Roger Berkowitz, also known as Unearth Noise, has been known to create almost entirely instrumental songs about nature and the distant parts of the universe. Everything on the album was written and performed by him, which gives a sense of continuity to the release. Each track contains spacey sounds, some from recognizable instruments like guitars and keyboards, and some that resemble muffled police sirens or clanging pots.
“Accelerant” opens the album with a buzzing guitar and the noise of what appears to be whips crashing against metal cans keeping the beat. The song also features yelling in an undistinguishable language, which could be Hebrew with a lot of added echoes. “Premonition” is a lot more relaxing, and plays like how I’d expect an alien abduction to sound, or what would be in the background while someone writes on the wall in a horror movie. One of the most down-to-earth tracks on the record is “Damballah,” which could easily pass as the instrumental bed for rock vocals. It’s composed of thundering drum beats, a whiny guitar, and clattering cymbals. A song consisting of flowing melodies, “Prism” is very airy and adds a dose of lightness to the record.
Sacred Excavations contains original, transcendent music. Unearth Noise’s record is purely strange, in a good way, as it transports the listener to different places, such as deep inside a cave or into a galactic battle. Roger Berkowitz’s style is an acquired taste, and is for those who prefer their music to be instrumental and avant garde.
In A Word: Modern
