As deeply personal and harrowing as the music of Lingua Ignota, aka Kristin Hayter, is, it belongs to a rarefied, sparsely populated realm (Diamanda Galás, Neurosis and possibly Swans being the only neighbours in visible distance) that feels supra-human, as though the energies she’s channelling have transformed her into something archetypal, transcendent yet terrifying – an emissary of judgement offering no refuge from her gaze.
Utilising industrial judder, classical instrumentation as though recorded from the ruins of an old world, and a crystal clear voice as imperious yet intimate as the angel of death drawing a finger across your cheek, while wielding lanterns to guide you through the labyrinths of purgatory, there’s a paralysis-inducing emotional weight to her live sets that’s seen rapt fans hyperventilating and a need to decompress in their wake. Having played before in 2019, and been asked to be artist in residence for 2020, Lingua Ignota and Roadburn feels like a symbiotic relationship - a step beyond everyday consciousness, and a beacon to navigate by, illuminating innumerable paths to explore.