by Scott Yohe
It is clear from the outset that Sprain’s latest album, The Lamb As Effigy or Three Hundred And Fifty XOXOXOS For A Spark Union With My Darling Divine, is a statement about what the band has become. The title alone speaks volumes before you even hear a note of it. Releasing on The Flenser, it carries the label's trademark intensity while also forging a unique identity. Gone is the slowcore of their original self-titled EP and now we see an extension of their previous album As Lost through Collision. Sprain is now louder, bolder, and more unhinged than ever. The Lamb As Effigy is their thesis statement on what kind of band they are. A band that has something to say and the confidence to say it.
The album clocks in at over an hour and a half, and it doesn’t let up for a single second. There are times of peace and tranquility but they all lead back to the same noise and intensity that can be felt throughout its monstrous run time. The Lamb As Effigy however does not commit the cardinal sin that many long albums commit, which is getting boring. It demands your attention from the very beginning and never lets go of it. The noise of the instrumentals matches perfectly with the tortured and frustrated vocal performances. The lyrics can often be heard as poetic ranting. There isn’t much in the way of singing and the effect it has on the album is near perfect. The music is grating but in the best of ways. It can be punishing but if you are willing to put in the work then there is excellent catharsis to be found.
The Lamb As Effigy asks a lot of the listener, and it is right to do so. Sprain isn’t here to provide a cheap good time but rather to make you earn it. It can seem like a daunting task, to listen to 20+ minute songs, but if you are willing to give them the attention they deserve the rewards are endless. Songs like “God, or Whatever You Call It” are not meant to be heard passively. However, if you are looking to feel powerful emotions like anger, self-loathing, depression, and even the joys of overcoming these then this is the album for you. The Lamb As Effigy can take you places that you might not want to go, but it is equally assuring that you won’t be there alone, you will be there facing whatever it is with Sprain.