Band:	The Meads Of Asphodel
Album:	Running Out Of Time Doing Nothing
Style:	Experimental black metal
Release date:	June 21, 2019
A review by:	Auntie Sahar

01. Bug Splat
02. I Am Oblivion, Deep Drenched In Forever
03. I'm Running Out Of Time Doing Nothing
04. Black Is Black & White Is White
05. Cockroach Marionettes
06. I Stood Tiptoe, Reaching Up For Heaven
07. Like Blood Shaped Flakes Of Snow
08. The Broken Wings Of A Hud-Hud
09. Funeral Drums Of Insomnia's Labyrinth
10. Recollections Of A Hand Loom-weaver
11. Souvenir Of Death

Running Out Of Time Doing Nothing marks the longest gap between full length albums from The Meads Of Asphodel yet. Has this time off slowed down their momentum as artists though? You can bet your arse that it hasn't.

"Wake up, you wankers. It's the end of the fucking world."

Thus Metatron, the ever intriguing thematic mastermind behind the Meads greets listeners on the newest installation from a group that is quite likely the Monty Python of black metal. For those who have been following The Meads Of Asphodel, a first play through of ROOTDN may give a slightly underwhelming impression. Coming on the heels of Sonderkommando, an album with an incredibly grandiose concept and songwriting structure, it feels a lot more streamlined in comparison: rawer, more direct, and closer in composition to actual black metal than the Avant-garde wanderings of its predecessor. The sound here is particularly reminiscent of the band's Damascus Steel era, both in terms of its abrasiveness as well as how it somewhat straddles the line between the older, Medieval Meads sound and the "newer," more experimental side they've been exploring roughly since The Murder Of Jesus The Jew.

While ROOTDN is something of a departure from the concept album model of TMOJTJ and Sonderkommando, it is definitely not a departure from the Meads' trademark quirkiness, distinctly British humor, and puzzling genre fusion. As could be expected, variations in tone and delivery abound, and it's still weird as all hell. Once more, JD Tait, one of the most criminally underrated musicians in metal, must seriously be applauded for his role as the crucial "second half" of the Meads magic, seamlessly transitioning between black metal fury, acoustic folk, electronica, and more with his talents at guitar, keyboard, and backup vocals. Of course, as it often does, Metatron's love for the punk jamz also comes out yet again, replete with the usual tongue in cheek rhyming, especially on "I Stood Tiptoe, Reaching Up For Heaven."

With Running Out Of Time Doing Nothing, The Meads Of Asphodel are going forward by going backward in a way, ironic as it may seem. Far from a regression, the album is more of an evolution than anything, taking some of the odder elements from TMOJTJ and Sonderkommando and attaching them to the spine of a folk heavy, somewhat brighter sounding approach more in line with their earlier material. The result is an effort that feels a bit transitional, almost as if it's a jumping off point for grander things to come, but that is nevertheless fun, memorable, tightly written, and as good a testament as any to the fact that these zany Brits never do anything twice.

Hurry on up then, you're running out of time not listening.