Blackmoon1348 with the Tibetan Monks of the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery

This record comes in the wake of a historic tour in which the Tibetan monks of the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery (now relocated to India due to Chinese persecution) collaborated for the first time with Western musicians – in this case the alternative, drone metal trio Blackmoon1348. Together, their blend of ancient tantric practice and industrial soundscapes make for a potent, meditative mixture – the sonic equivalent of building a steel metropolis in the Himalayas, or sticking a monastery in the centre of Old Street roundabout.

Admittedly, this might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's a highly compatible marriage. Blackmoon1348 play music of a similar vein to Sunn O))) – an apocalyptic band with a borderline cult following within the doom metal scene. It's music that isn't really played but rather sculpted, slowly and carefully, creating transcendental experiences rather than tunes, and the addition of Buddhist ritual mantra here only enhances it.

The single, 40-minute long, live-recorded track constitutes a heavy but rewarding trip, gradually traversing various moods and spaces – much of it atmospheric and otherworldly, though occasionally it emerges, Dark Side of the Moon-style, into an unexpected hook you can nod along to. It is, overall, a breathtaking work.