued with their other musical endeavors, but former vocalist Laurie Shanaman and guitar player / vocalist Christy Cather haven’t resurfaced in a big way until now—Ails marks the return of both to center stage. In 2015 the duo’s desire to play the music they love brought them together with like-minded friends Sam Abend (Abrupt, Desolation), Colby Bryn (2084, One In The Chamber), and Jason Miller (Phantom Limbs). The Unraveling, Ails’ epic debut album, is more than just the ghost of Ludicra. It stands firmly on its own, offering an intense synthesis of raucous black metal and melodic death metal driven by the formidable dueling vocals of Shanaman and Cather. These are songs of despair, heartache, inner torment, and physical and mental suffering that make an immediate and lasting impression. “Ails beautifully synthesizes melancholy melodic death metal, stately doom, and atmospheric black metal, teasing every iota of intensity from each individual note and capitalizing on Shanaman’s vocal might.” —Noisey