LIVIDUS – Scarabeus, CD

Portland, Oregon’s LIVIDUS is a striking anomaly in the underground, crafting a brand of metal that defies the sterile trends of the modern era. Formed in 2017, the band centers on the visionary partnership of vocalist and viola player Uta Plotkin (ex-Witch Mountain) and bassist Connie Wang. Plotkin, long regarded as one of the most versatile voices in heavy music, brings her trademark seamless interplay between soaring, soulful singing and visceral screams to a new canvas.

Their debut full-length, Scarabaeus, is an 11-track odyssey that restores a sense of adventurous, weird metal to the extreme scene. Rather than following the clinical precision of modern styles, LIVIDUS channels an old school direction that favors an eccentric spirit. The music reflects the avant-garde structures of Voivod, the soaring, unconventional heavy metal of Hammers of Misfortune, and the dark majesty of Death, Nevermore, and Emperor.