Sometimes compared to their fellow countrymen Blut Aus Nord, mysterious French black metal group Spektr revolves around the duo of drummer/programmer/vocalist kl.K and guitarist/bassist/programmer/vocalist Hth. Spektr take an experimental approach to black metal, showing fondness for spacious drones, found sounds, and odd time signatures (as well as industrial and dark ambient influences) as much as crushing guitars and punishing drums. The band achieved some notoriety in 2004 when, upon the release of its debut album, No Longer Human Senses, San Francisco's Aquarius Records deemed it "the weirdest black metal record ever." Two years later, Spektr returned with Near Death Experience, an atmospheric set of songs that emphasized their musique concrète influences; the duo pushed the boundaries of black metal even further with 2008's Mescalyne EP. On 2013's Cypher, Spektr incorporated more electronic and jazz-inspired elements into their sound. The duo went into hiding for the next couple of years, emerging on Agonia with their most melodic yet industrial and jazz-influenced album to date with 2016's The Art to Disappear. ~ Heather Phares