Mjölnir is the hammer of the thunder god Thor, but Cinema Cinema isn’t a Viking metal band. Instead, Mjölnir, Cinema Cinema’s new album, is a collaboration between the two-piece from Brooklyn and another Thor—last name Harris—perhaps best known from his work in Swans.
I knew that Cinema Cinema had a new record coming out but I didn’t know anything about the band. Then I went to a local show at a beer garden and Don Zientara of Inner Ear was there, sporting a Cinema Cinema shirt, and I thought that I’d better start paying attention. Conveniently, Mjölnir came in for review so here I am educating myself about the band, and I’m glad I am.
Cinema Cinema is a sort of avant-garde group, sometimes understated, as with “Walk Into the Ocean” (see below) and sometimes loud and percussive, as with “War on You.” There’s a lot of range on the album, with the vocals, guitars, drums, and synths creating different soundscapes and going different places. It can be sinister and heavy and also mysterious. On “My Vision of the Future,” it almost sounds like a spoken word performance with musical accompaniment.
Check out the music video for “Walk Into the Ocean”:
The record is out now on LP and digital from Nefarious Industries. Check it out for something aggressive and different.
Album photo: D.U.; band photo: Nefarious Industries
