Bass and drums and vocals.
That's it.
No guitars at all!
Such a concept isn't unheard of in the music world,
but it's rare that a metal-based band would adopt
such a concept.
Moreover, this isn't just any bass-and-drum duo --
this was (originally)
former rhythm section of the mighty
Sleep.
Pilgrimage is their third and most recent album, and it's an interesting
listen indeed.
Consisting of two 10+ epics and two shorter songs, two of the four
(the longer "Pilgrimage" and its shorter companion,
"Pilgrimage (Reprise)" are quiet, ambient tracks that don't really go
far, but the other two tracks really show what a bass and drum can do,
slow, doomy, and grindy, and frankly the guitars aren't missed one bit.
The vocals, when present, are clean and slightly ethereal, a better fit
than the harsher tones that one might have expected here.
This kind of music isn't for everyone, and it's not even for every metal
fan, but it's got its moments.
The pair split in February 2008, with drummer Chris Hakius departing and
bassist Al Cisneros hooking up with a new drummer.
Cisneros and Hakius both joined the reformed Sleep for a time,
though Hakius has since left that band as well.