Patience is a virtue, but many musicians who require patience aren't interested in helping their fans become emotional receptors of Wagnerian
Sturm und Drang. Instead, they're aiming to impress them (through virtuoso midsong solos that bear no melodic resemblance to their parent songs) or punish them (to preserve esoteric standing). By contrast, the Swedish septet
Cult of Luna's 12-minute epics play like a television series in which every episode, though enjoyable on its own, also advances a larger, more interesting plot. "Echoes," a track from its recent album
Salvation, starts with a minimalist march, then increases the intensity with every repetition of the progression. Listeners absorb these painstakingly reinforced patterns on a deeper level than an immediately accessible, jingle-caliber hook. Live, Luna's extreme volume enhances the evolutionary experience, providing glimpses of aural utopia. For the faithful, this Cult opens heaven's gate.
