{"id":12251,"date":"2025-07-15T18:32:04","date_gmt":"2025-07-15T18:32:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/12251\/"},"modified":"2025-07-15T18:32:04","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T18:32:04","slug":"blind-equation-a-funeral-in-purgatory-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/12251\/","title":{"rendered":"Blind Equation – A Funeral in Purgatory Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"When I reach for something blindly, I hope for the best. As it pertains to the acquisition of promo, I calculate my chances of enjoying whatever I select as little as possible. Impulse reigns supreme, instinct takes precedence, gut feelings have the final say. This process ultimately led me to Chicago, Illinois\u2019 Blind Equation. Originally launched as a chiptune-heavy cybergrind project, mastermind and main songwriter James McHenry steadily integrated other influences that distinguish this material from that of the greater subset. With A Funeral in Purgatory, written in the midst of great anguish and struggle on McHenry\u2019s side, Blind Equation create their heaviest, most brutal, and yet most vulnerable and earnest work to date.<\/p>\n

Resembling acts like DEATHTRIPPA, Blind Equation\u2019s current iteration diversifies its palette with elements of goth and emo, death and doom, synthwave, and melodic black metal. To these ears, those attributes recall everything from AFI, Fires in the Distance<\/a>, Silhouette<\/a>, Gunship, and Labyrinthus Stellarum<\/a>. Depressive tones and desperate wails reminiscent of Ghost Bath<\/a> or Acathexis<\/a> also meld beautifully with a hopeful atmospheric counterpoint\u2014a reflection of McHenry\u2019s use of songwriting as a mechanism for catharsis and healing during his darkest moments during A Funeral in Purgatory\u2019s development. Brutal outbursts reminiscent of Anaal Nathrakh<\/a> or Igorrr<\/a>, and the occasional deathcore gravity blast, provide an additional dynamic that brings immense metallic heft to an affair that, to my knowledge, doesn\u2019t utilize a single guitar. Unified, these myriad characteristics coalesce into something stylistically unique, instrumentally fascinating, and emotionally compelling.<\/p>\n

A Funeral In Purgatory by Blind Equation<\/a><\/p>\n

More importantly, A Funeral in Purgatory is an absolute joy to experience. With contrasting numbers as divergent as my personal favorites, the blisteringly fast and exuberant \u201cFlashback (ft. Strawberry Hospital)\u201d and beautiful death doom closer \u201cIncomplete,\u201d you might expect A Funeral in Purgatory to be disjointed and haphazard. But the opposite is true. Blind Equation\u2019s masterful, meticulous detailing brings unity and adhesion to the record, such that when I hear the eviscerating brutality of \u201c\u2026 in Purgatory\u201d juxtaposed against the vibrant gallop of \u201cFlashback,\u201d or the goth-soaked \u201cNothing\u201d against the metalcore-breakcore mashup \u201cit feels like the end (ft. JOHNNASCUS),\u201d it feels natural and invigorating. An increased presence of slower, more dramatic passages in \u201cA Funeral\u2026 \u201d and \u201cRelinquished Dreams\u201d allows Blind Equation\u2019s heart-wrenching roars and introspective tones to shine through as the brilliant light of higher-pitched synths and chips fade, enhancing what are already compelling songs by creating deeper valleys and taller peaks. Ultimately, this approach to songwriting permitted me very little opportunity to correctly predict what happened next, while still capturing my attention so completely that with each new song I was ready, almost desperate, for the next twist to whip me into another dimension.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

However, not all dimensions are created equal, and there are a couple here that don\u2019t quite reach the same echelon as Blind Equation\u2019s best. First and foremost are the interludes, \u201c\u207a\u2027\u208a\u02da \u0f50\u0f72\u22c6\u271f\u22c6\u0f4b\u0f80 \u02da\u208a\u2027\u207a\u201d and \u201cstill.\u201d Musically, they are pretty and offer plenty of emotion, but don\u2019t add enough to the storytelling to feel essential to the overall experience. I could argue the former brings novelty to the split title tracks \u201cA Funeral\u2026 \u201d and \u201c\u2026 in Purgatory,\u201d but the requisite connective tissue is flimsy all the same. In a similar manner, \u201cmourn\u201d is somewhat lackluster compared to its album mates. This could be an unfortunate circumstance brought about by its barebones instrumentation, which is a stark departure from everything presented over the previous seven tracks. It could also be that its core ideas feel a touch underdeveloped by comparison. Either way, it represents one of A Funeral in Purgatory\u2019s minor weak points. While in no way a detractor on their own merit, Blind Equation\u2019s AFI-esque clean vocals, which only feature in the first three tracks, would bring even greater cohesion to the whole if they featured more consistently throughout.<\/p>\n

It goes without saying that I didn\u2019t expect what Blind Equation delivered, nor did I expect to like it this much. At the same time, I really shouldn\u2019t be surprised at all, considering nearly all of my favorite records this year have been wild and unorthodox. A Funeral in Purgatory represents another entry in that varied category, of which there is no doubt. But it\u2019s also one of the most fun and engaging electronic music releases I\u2019ve encountered this year. So if you don\u2019t mind your metal chipped to oblivion, laced with ecstasy, dressed in all black, with a raven perched on its shoulder, then A Funeral in Purgatory might just be your poison.<\/p>\n

Rating: Very Good!
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Prosthetic Records<\/a>
Websites: blindequation.bandcamp.com\/album<\/a> | facebook.com\/blindequation<\/a>
Releases Worldwide: July 18th, 2025<\/p>\n

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