This is 3″ CDR featuring one nearly 20 minute long track, and acts as part 2 in the trilogy that was launched with the “Blight” 3″ on Snip – Snip. Black Sand Desert create an nebulous style of abrasive Noise. It is harsh in its textures, and the distortions are steeped in a rusted and corrosive tone, but the over all feel is not one of abandon by any stretch. The piece churns along with everything hemmed in just a bit to create a more atmospheric and fluid presentation. The sound is steady and thick with new components, loops, and underlying heave, little flutters of electronics rising and falling gradually around the core of caustic erosions. It’s a very dense release, and the distortions consistently have that jagged edge to them that I always seem to like. “Séance” is a bit more straight forward than “Blight” but evolves nicely and the quality of the sounds is consistently strong. – Scott
CHIMERA
Black Sand Desert – Séance
•January 4, 2009 • Leave a CommentBlack Sand Desert – Blight
•January 4, 2009 • Leave a CommentOne 20+ minute track graces this 3″ CDR, and the insert states that it is part one of a forthcoming trilogy. The piece builds slowly from deep rumbles and crumbling distortions. Steady high frequencies and feedback begin to appear in the mix but are set into the distorted crunches and behave atmospherically rather than as ear damage. The mid range distortions and static’s rise up as well, creating a denser and denser track while still maintaining some semblance of atmosphere. As the piece progresses, the heavy distortions are added and removed to leave behind fluttering electronics and some nice analog squirms and flickers. This addition and subtraction of sounds and shifts in tone mix things up well, yet “Blight” remains attached to the heavy distortions that open it. This is really well put together. The sounds are interesting, and carry a unique presence through the length of the track. The noise level swells and recedes with extended moments of odd tension and mood that returns to the rusty textures and tectonic low end. Black Sand Desert has done a wonderful job of crafting an interesting track that flows even with all of its barbed and jagged edges and never stagnates despite its epic length. – Scott
SNIP -SNIP
Blood Box – The Iron Dream
•January 4, 2009 • Leave a Comment
It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a new full length release from this influential Dark Ambient project, but “The Iron Dream” is a fine example of the benefits of taking your time versus churning out releases. Blood Box, for those that don’t know, is a project of Michael Hensley of Yen Pox fame, and while it operates in a similar sphere, they are definitely their own entities. This new material shows a further expansion of the pervasive and stirring style of Dark Ambient both projects have received such acclaim for. “Fall In” uses very subtle ethnic percussion and a slow melody but it is mixed carefully into the middle of the shifting reverberations and desolate textures so that it maintains part of a whole rather than a simplified focal point. “Lower Realm” begins sparsely with a percussive tone striking out in the distance and the cave air atmosphere swirls between the decaying strikes. Vocals samples are mixed and processed quietly to offer only a suggestion of their message through the murk. There are recognizable synth tones and simple melody woven through this as the girth of the piece ebbs and flows. “Cold Hand In Mine” has a mournful undertone to it in the oscillating melody. The synth work swells to a cinematic sort of grandeur as the piece develops as distant echoes smear through the background. “To The End Of Night” becomes airy at times and more sinister in others creating a more disorienting feel in places thanks to the swelling and panning textures. “Beneath The Black Wave” opens with sounds that make the title completely appropriate, crashing swells of grim ambience. Distant voices and a rich organ tone combine with backward masked acoustics. From there the track takes on an almost fantastical tone of inflated textures and melancholy melody, before breaking apart into what feels like a crumbling childrens nursery. The disc ends with “Far Side of The Sun,” the longest track at over 18 and a half minutes, though none of them are under 8 minutes. It is a bleak track of deep tones, beleaguered vocalizations, and rattling percussives, that brings to mind dead villages best with scavenger insects. This transforms itself gradually into something less bleak, but now less engrossing. The careful hand used in allowing all the layers to develop and flow gradually is fantastic, it never stagnates. “The Iron Dream” is one of the most animated things I’ve heard from Hensley, building a greater tension and digging deeper wells of despondency with the depth of the tracks while maintaining his core sound. His work continues to be among the best in the field. – Scott
EIBON RECORDS
Bongoleeros/Fckn’Bstrds – Split
•January 4, 2009 • Leave a CommentThis is a split CDR, Bongoleeros are first with a single track clocking in at 20 minutes. “Skullface and Doggin Live At Denton Res,” is a low-fi clattering of noise guitar, raw distortions, synth, samples, odd electronics, cut up segments, percussive tones and what I think are also regular vocals in addition to the samples. It’s spastic mess of sounds that jerks in a new direction every half minute or so while still maintaining the overall sound, largely because of the live recording and the distortion range. This track bugged me for the first 5 minutes or so, but I ended up not minding it in the end. It’s a mish mash of sounds that builds a chaos and a playfulness at the same time… like a toy factory burning down… or something. Fckn’bstrds is up next with two tracks. “The Best of Dutch POP Groups” is a disjointed combination of cheap electronics, manic screams, and mid range distortions. It comes across like a tantrum more than anything and given that it’s over 15 minutes long became rather trying by the end. This approach can be interesting, but I prefer it in shorter doses as this remained relatively consistent in the sounds, long after its point had been made. “Wildberries Wildweddingday,” is a brief track to close the disc, of weird chants, zombie moans and tribal percussion. I don’t know what to say about this. I found some of it enjoyable, but it’s a style I don’t personally find all that engaging. If you favor that stuck in traffic, blood pressure raising, I’m getting a headache feel to your noise maybe you’ll like this more than I did. – Scott
VOLTAGESTRESS*R
Boris – Amplifier Worship
•January 4, 2009 • Leave a Comment
This is a CD re-issue of an out of print Japanese only release from Boris. Along with Sunn O))), Boris is one of the torch bearers of infinite drone left in the wake of Earth. I’ve not heard Earth, and I found the “Absolutego” record from Boris to be much closer to minimal dark ambient or something than anything Doomy, save for the last few minutes of the disc. “Amplifier Worship” however begins with the grimy downtuned dirge and scowling vocals that I was hoping for. Plodding, saturated chords lumber with the deliberateness of a concentrating drunkard trying to get from the bar stool to the toilet. Heavy, and purposeful yet uneasy and above reality. These tracks come across as drawn out jams with careful orchestration behind them. To achieve the timing to play this slow is a far greater task than unleashing some obscenely complex Grind riff I’m sure. The tempo does fluctuate, as well, an upbeat driving drum line feeds the more animated moments of the disc. To the prominent, laborious dirge, elements of ambience, tribalism, psychedelia and Punk all raise their heads. This ends up being a pretty diverse release by the time it’s over, crushing chord damage, quiet melodic minimalism, driving Punk influenced Rock, esoteric tribal beats, fuzzed out psychedelic washes. “Amplifier Worship” is a much more satisfying listen than “Absolutego” was for these ears, and I finally am beginning to see why this band has gotten the response from its fans that it has. – Scott
SOUTHERN LORD
Brittle Foundaries – Elegy
•January 4, 2009 • Leave a CommentThis is a single track 3″ CDR, from this new side project from the man behind Luasa Raelon. There are two other Brittle Foundries 3″‘s that preceded this one, which I will hopefully get around to reviewing one of these days because they are equally good. “Elegy” is a nearly 22 and a half minute piece of evolving hallucinatory Dark Ambient. Relying on synth drones and subtle melodies to coax you into its fragile haze, this piece wraps itself around the listener and lets the imagination thrive. The overall construction seems rather minimal, but the nature of the piece itself feels much more complex. The title is a fitting one really, as there is a tragic beauty all through this, between the morose melody and clanging of distant bells. It’s a rich tone that draws you into it in a way that few can manage. It’s delicate but somehow forceful. Impressive. – Scott
SNIP-SNIP
Broken Hands for Brilliant Minds – Remember The Past, Respect The Future
•January 4, 2009 • Leave a Comment
This is yet another project from Clint Listing, the man behind, As All Die among others. There are 6 tracks on this one, and it comes in a nicely conceived folding paper envelope thingy. The disc opens with, “M1,” a simple bit of modern ethereal sounding synth ambient, woven with quiet melody and bleeping electronics. Militaristic timpani type percussion open the second track “Above The Horizon” with muttered low vocals and minimal ambient textures in the very distant background. These swell forward and a lonely melody emerges. It’s a despairing, isolated feel through out, that works really well in its relative simplicity with just the right amount of dramatic effect provided by the drumming. “Pickles & Pears” is next up and just breaches the 10 minute mark. A melancholy piano line rings out amid delicately warped electronics, and synth tones, that provide a head swimming sort of mood around the more concrete nature of the piano. This almost has a silent film feel to it, or at least that’s where my mind wanders when listening. The grainy black and white feel of some absurd silent, surrealist film flickering and sputtering against the wall in a smoky room. The musical premise doesn’t change over the length, but the feel created again carries the simple approach with capable hands. “In The Trust Of Children” again uses reverb laden drifts with an elusive melody to reinforce the reflective loneliness that saturates this record. This particular track doesn’t really have the foreground element to hook you like the previous two, but still works pretty well and pieces of the melody do move up here and there in the mix. “M2” comes in at nearly 12 and a half minutes, and has a similar feel as “M1,” but with a darker overall tone and richer low end. “The Elfman Project***” is a bit of a hidden track, buried deep in what registers as a 28 and a half minute piece, all of which is silence until about the 20 minute mark. This is the most animated of the tracks, as everything is louder and not quite so still, again using similar themes as the rest of the record in the collision of melody and drift, but with a more immediate drama to them this time, more uptight and neurotic than lamenting. I enjoyed “Remember The Past, Respect The Future,” particularly tracks two and three. – Scott
ODD HALO
Bunny Brains, The – Holiday Massacre ’98
•January 4, 2009 • Leave a Comment
This is a 13 song CDR, of what sounds to be a mix of dirgey structures and improvised “jam” type aesthetics. “Freshen Up!” has a noisy, psyched out feel, with a driving rhythm section at the root. Not entirely similar or dis-similar to something like Subarachnoid Space or Skullflower, meaning it doesn’t sound like them, but is in the ballpark… “Stookey Ring Of Evil” is a lackadaisical, quiet track that builds toward a more driving finish, composed in a rough, free form attack to the instruments and lazy vocal style. “Upland Lane” has a sort of early post punk feel to it, with steady bass lines and monotone vocals amid feedback washes, and simple chording from the guitar. “The Switchblade Sisters” makes me think of a drunken Camper Van Beethoven or something. It has that quirky College Rock feel to it, yet is done much more loosely, and as through out the record, the vocalist doesn’t seem to be trying particularly hard. “Birty Doots” is a rough cover of the similarly titled Sonic Youth song. “Overdose On Cum” has a psychedelic tone with the bass and drums providing the core again and guitar experiments drifting atop it along with the disembodied vocals. And so “Holiday Massacre 98” continues with a string of somewhat improvised, Art Rock. There is a live feel to this, and some talk to what would suggest a crowd, but I can’t find the press sheet and there is no mention of being live on the disc, and no crowd noise so I don’t know. This is the kind of disc that drug people insist you need to check out, not being a drug person, its charm is more or less lost on me. It sounds half assed to me, there are some good moments, particularly the first track, but taken as a complete album, it seems like a bit of a mess. – Scott
PUBLIC EYESORE
Burn Ward – Self Immolation
•January 4, 2009 • Leave a Comment
This is a nicely packaged business Card CDR, featuring just one track. The track is loud and on top of you from the opening seconds. Abrasive electronics and dirty noise with a crisp production give this a harsh, but somewhat controlled tone. There are brief moments of pause mixed in where all is quiet yet you hear the ambience of an open mic in a room which I thought was a nice touch. The clarity and the caustic nature of the sounds here combine for a really volatile mix of savage noise. It just bristles with a venom that not many can capture. Really nicely done. – Scott
Burst – Prey On Life
•January 4, 2009 • Leave a Comment
I really love this record, I’ll just say that up front. Burst hail from Sweden, and play a highly charged and emotional mix of hardcore and metal I guess, though really don’t come across as either. Music in this vein is a bit difficult to pigeonhole for me, in part I think I hold onto the older definitions of what those classifications mean. “Prey On Life,” is heavy, epic and melodic, energetic and written with a maturity and passion. It weaves together tempo and mood shifts, dissonance and beautiful melodic interludes, a technical flair with simple catchy riffing, and wraps them around the core of heartfelt screams/yells and that the emotional pacing of the writing rises above all else. It falls in that grey area of sonics inhabited by bands like Isis, Neurosis, but really sounds nothing like them, with to possible exceptions of a couple minor vocal comparisons to Neurosis. It doesn’t rely on the heavy drone element or extended mellow sections of either of the previous listed bands. Burst embody expressive, truly heavy music that ebbs and flows with dynamics and craft. There are some really memorable riffs and hooks and all of the instruments genuinely contribute to the whole. The production bolsters the writing to perfection, and it’s really just a fantastic release. – Scott
RELAPSE
Thralldom – Interview
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
For the uninitiated, New York City’s Thralldom could very well be the new hope for black metal… not necessarily limited to just the American contingent, but the entire genre, the world over. The conviction found on Beast Eye Opened to the Sky is a heaven charring experience where mordantly organic songs somehow embrace the Darkthrone meets Hellhammer aesthetic of agonizing purity, cut with experimental noise to arrive at a truly original sound. Thralldom are the type of band that erupt out of nowhere with an attack so completely destructive and inspired, it leaves many others working within the same genre in awe with “why didn’t we think of that” poised at the tip of their tongues. I see Beast Eye as the blue print for even more open minded growth as this band continues to sacrifice their influences for the greater good of creating something inherently evil and exciting… 2 elements that have sadly fallen into decay in the black metal genre. The following salvo of questions found their mark via the Internet with main visionary and founding member, Killusion where he divulges more insight into the torturous rituals of Thralldom and his other noteworthy band, Unearthly Trance. – Marty
Worm Gear: Please explain the evolution of Thralldom before settling on a caustic form of black metal. According to the bio information, doom elements were found at the onset, and then you adopted more of a technical edge to reside in your sound. Why were your earlier works so minimally distributed? Would you say the members of this current line-up had a hand in the bands creative growth?
Killusion: Originally Thralldom was practically a selfish endeavor. We made recordings and enjoyed them to ourselves. There was almost no effort in getting our musick out there. The third Thralldom demo (2 songs) was all doom. In fact one song “Crown of the Unearthly Trance” influenced the band Unearthly Trance to form in a sense. The growth came out of new flame that was ignited when we re-formed after 2000. I think the break made Jaldagar and I realize what we had and what the future could hold for Thralldom.
WG: “Beast Eye Opened to the Sky” was an eye opening experience for me, for it truly is a rare thing in this genre for a band to strike out on their own to create their own definitive sound. Was combining raw black metal with experimental music ideas a conscious decision?
K: Absolutely. Black Metal to me is almost as closed minded as hardcore. Almost all bands sound the same, follow the same formula and have the same aesthetics. We wanted to at least take a stab at creating something different and unique.
WG: How extensive is the members of Thralldom’s interest in other musical styles? How much of a part do these influences play in sculpting the finished product? Could you see even more of this harsh medium entering your style in the future?
K: The thing with Thralldom is it is a totally spontaneous unit. We write songs in one session, usually rehearse once or twice and then begin to lay down the songs in the RedRoom Lair. The harsh noise aspect that we bring into the mix is something all members are interested in and actively pursue under different monikers. So depended on how we feel at the given moment the noise could be overwhelming or serve as an eerie backdrop. Spontaneous black art has no rules.
WG: Such an open-minded gathering of musical ideas is often looked down upon by the black metal elite. Has Thralldom unearthed enough sinister crust with their music to silence the snobs? Is this even a concern?
K: Fuck those losers. We have more talent and conviction than most of these panda-faced followers. Can a sheep truly be intimidating? I think not. Thralldom is NOT a black metal band solely on the basis that we choose not to associate with people who are more concerned with sounding like shit than an actual art-form.
WG: What are your thoughts on the “opinionated” status of the scene? To me, the negatives of the Internet can sometimes outweigh the positive aspects. Communication between the fans in general has deteriorated to insults and one-upmanship…
K: I say if someone wanted to talk shit about me- KILLUSION, come find me face to face, see what I am about, question me about my knowledge… The occult is something that I take very seriously and I dare anyone challenge my will. The scene is shit and that is great to me because it certainly doesn’t take much to stand out. Of course communicating though the Internet makes life easier and more prompt but Thralldom is a band of outsiders hell bent on staying outside. We don’t want to belong to the “club”.
WG: The lyrical concepts on “Beast Eye…” inspire a violent, yet poetic glimpse into satanic affirmation. How much of a part are your ideologies in the inner workings of Thralldom? Living in New York City, do you think the pace and raw aggression this environment can have, has influenced your views spiritually or socially? Is Thralldom a release valve for these ideas?
K: New York is a cut-throat place. No question about it. I’ve become quite the cynical and hateful bastard growing up here. At the same time I think its great because New Yorkers almost have a stronger sense of things and are almost more aware of their surroundings compared to people who live in a quiet, slow-minded place. The violence and hatred is just me. I’ve had these feelings since I was child and perhaps this band is a brutally honest reflection of how I really feel on my worst/best days. Depending on how you view a staunch Luciferian.
WG: “Beast Eye…” possesses a very warm, analog tone to me that seems to suit the music you have created perfectly. Is there a preference for you when holing up to finally commit new music to a recording source? Convenience or affordability? Would you agree that there is a certain “sound” this style of music should uphold, to try and deviate from that over produced, perfect/sterile pro tools sound?
K: Well its all about experience and tone. Beast-Eye was actually recorded on very good, state of the art equipment. I don’t think Pro Tools is necessarily a bad thing. Good technology makes things faster and easier when you are trying to capture the raw atmosphere. We are a band that records with one-take and we like to leave things naturally. I think there is an obsession with people to try to perfect things and remove the “imperfect” elements from recordings. We on the other hand try to enhance the ugliness and use the technology to our advantage. Sterile sounds come from sterile minds. Thralldom records ALL of our own musick in our own studio. I think this is a huge advantage over bands who bring their music to a random studio hoping for the right results.
WG: Explain to me your views regarding the trends, visuals and promotional clichés of black metal circa 2004. Spikes, corpse paint and the typically extreme jargon is still preached to the already converted. I’m curious of your outlook, since the artwork of both the 7″ and the CD/LP to me is setting a more unique standard by avoiding the rehashed design/visuals often employed by this genre.
K: Thank you. That is what we wanted. Thralldom is not a band of followers. These trends are of course cool in a sense (nostalgic) but ultimately it’s totally over-done and dead. Its scary how many bands follow the same ‘rules’ to try and get accepted. In the early 90’s those things actually made an impact on me because it was bold and different but not now …haha… give me a fucking break! These carbon copiers should actually study black magick not just pretend. Thralldoms visuals represent the nightmares that our musick reflects. Its important to me to give the listener something that is equally stimulating and representative to look at while listening to the musick.
WG: Unearthly Trance have been described to me as a very ambitious union of dirge like doom and experimental music. Knowing that you are a member of this band, how would you compare U.T.’s style to Thralldom? Are there similarities? Would Unearthly Trance be a glimpse into Thralldom’s earlier works?
K: Both bands are projects that I spearhead. Unearthly Trance focused on minimalism, discipline and structure. Thralldom is much faster and has a more ‘anything goes’ attitude. All songs by both bands are mainly written by me and I think it’s just that I like the slow shit and I like the fast shit. UT is a beast all to its own and works with 2 other members who have the same vision to conquer. Thralldom is just a cult that loosely operates whenever we want.
WG: What sort of satisfaction do you obtain from working with both musical entities?
K: I have many projects and I feel that if I can write musick in different contexts it makes it more exciting and challenging for me as an artist.
WG: When writing music, how do you discern what ideas fit better with which band? Do you write with a different mindset for Unearthly Trance in the hopes to keep Thralldom a pure and more abrasive outlet for your creativity?
K: Unearthly is much more rock based beats with doom riffing and ritualistic execution. Two totally different things and two totally different drummers. Even if I brought the same riff to both drummers, the outcome would be totally unique to each project.
WG: I have yet to hear of any Thralldom shows, but have noticed that Unearthly Trance have had several busy years with playing live. How is this form of music, along with black metal, received in New York? Is there yet a hunger by the fans for this style of music? Are there different parts of the country that seemed more aligned with the sounds created by U.T.?
K: In NY people like the ugly, raw stuff. I’ve been seeing sick shows my whole life in NYC and I appreciate that. I think Unearthly Trance is a very NY band and we do pretty well here. After touring quite a bit, I would say UT does very well in Providence, Chicago, Cincinnati, San Francisco, Portland… a lot of places actually. As for Black Metal, there isn’t much as the way of shows here, some die hards appreciate it, but for the most part it’s still very UG and that is fine with me. Thralldom DOES NOT play live shows. We have no interest in that and we are strictly a band that lives in the studio.
WG: What music has been in current rotation in your house lately?
K: Celtic Frost “Morbid Tales” (this record is a religion to me haha)
Witchcraft (great new doom-rock band on Rise Above that sounds right out of the early 70’s)
Electric Wizard “We Live”(they are back in heavier than ever)
War “Total War”
Deathpile “G.R.”
Melvin’s ALL
Leviathan
Darkthrone ALL
Deadboy and the Elephantmen
Outlaw Order 7″
Burning Witch
Grunt
I rarely buy anything new these daze…
WG: Thank you Killusion for taking the time to sift through these questions. We eagerly await the next summoning from the Thralldom encampment. The final words are yours…
K: God is to live in the Dog, Live in Evil.
http://www.unearthlytrance.com/thralldom
www.UNEARTHLYTRANCE.com
http://www.bestialonslaught.com
http://www.PARASITICRECORDS.com
Thy Dying Light – Interview
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
Mr. Reca is almost right. Not only does the US need The Dying Light, but in fact, the world needs The Dying Light. The Dying Light is a force to be reckoned with. Aggressive Metal with no regard towards the latest trends is what The Dying Light spews forth with their brand of mayhem. I urge everyone who loves real extreme Metal to seek out this band and await their full length “The Survival Guide To The Apocalypse” which is due out in September/Oct on vinyl and cd. Below is a short interview with Mr. Reca, read on…. – Mike Bushur
First of all, what’s the purpose for starting The Dying Light? How did it all come together? What sort of things are you hoping to accomplish with this band?
The purpose for starting TDL was to create an audio doctrine that would inspire all antichrist architects to re-shape the immediate. The birth of TDL is based on unconditional love for creating savage metal. It all came together as a reaction to all the lame and predictable excuse for music hitting the shelves these days. The union of TDL was something that came natural. A reflection of all that inspires us via sound, sight and smell [of young delicious angels, ready to be redeemed’…] We hope to create the soundtrack to the endworld, to tour the globe and to usurp the throne of plastic and to penetrate all the luscious ladies…
The 4 song promo is a very good release and shows us what The Dying Light is capable of producing. One thing I noticed is that the songs vary from one another and as of now it sounds as though there is no definite style. Will this always be the case or are you just allowing an anything goes policy?
Thanks for the compliments on the demo; the recording is basically our 2nd rehearsal. To answer your question: whatever flows naturally…the chemistry is perfect.
How far do want to go with this band technically music wise? Do you want to keep things primitive?
TDL= the dark angel for the 2000’s…whatever comes naturally, we will have some primitive shit in the oven for sure…
After seeing the band live, I noticed there wasn’t a bass player which is something I didn’t really notice while listening to the promo. Why is this?
Because no-one around these parts can step up to the plate…if anyone is interested in playing the bass for us and you live in NYC, email us (see below)
I was lucky enough to see The Dying Light in Brooklyn as part of the Destruction Fest with Destroyer 666, Nun Slaughter, Sadistic Intent, etc. Unfortunately I walked in towards the end of your set and only caught 3 or 4 songs including a new one or two. I liked what I saw! Is the live setting where you think The Dying Light is best appreciated?
Live is the only way to be METAL!!! Fuck the bedroom nerds that can’t cook the steel live……
What do you like about playing live, and how long or what does it take before you lose it and really start swinging and using the mic stand?
It depends on what is lurking in the ‘ole nugget that evening….blame it on BANGOUT and WOMEN!!! HAHA
What’s your opinion on Metal these days? Good, better, worse, nothing changes? Where do you see The Dying Light’s place in all this mess?
Too much crap. The USA needs TDL!! We view our existence as a separate entity from all of this “flooding”… quality is what we stand for….not fashion, not popularity…
When composing The Dying Light music, what does the band have in mind?
THE ORGANIC PROCESS works best…its like drawing and thinking….cutting and cooking, fucking and sucking..
Could you explain, in general, what the lyrics are all about? How important do you think lyrics are in comparison to the music? Are they any different than how you’ve expressed your lyrical vision before?
Sort of, its actually less anger based and more “pro-love”…[true love=misanthropy] Some are based on ‘real life’ shit, the science of the occult and vagina. Lyrics are 1000000% equally important…What’s the use of singing/playing something you don’t really believe in??? I’d rather channel energy into something that we stand for…
Do you think its easier having some experience under your belt rather than just starting out in a band for the first time?
Absolutely, experience is the key to make things work…and TDL is something that we all contribute the necessary communication skills of advance thinkers to create unholy metal storms…
What can we expect from The Dying Light in the future?
Our full length release, THE SURVIVAL GUIDE TO THE APOCALYPSE will bless the feeble in showers of urine and blood…it will be recorded at Dimensional Sounds with MR. ERIC RUTAN {Ripping Corpse, Morbid Angel & Hate Eternal] at the wheel…..
Ok, thanks for your time! Please end this in any way you feel, hopefully see you guys again soon!
MEGA THANKS TO YOU MIKE FOR BEING A METAL/VINYL warrior and thanks to all the hordes for the support and the maniacs that make it down to the shows!!! Cheers!!!! Go out and kill!!!
Widow – On Fire
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
Widow counts King Diamond, Crimson Glory, Warlord, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Yngwie Malmsteen among their influences, and many of these are audible. I also don’t listen to a lot of that music much these days, so I might not be the best person to review this. That said, Widow’s On Fire strikes me as more of a retread than as a development of that sound – I suppose at best one could argue that it’s a re-imagining of those classic bands in a slightly more modern context, though I don’t hear much that’s new. While Maiden incorporated a twin guitar sound very much like that of Thin Lizzy, they also brought to their music a heavier sound, a punkier (and later more operatic) vocal approach, and a different attitude, all of which made Maiden’s use of that style unique and important in the musical development of the genre. Widow doesn’t do anything like this On Fire, they just sound like a cross between Maiden and In Flames, though Widow has both a male singer (whom I don’t much enjoy) and a female singer (whose voice I like). I point out the twin guitar sound because that’s the most consistently Maidenesque quality of Widow – not just the lines themselves (in 3rds and 6ths), but also because the harmonic backdrop and musical pacing seems almost identical in spots. My friend, Metal Maniacs (and sometime Worm Gear) reviewer S. Craig Zahler, and I sometimes argue about my intolerance for certain chord progressions in music, many of which appear regularly it seems in Power Metal. Sometimes I wish I wasn’t bored by things that are extremely straightforward, but I am. Widow uses many of these chord progressions, and it’s hard for me to get around that. Nonetheless, people who enjoy lots of Power Metal may like this, as it’s competently performed and recorded, with a rich sound and confident delivery. [note: I doubt Zahler would like this much either, though largely because of the voices – the male voice has a -core quality, and Zahler has consistently expressed his general disdain for female singers in heavy metal, with rare exceptions. – Jeff Herriot
CRUZ DEL SUR MUSIC
Weapon – Within the Flesh of the Satanist
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a CommentYou’d be a fool to not immediately think of VON upon the first listen with the vocal delay. No doubt this was intentional. When your band is called WEAPON, you want to let your audience understand that you have no interest in a) compact discs b) stuffed animals c) going to the movies on Friday or d) how “nice” some assholes day was. Completely understandable. But the Von comparisons end right before the second song, “I, Abhorrer (Father of Sin)”, which serves up something a little different with significantly less nonsensical thrashing and more straight-forward, driving riffs. There is no escaping the raw attributes to this demo but the production is surprisingly clear as opposed to tapes where you’ll hear more hiss than music. A very specific and dry aura surrounds this music that the attentive listener will find both welcoming and familiar. Something tells me this band is comfortable knowing that they aren’t doing anything groundbreaking. They are upholding a music they believe in and those who are capable of also appreciating this music will find plenty of good things here. – TRA
Vulpecula – In Dusk Apparition
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
Chuck Keller has officially ended Vulpecula. This release contains music recorded between 1996-1998 but still sounds very different from “Fons Immortalis”. “Fons…” was an incredibly melodic black/thrash album with a dense atmosphere and trance inducing riffs. “In Dusk Apparition” could be described in a similar sense. So what is the difference? Perhaps that the songs on “In Dusk…” are less aggressive and more rhythmic and tonal. “Eltanin Shadowcast” thrives on a great rhythmic riff acting almost as the theme for the whole song before moving into a chaotic frenzy of chord and lead trade offs underlined by a drone (specifically around the 6:30 mark) from the depths of outer space. “Celestial” offers more technical moments and more changes but retains the same foundation as the first song delving into the same non-existent (but recognizable) boundaries that Chuck sets for himself. “Culmination” is the closest song we get to the material on “Fons….” with the tracks bizarre melodic qualities and movements ending with a lost transmission from another dimension, which carries into the epic closer “Apparition”. It really is unfortunate that Vulpecula are no more. “Fons Immortalis” marked a great beginning as a challenging and valuable listening experience. “In Dusk Apparition” is a great album and something to be thankful for but it doesn’t leave Vulpecula with the sort of accomplishment I believe Keller deserves. While his involvement with Ares Kingdom is demanding, his creative force shouldn’t diminish or be abandoned with Vulpecula. I would hope he decides to continue what he began and gains the recognition and respect he deserves as a notable metal veteran. “In Dusk Apparition” isn’t a bad place to end and it doesn’t leave a sour taste behind. It just serves as a constant reminder to how much promise this man has as a songwriter. – TRA
INVICTICUS
Vore – Maleficus
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
I wish I were more familiar with Vore’s back catalog for the purpose of this review. I have a hunch that “Maleficus” is a giant leap forward for this band, but without any knowledge of their past efforts “Dead Kings Eyes” and “Lord of Storms” I cannot be certain. I have heard that those past efforts were decent, but a bit too simplistic and slow to really hold the attention of seasoned metal veterans for any real length of time. While “Maleficus” could also be described as somewhat simplistic and mostly mid paced, the music is so well written, arranged and executed that I do not find it to be boring at all. In fact, Vore remind me a bit musically of Canada’s Necronomicon, another somewhat overlooked band who play fairly basic yet solid and well-written death metal. Of the eight new tracks presented here, seven of them plod on spreading heavy doses of death, doom and darkness that are sure to get your old school black converse high tops tapping along to the double bass. There are also occasional solos that you can wail away on your air guitar to. The noticeable exception would be track six, titled “Ashes”, which is a two-minute acoustic instrumental that bleeds into the following track titled “Wrath Wrought Ruin” rather nicely. This disc was definitely a refreshing surprise arriving at a time when cramming as many notes and riffs as possible into one song and seeing how many blast beats per minute that your drummer can maintain throughout the course of an album seem to be all the rage. – Lance Rogers
FROZEN SOLID
Various Artists – Revelation
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
Powernoise needs to die. Yes, it was interesting for a second and we all listened to it but now it’s past time for it to disappear into oblivion. For those of you unfamiliar with powernoise, here’s an easy way to imagine it: you overload your washing machine with laundry and it makes that rhythmic THUMPTHUMPTHUMP sound. Add some more oontz to it and voila! Powernoise. Occasionally there are some background screeches and random movie samples, but essentially you’ve got the idea. It’s EBM for the ‘extreme’ scene. That said, the majority of this compilation is powernoise so, naturally, I’m unimpressed. This is the first release for the excellently-named Bugs Crawling Out of People label. However, if this is the direction the label’s taking, it’s a waste of a good name. Some of the tracks here are worthwhile: Casual Coincidence’s “Merboso” is a genuinely creepy ambient soundscape, bETON bARRAGE combines ambient and noise to an unnerving end in “Devoured by Flies”, and Nitrous Flesh turns in two good tracks – “The Return of the Dark Angel” parts 1 and 2, the first of which is ambient and the second is noise/drone. Cold Flesh Colony and Asphalt Leash both bring some decent standard wall-o-noise barrages. The rest of the disc is powernoise. I knew three of the bands from when I listened to that kind of thing (Pneumatic Detach, Iszoloscope, and Scrap.edx) and I was curious to see how they’d evolved. They hadn’t. It’d been (roughly) five years since I’d heard them and it’s exactly the same. I guess there’s something to be said for sticking to your guns, but when that means releasing the same derivative tripe for half a decade, I suggest just sticking ’em. But hell, if you’re one of the powernoise crowd, keep up with this label. It seems to be right up your alley. -Christine Lett
BUGS CRAWLING OUT OF PEOPLE
Various Artists – At The End of the Rope
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
At The End Of The Rope
With the opening track to this monolithic double cd compilation, At The End Of The Rope hushes the listener and cripples the mind. Projects ranging from the mighty Richard Ramirez to the desolate Omei, this compilation outlines the who’s who in the Noise and Dark Ambient genres. At The End Of The Rope is a study of the perverse sexual deviancies of fetishes and the utter bizarre nature of violence and sex. I have taken the time to listen to each track and lay this ingenious nightmare out step by damning step.
CD 1.
– Gruntsplatter is the first to paint a horrifying image of a decaying room stained with memories of torture, death, and the most outlandish perverted acts imagined. Dismantling waves of bass distortion droning over delicately placed layers of extremely high pitch noise, low end fluttering fades in and out while most innocently a flute flirts with the listener. “The Acidic Blood” is a dire soul trapped within the pulsating throbs of low end textures and collapsing dark atmospheres. In “The Acidic Blood” multiple entities roam here within the astonishing darkness.
– Steel Hook Prostheses follows suit with “Violent Struggle Beneath The Pillow”. An eerie dark “ah” falls in a smothering drone as what seems to be a steam piston agingly trying to incite life. Heavy distorted guitar chugs anomalously like a predator, while a distorted venomous vocal attack pleads in shock to the heinous events that are occurring right before the scrambling form lays lifeless and the fantasy is fulfilled.
– Viodre’s “Feeding Breath” wastes no time ingesting a vile mixture of ghostly waves of white noise moving from side to side in a intoxicating blanket of static and amplifier abuse. Out of nowhere a tribal beat takes over with the raking of knives and a corroding static voice mellowly speaks of atrocities of the mind. When all quiets down, just then a blasting tunnel of defeating noise maliciously steals one’s breath and leaves you there to rot.
– Prurient is next with “Pacific Highway South”. This statement of horror and violence cuts deep inside the soul. A vibrating channel of static and sharp noise insectically swarms like black flies in the background as a screaming female voice persistently begs for help. Echoing off in the abstract distance the shrieking vocals are brothered by clotted shots of effect laden bass. All ending in a glistening moment of truth.
– Whorebutcher’s claustrophobic and intensely hypnotic “It’s Your Only Choice” maliciously forms from out of the darkest of shadows. A somewhat catchy loop turns the gears of depleting insanity all the while a grave-ish array of pulsating high frequencies lacerate the air. A deformed soot layered transmission is sprawled out over the electric clambering noise and ending in a decaying fleet of hope.
– Mania enters with “Gasper”. A feverish wall of white noise and power electronics. There’s not much to this track but just that. There are moments of bassy distortion, warped out keyboards but most of Gasper is nothing more than murderous brutality.
– Control makes its presence known with “To Die For”. A decomposing composition of distorted drones mixing with spaced out keyboards and evaporating pulsations. There is so much going on in “To Die For” it comes across almost alien. The rumbling of furnaces, static bassy hums, puncturing high pitched narrating and the hellish dragging sound all of this and much more shapes this to be one of the more stand alone tracks on this compilation.
– Moribund takes on the perversion of power and control in “My Power”. Fading in is a guitar throbbing and isolated. Following is a taunting and most frightening voice heavily warped out and slowed to a creeping pace. No sooner does the voice sinisterly leave as a dispiriting assault of harsh noise beat the senses into submission.
– Nicole 12’s “Cock and Rope” is a definitive track on this compilation. An English gentleman narrates about children and demoralized images of abuse. And once the vivid and forceful direction is unleashed by the narration, hypnotic keyboards teasingly open the doors to the perverted images waiting inside. Gagging, moaning and coughing female voices echo in the backdrop as a gurgling wavy voice speaks of horrors of the flesh.
– Deathpile brings its brand of rape, kidnaping, and murder with “Questions for Christina”. A story of the obsession with a 6th grade girl, ending in sexual violence and death. Layers upon layers of low end rumblings, pulsating feedback and textures of scathing dissonance upholds the attention of the listener and casts a blanket of paranoia down upon one’s mind.
– Cleanse steps up and lets loose with its track “Throat”. A straight to the point approach with “Throat”, much like Mania did with “Gasper”, Cleanse does here. Descending like a hammer, the white noise washes over the mind and balances on the point of oblivion. Erratic attacks of power electronics, quivering static signals cutting in and out as sweeps of harsh feedback drifts away calm and menacing.
– Immaculate:Grotesque takes the same approach that both Mania and Cleanse did. With “Attrition” Immaculate:Grotesque walks that fine line of Power Electronics and Noise to create a well defined piece of work. Asphyxiating noise interfacing climatically together in a twisting tempest of spasm induced static and unstable walls of resound. Blast furnace rumblings, coarse decaying detonations of high pitch frequencies all adding up to a grave ending covered in feedback.
– Slogun’s “Maybe Just Maybe” is a very unusual track. A calamity of looping static injected broadcasts and layered with a low end drone lurking in the storm of vocal abuse. There’s not much to “Maybe Just Maybe”, but none the less still a fine track indeed.
– TEF brings nothing but despair, viciousness, and all out war. “Taut Ejaculatory Fibres” is a warzone if you will. Machine gun fast noise pulsations, spaced out phaser keyboards and a arsenal of power electronics. Guitar feedback howling at times over a ocean of solid gnawing noise. Metallic harsh cacophony resonating through out “Taut Ejaculatory Fibres” blisters the eardrums and destroys to the very end.
– Hentai begins “Harvey M. Glattman Suite” with locomotive rthymatics, steel on steel screeching, and industrial corrosion. Textures transfixed calculatingly undermining volume shifting white noise. A diverse lashing of power electronics, as the hate filled thundering from what seems to be huge blasts from the death fires. Hellfire in the purest form.
– Clew Of Theseus births its track “Gag Orde”. “Not so cheery anymore, is it?” the woman states before being saturated in multi layered battery. Heaving frequencies shivering into warlike catastrophes of noise and potent screams of industrial decimation. Intrusive squawks of vibrating textures mixing well with static induced wah’s and screeches.
– Lefthandeddecision rounds out the first cd with a ravaging plan of attack with “Innocence”. This clamoring opus conjures an armory of hate filled industrial deformities with monumental waves of throbbing noise. Desolate stereo fields and swiftly shifting uncontrollable white noise. Tidal waves of dark electronic noise washes over as an insectic alienating voice trembles in the for front. Innocence is left raped and decaying in a very violent end.
CD 2.
– Atrax Morgue has always been hit or miss with me. I’ve never really placed any interest in this project though with “Narcosi da Cluror di Etile” I must say that I might find the time. Italy’s Atrax Morgue erotically exposes wickedly demented vocal work as minimal power electronics repetitively impales itself deep into the mind. Even the low volume feedback and the amplifier humming just gives a texture of perverseness to “Narcosi da Cluror di Etile.”
– Omei is by far one of my most favorite Noise/Dark Ambient projects. And with that being said, “Symphony For Chair And Rope” is the track just to embellish deeper into why I love Omei. A static field hissing and buzzing mixed with a soundscape drift that just lulls profoundly internal. The haunting spectral keyboards and samples give “Symphony For Chair And Rope” that dismal alone feeling. As the dark ominous drift carries along distance random sounds from horns echo in the blackness to a lost voice covered in textures and relay effects beckon in the foreground as a build of volume and movement suddenly is showered with high end buzzing that fades back into the dark ambient drift. Bravo.
– Concrete Violin comes forth with “Ligottism”. With a very generator like repetition to Ligottism there isn’t much else to the track itself. Hypnotically sound with rapid pulsating engine frequencies lifeless firings of piston after piston ritualistically. While a shallow layer of high end feedback and harsh noise hold this track into place. The volume goes to a crushing level toward the end, peaking only to fall into a bizarre and offbeat conclusion leaving you a bit unfulfilled.
– Eeyow Karoom’s From “The Sky And Radiating” proceeds with style and rich almost breakbeat loops. In the same hypnotic loop like state as Concrete Violin, Eeyow Karoom utilizes the pulsating bass throbs in a heartbeat rthymatic trance as a twisted decaying breathing respirator releases distorted shots of air. Feedback whistles into an echoing spacescape all the while sounds of jet streams cascade in the distance. Rising up from out of the bedlam, a generator loop mechanically fades out.
– Dodsdomd marches forth in “Guts Around My Throat”. An erratic static induced marching rhythm, loops over radio atmospherics cackling with feedback, overlapping textures and amplifier hisses. Everything gets lost in a black hole of white noise, high end wind tunnel distortion rotating into a fazed out static that fades quietly away.
– Redrot lurks out from the rampart with “Fellated By Death’s Mouth”. This throbbing mixture of low end bass loops and apparitional feedback reverberating as hellish vocals cry up from the pits. Shrieking guitars, unearthly vociferations and an oppressing machine churning into a distorted screaming entity.
– Propergol’s “SSM (Slow Sexy Motion)” hits the mark with this Death Industrial masterpiece. Shades of Megaptera creep up from the depths of “SSM”. The sampling of both male and female voices. Echoing ever so hauntingly as waves of static rush over the buzzing and low end drone that sways back and forth. Feedback merges in and out. Alien soundscape essences inner twine down what seems like an endless tunnel. As the dirge of Propergol climbs to a staggering close the insectic buzzing fades out and the last words are spoken.
– Inhalant drops the chair out from underneath “Dead and Hanging”. Ripping every ounce of breath out from the lungs with the first blast from the crematory Inhalant rushes the skull with abrasive vocal battery, atmospherics, mechanical textures and wind tunnel rumblings. Arousing the deviling loops and sci-fi like sound effects into a steady relationship of death and eroticism.
– Priest In Shit is a side project of the mighty Richard Ramirez, and I for one like this project quite a bit. “Lust” is a very straight forward approach. Not wavering too much from the harsh noise elements that we’re use to hearing from Mr. Ramirez, we find a darker undertone to Lust. With the lush guitar feedback relay and the driving keyboard loop harvests the darker experience. The odd effects that are on the voice sounds like it’s almost collapsing down on itself. Bizarre elephant/alien like appears to roar up from the backdrop. The aesthetic faculties that we tend to find in projects by Mr. Ramirez are now being explored in a different light.
– Navicon Torture Technologies’ “What Some Call Obsession, I Call Devotion” is very perversive with the constant looping of young girls talking, crying, and pleading. Toppling the track is a aggressive corroding distorted low end drift. Minimal noise, more over with the sampling and imbedding baleful drone. There’s not much to “What Some Call Obsession, I Call Devotion”. It’s over whelming with the loud static buzzing and the repetitive whimpering of a young girl. Don’t get me wrong I like this track. But sometimes the underbelly of perversion can be a very ugly thing, and projects like Navicon Torture Technologies hit the nail right on the head.
– Richard Ramirez’s untitled track is back to the basics if you will. The harsh noise, power electronics, and minimal stance on the boundaries of feedback and distortion layered textures. Mr. Ramirez has never let me down on the releases that I have been fortunate enough to find. And I for one will continue to buy the releases. Untitled is pretty much fast power electronics. Blasts of feedback, shattering high pitch distortion and a hell of a lot of effects.
– Stegm’s “Puckering Gills” has a less is more approach to it. The rhythmatic loops that heavily pulsate through out the track makes “Puckering Gills” catchy at points and mesmerizing. The loops change in repetition, rhythm, and tempo. Shifting from a straight driving loop into an erratic convulsing loop, Stegm does nothing to disappoint. “Puckering Gills” is less static white noise, and more lumbering in the realm of samples and loops.
– Sickness ends “At The End Of The Rope” with “Absolution”. A violent stream of power electronics, harsh white noise and industrialized mercurial changes. All lines have been depleted. Deafening frequencies outburst over static overtones. Sickness’ mental derailment leaves a permanent mark of perverse nightmares and anything but the meaning to the said track.
At The End Of The Rope is a double cd release of only 1,000. This masterpiece clocks in at two hours, twenty three minutes and sixteen seconds. (That’s both cd’s times added together) And is completely worth every penny you spend. Packaged in a double cd plastic jewel case and comes with a silkscreen cover art. – K
CHONDRITIC SOUND
Vader – The Art of War
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
This six song MCD follows Vader’s most recent North American tour and is meant to sate the appetite of Vader fans until the release of their next full-length album planned for a fall of 2006 release. The yet to be recorded full-length album is also set to be released on Candlelight records. In addition to the six songs present on this EP, a bonus video for the track “this is the war” has also been included. “The Art of War” is yet another rock solid release for Vader showcasing not only their penchant for over the top speed and technical proficiency, but also their knack for being able to compose slower paced/thrashier feeling material as well. For an example of this, check out the track “What Color is your Blood” with its lethal slayeresque riffing toward the end. Vader have been at or near the pinnacle of extreme metal for well over a decade now by continuing to churn out top-notch music with a style that they can truly call their own. This is quite an accomplishment in the often-similar sounding genre of death metal. Vader’s debut recording for Candlelight records “The Art of War” does nothing but continue this tradition while helping to cement their future legacy. – Lance Rogers
CANDLELIGHT
Worm Gear 