The Ark Work

Following the release of the band's second album, Aesthethica, Liturgy toured as a duo, only featuring the band leader Haela Hunt-Hendrix and guitarist Bernard Gann. During this period, Hunt-Hendrix planned the album by herself for a couple of years and expressed a desire to move away from its standard “transcendental black metal” style, to incorporate more “electronic elements.”{{cite web | url=http://exclaim.ca/Music/article/liturgy_return_with_ark_work | title=Liturgy Return with 'The Ark Work' | publisher=Exclaim! | date=January 20, 2015 | access-date=January 25, 2015 | author=Adams, Gregory}}{{cite web |url=http://pitchfork.com/features/show-no-mercy/8761-death-to-black-metal/1/ |title=Death to Black Metal Liturgy and Deafheaven's controversial leaders discuss the state of black metal. |date= January 30, 2012 |publisher=Pitchfork Media}}

In 2014, the former band members, bassist Tyler Dusenbury and drummer Greg Fox, rejoined the band to record the upcoming third studio album.{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/news/58025-liturgy-announce-new-album-the-ark-work-share-quetzalcoatl/ |title=Liturgy Announce New Album The Ark Work, Share "Quetzalcoatl" |date= January 20, 2015 |publisher=Pitchfork|access-date=January 25, 2015}} The Ark Work was announced on January 20, 2015 and the press release of the album describes it as featuring "cross-fertilizing hardstyle beats, occult-oriented rap, and the glitched re-sampling of IDM."{{cite web | url=https://consequence.net/2015/01/liturgy-announces-new-album-the-ark-work-premieres-lead-single-quetzalcoatl-listen/ | title=Liturgy announces new album, The Ark Work, premieres lead single "Quetzalcoatl" — listen | publisher=Consequence of Sound | date=January 20, 2015 | access-date=January 25, 2015 | author=Coplan, Chris}}

{{Album ratings

| MC = 63/100{{cite web | url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/the-ark-work/liturgy | title=The Ark Work - Liturgy | publisher=Metacritic | access-date=March 26, 2015}}

|rev1 = AllMusic

|rev1score = {{rating|2.5|5}}

|rev2 = The A.V. Club

|rev2score = B+{{cite web | url=http://www.avclub.com/review/liturgy-more-progressive-and-polarizing-ever-ark-w-216570 | title=Review: Liturgy is more progressive and polarizing than ever on The Ark Work | publisher = The A.V. Club | date=March 24, 2015 | access-date=March 26, 2015 | author=Williott, Carl}}

|rev3 = Consequence of Sound

|rev3score = B−{{cite web | url=https://consequence.net/2015/03/album-review-liturgy-the-ark-work/ | title = Liturgy - The Ark Work | publisher=Consequence of Sound | date=March 24, 2015 | access-date=March 26, 2015 | author=Barry, Sean}}

|rev4 = Exclaim!

|rev4score = 3/10{{cite web | url=http://exclaim.ca/Music/article/liturgy-ark_work | title=Liturgy - The Ark Work | publisher=Exclaim! | date=March 20, 2015 | access-date=March 25, 2015 | author=Zina Walschots, Natalie}}

|rev5 = Metal Storm

|rev5Score = 2.0/10{{cite web |title= Liturgy - The Ark Work review |url=http://metalstorm.net/pub/review.php?review_id=13767 |publisher=Metal Storm |access-date=7 April 2020}}

|rev6 = The New York Times

|rev6score = (favorable){{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/24/arts/music/review-the-ark-work-is-liturgys-third-album.html?_r=0 | title = The Ark Work is Liturgy's third album | newspaper=The New York Times | date=March 23, 2015 | access-date=March 26, 2015 | author=Ratliff, Ben}}

|rev7 = Pitchfork Media

|rev7score = 6.4/10{{cite web | url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/20313-the-ark-work/ | title=Liturgy: The Ark Work | publisher=Pitchfork Media | date=March 26, 2015 | access-date=March 26, 2015 | author=Greene, Jayson}}

|rev8 = PopMatters

|rev8score = 8/10{{cite web | url=http://www.popmatters.com/review/191711-liturgy-the-ark-work/ | title=Liturgy: The Ark Work | publisher=PopMatters | date=March 27, 2015 | access-date=April 1, 2015 | author=Ezell, Bruce}}

|rev9 = Uncut

|rev9score = {{rating|3|5}}

|rev10 = Spin

|rev10score = 8/10{{Cite web|url=https://www.spin.com/2015/03/liturgy-the-ark-work/|title=Review: Liturgy Won't Be Your Thinkpiece Anymore on 'The Ark Work'|date=27 March 2015|website=Spin.com|access-date=3 January 2022}}

}}

The album received polarised receptions from critics and fans alike. Consequence of Sound gave the album a B− and said it was "triumphant and interesting enough to keep fans satisfied", though also noted the album will raise "the question the band has prompted before: Is this even black metal?" The A.V. Club, which awarded the album a B+, called the album "more progressive and polarizing than ever" and "a singular musical achievement". The New York Times suggested that the album found the band truly developing its own sound and, while not free of criticisms, observed, "The band knows its virtues and works them hard". NPR stated that with this album, Hunt-Hendrix "[has] come closer than ever to realizing" her goal of creating transcendental black metal.{{cite web | url=https://www.npr.org/2015/03/15/392100467/first-listen-liturgy-the-ark-work | title = Liturgy, 'The Ark Work' | publisher=NPR | date=March 15, 2015 | access-date=March 26, 2015 | author=Begrand, Adrien}} PopMatters shared this opinion; while they criticised the album's lyrics, they effusively praised other aspects of the album, saying, "it manages to capture Hunt-Hendrix’s aesthetic vision without feeling like it’s reaching to tack on a philosophy to its adventurous music. The record truly feels like Transcendental Black Metal". Pitchfork Media gave it a mixed review, rating the album at 6.4 out of 10 and praising Greg Fox' performance and the first five songs but criticising Hunt-Hendrix' vocals as monotonous and the album as overlong. Exclaim! shared this reaction, opening their 3/10 review with "Guys, Liturgy is fully trolling us." The album currently has a score of 63 on Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

{{Tracklist

| title1 = Fanfare

| length1 = 2:21

| title2 = Follow

| length2 = 3:31

| title3 = Kel Valhaal

| length3 = 7:11

| title4 = Follow II

| length4 = 7:30

| title5 = Quetzalcoatl

| length5 = 4:48

| title6 = Father Vorizen

| length6 = 5:58

| title7 = Haelegen

| length7 = 2:54

| title8 = Reign Array

| length8 = 11:35

| title9 = Vitriol

| length9 = 5:21

| title10 = Total War

| length10 = 5:06

| total_length = 56:14

}}

• Haela Hunt-Hendrix – vocals, guitar, electronics
• Bernard Gann – guitar
• Tyler Dusenbury – bass guitar
• Greg Fox – drums, percussion

• Daniel Blacksberg – trombone
• Josh Millrod – trumpet
• Caley Monahon-Ward – violin
• Andrew Forbes – bagpipes

• Frank Musarra – producer, engineer
• Jonathan Schenke – engineer, mixing
• Jason Ward – mastering
• Jacqueline Castel – photography
• Navi – photography
• Zev Deans – image development
• Kayla Guthrie – text

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.thrilljockey.com/thrill/Liturgy/The-Ark-Work#.VMVLgf6sWSo The Ark Work on Thrill Jockey]

{{Liturgy (band)}}

{{Authority control}}

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Category:2015 albums

Category:Liturgy (band) albums

Category:Thrill Jockey albums