So I can be such a geek for Japanese noise and ambience. Koji Asano is an delectation into his world of unbalance and chaos that is a path into a universe of dreaming that allows the living to have fantasies to become real and the path back to reality a memory. All the while a serging outlet of beautiful noise and constructing balance of ambient distancing allows a further marker of where the glorious orient reposes and the great states begin. Koji Asano haunts the dreams of listeners with a disengaging approach to carrying you away into a land of chaos and a celestial attack on the human senses. Growing considerably quick as the path of distances to wonder and structure are quickly brought down to permit of extraterrestrial overture to his work. Violins, horns, and a number of other classical instruments collapse down upon one another in a violent vision into noise ambience. Bitch if you will at the abstract description, but this obscure and dismal piece will intoxicate a drive into a wondrous domain that maliciously deadens the minds to the listeners and brings what exists inside to the surface. Vividly this piece of work is hard to delineate into words like “Sanctuary on Reclaimed Land”. Believe me when I say the brilliant have out done themselves. Because this piece of work has no way shape or form a description to bringing an understanding to what Mr. Asano had in mind. Bravo Mr. Asano, bravo. – K
SOLSTICE/ASANO PRODUCTIONS
Koji Asano – Zoo Telepathy
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a CommentKatatonia – The Great Cold Distance
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
Before I commence with what will become a convoluted review, let me make this clear: Katatonia’s “The Great Cold Distance” is a pretty good album. It’s a Katatonia album, and all Katatonia albums since the mid-90s have been at least pretty good, most very good, though some are better than others. Stylistically, it’s a lot like “Viva Emptiness” – similarly schizophrenic (for Katatonia) with the loud/soft sections, and with much the same sound in terms of guitar tone, drum quality, etc. Now onto the convoluted part of this review.
Since I became a Katatonia fan about 6-7 years ago, the release of each new album has marked a new section of time in my life. It’s like that for me with bands I really love. Megadeth’s disappointing “Countdown to Extinction” will always remind me of the summer of 1992, hanging out with the gang at my friend Graham’s house, going for late-night Taco Bell runs, and watching Pearl Jam’s “Evenflow” video on MTV. Of course, it’s because I absolutely loved Megadeth’s magical “Rust in Peace” that the release of the disappointing follow-up was such a monumental moment in my life, one that by its mere mention brings to mind the clean smell of Graham’s house and the crunchy noise his red leather couches made when we sat on them.
During my years of Katatonia fandom, I have cumulatively spent more time listening to their music than I have any other band [note – Pink Floyd still wins the “most listened to ever” award]. So the release of Katatonia’s “The Great Cold Distance” was certain to be a big moment for me in 2006, regardless of the album’s quality. A release date of mid-March added to the excitement, because it meant I could enjoy the listening premiere later that month when I visited my friend, Craig (who was part of the old Graham gang), in New York. When I subsequently learned that the US release was actually delayed until April, I contrived to have a friend who lives in Ireland buy the disc and mail it to me so that Craig and I could still premiere the album together on his fantastic stereo.
This despite the fact that Worm Gear had received from Peaceville an advance copy of the album, which had in turn been sent to me by Worm in early March so I could review it.
Why the effort to purchase an original copy for the listening premiere if I already had one? Because Peaceville almost committed an unpardonable sin on my life by including a voiceover that sounds multiple times throughout the promo-copy, reminding the listener that they haven’t bought the real album. Luckily I had been warned, because if I had listened to this album and all of the sudden heard some guy start talking in the middle of each song, after I’d gone to the trouble to delay the listening premiere for a month so I could experience the album for the first time on a specific stereo with a friend that I get to see only a few times a year, I’d have probably tried to organize some sort of Peaceville boycott. Note that Peaceville doesn’t make this clear on the promo – I just heard about it from Worm when he sent it to me for review. I understand the effort by Peaceville to make people buy the album, but please at least WARN us. I’m still angry. While in New York, Craig and I gleefully broke the awful Peaceville promo.
So anyway, with all the buildup, you can imagine that it was hard for “The Great Cold Distance” to live up to my expectations. And it didn’t. But I reminded myself that every single Katatonia album, without exception, has improved upon repeated listens. As of this writing I’m in the middle of my fifth spin, and it’s grown on me. One of the reasons I like Katatonia is that their music stands up to repeated listenings much more than most music. The reasons for this are many, but here are several of the key ones:
– The music is extremely well-produced and easy to listen to, not remotely stressful on the ears.
– The numerous extra layers of vocals, guitars, and keyboards mean that I hear new things with each spin.
– The songs are well arranged, including little changes in orchestration that add up to exciting developments in the music.
– Katatonia never does anything stupid in their music, so there’s nothing to annoy me.
But I’m not sure if “The Great Cold Distance” is going to stand the test of time. I can’t point to many obvious flaws to explain this feeling; other than the relative dearth of catchy vocals on this album, nothing specific is missing. Nonetheless, it suffers from “Exit the Dragon” syndrome, the failure to provide something new and (hence) worthwhile. Whereas each of the last few Katatonia albums has maintained a core sound while showcasing something new, this one feels like they just tried to duplicate “Viva Emptiness”. Craig and I call this the “Exit the Dragon” syndrome, in honor of Urge Overkill, a rock/glam band from the 90s that achieved tremendous heights with their 1993 album, “Saturation”, and then fell flat two years later with “Exit the Dragon”, despite it initially seeming to possess many of Saturation’s virtues. And I’m sure the members of UO probably thought they’d gotten it right – perfected their sound from Saturation and made another album of similarly good songs. But for some reason the experience of listening to the same thing a few years later just didn’t work.
Simply put, bands must evolve to remain viable. And despite the quality of “The Great Cold Distance”, I have the sad feeling that Katatonia’s time has come and gone. They may continue to release relatively enjoyable albums every few years, but I doubt I’ll go to tremendous lengths to hear them. I hope they surprise me. – Jeff Herriot
PEACEVILLE
Jungle Rot – War Zone
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
Wisconsin’s Jungle Rot is another one of those bands that I probably shouldn’t like as much as I do, but we are all entitled to our little guilty pleasures. I honestly did not care much for their last album though, it just seemed kind of lame and even a bit half-assed to me when I heard it. Thankfully “War Zone” sounds much better to me, although it still doesn’t sound nearly as good as their older material did despite having a few older tracks re-recorded for it. I think my main complaint regarding the newer material is with the vocals. They just aren’t as old school or brutal sounding as they were on the older material. If you have never heard Jungle Rot before they play mid-paced, groove-laden and at times moshy death metal with lyrics mostly inspired by war. In fact, Jungle Rot have always reminded me of what Unleashed would probably sound like if they were from the Midwestern United States and obsessed with Vietnam instead of being from Sweden and being obsessed with Vikings. If stop/start riffing bothers you then you had better steer clear of Jungle Rot because you will surely hate them. If short songs of heavy, catchy death metal that aren’t super fast or overly technical appeal to you then you should check these guys out because they are pretty good at what they do. – Lance Rogers
CRASH MUSIC
John Wiese – Arrhythmia Wave Burst and Panner Crash
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
I love 3″ cds. I think they’re gonna save the noise genre. See, pure non-linear noise is best in small portions. Nobody needs 80 minutes of relentless grinding. That kind of noise is best suited for to-the-point, short bursts. 20 minutes at the most. This release is 23, but I can forgive that. “Arrhythmia Wave Burst and Panner Crash” is made up of 4 tracks, each a live recording from a different west coast location. It’s all pretty standard noise fare – screeching, grinding, beeping – and that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but nothing stuck out in my mind about this release. Seriously – this could be the ‘everynoise’. Recommended for fans of standard japanoise ala Merzbow, and only serious fans at that. Nothing here is must-have. I can only assume it’s a lot more interesting live. – Christine Lett
HELICOPTER
Jigsore Terror – World End Carnage
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
As soon as I put this disc on there was a catchy little riff a la old Repulsion or Napalm Death which was Immediately followed by a cacophonous eruption of blasting drums like old Terrorizer… and then the Deathlance smiled because he knew that it was good. In addition to the erection producing ingredients listed above the vocals sound as if they are being performed by a man with leprosy selectively rotting only his larynx, which for this kind of material adds a really nice touch. Apparently Jigsore Terror features members of General Surgery, Hypnosia, Leukemia, Birdflesh and some other lesser-known Swedish bands as well. This is impressive since they are currently only a three piece and that speaks to the talent level of the musicians involved. In fact, despite owning a perfectly good promo copy of this album, I went out and bought the regular version the first opportunity that I had. I have heard other bands attempt to do similar things recently; such as Lock Up (which actually features members of Terrorizer and Napalm Death) but in my opinion Jigsore Terror somehow manage to do it better. If you have an affinity for Swedish death metal and a love of the original masters of death grind then I cannot recommend “World End Carnage” to you enough. – Lance Rogers
LISTENABLE
Jasad – Witness Of Perfect Torture
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment Here is an example of a vocal style that I don’t like at all. While I am all in favor of brutal vocals, when it sounds like a totally fake garbled mess with no effort put into enunciation I don’t like that too much. It kind of ruins the whole CD for me. Not that it’s anything outstanding, but it’s okay. The music is pretty typical fast paced technical gore/grind, and Jasad are very capable on their instruments. It’s just not very catchy or memorable. This is the first band I have ever heard of from Indonesia so that’s kind of interesting, but no reason to go buy this. – Jeff Savage
FOREVER UNDERGROUND
Jag Panzer – Decade of the Nail-Spiked Bat
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
Jag Panzer are practically considered demigods among classic/power metal aficionados, probably justified mainly by their classic “Ample Destruction” LP. That is the only release from them that I own, sadly enough–the original vinyl pressings of their early releases, both official and bootlegged, are scarce now and fetch high dollars among collectors. This double CD, which contains re-recorded versions of every song from that LP except two–along with 13 others taken mostly from the ’80s–was released because the original recordings can’t be repressed due to legal disputes between current and former members of the band. From a desperate fan’s point of view, this is probably a cool idea and gives them the chance to hear these songs, but on the other hand, I would feel a little gypped at hearing slightly inferior versions of these (even though all of them are well-played and decently produced). I’m a purist at heart and feel that most bands are at their best during their early years when they are hungry for success and aren’t so jaded by the unfairness of the music business. I’m not a die hard Jag Panzer fan, but for me, I can relate the experience of re-recordings to somebody like Slayer.I would hate to see them re-do tracks from “Show No Mercy” or “Hell Awaits” now, since they could never recapture the rabid aggression and violence of those early recordings. Jag Panzer has done a decent job on the “Ample Destruction” tracks, but really hasn’t matched the intensity and feeling of the originals–I can’t comment on most of the others since I’ve yet to hear the original versions. Some of the other standout songs here are ‘Metal Melts the Ice’, ‘Deathrow’, ‘Battle Zones’ and ‘The Church’. Hopefully some day the legal wrangling will be over and all their early material can be reissued as it was recorded originally. – Brian Woodworth
CENTURY MEDIA
Today Is The Day – Interview
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
TODAY IS THE DAY is a musical anomaly.Their latest offering, “Temple Of The Morning Star”, is yet another compelling and volatile chapter in their discography. By capturing the purity and passion of emotions unhindered Steve Austin and crew have truly and deeply carved a niche for themselves in the halls of extreme sonics. What follows is a phone conversation conducted in mid-March ’98 – Scott – (Taken from Worm Gear #7)
Why don’t we start with the departure from Amphetamine Reptile, and how you ended up with Relapse, it’s something that I always sort of felt might or should happen. It seemed like you were beyond Amphetamine Reptile even early on.
Right, no, I know what you mean. We put out three records on that label, and it was a really good thing for us to start on in a way, because it was kinda small and everything. They put our stuff out and everything, and just like after a period of time we were like… One thing we just really want to have people find out about our records, and two have certain sects of people find out our records that didn’t find out about them before. We ended up running into Matt and Bill at a show with NEUROSIS at The Great American Music Hall is San Francisco. They were like, “Hey when you come back through Philly we’d like to come see you and say hey….” So they came down and we went and ate some food and hung out and talked. It’s like after getting to know those guys we realized they were into really, really, heavy music and really, really, experimental music and weren’t afraid to have the balls to be behind it in a big way. So I was like, god, this is pretty cool, these two guys seem to have a great thing going and they really like us a whole lot, so we just figured it was a good idea to do.
Did you have problems separating from Am Rep?
No, I just called him up… We were supposed to do one more album for them, and I just told them that I really wanted to move on and do something different, and I didn’t want to commit another record. So he understood, he was like, ‘I know what you mean, we put three out, and if you want to try doing it with somebody else then it’s totally cool, I’m behind you.” He was totally cool about it.
The new album features some line up changes, as did the album before it, what has lead to so many line up changes. Is it recruiting the right musicians for the sound that you want on a particular album, or has it more like personality conflicts?
It’s part of both, I mean, TODAY IS THE DAY at times has been more like KING CRIMSON, or something like that, as far as, we’re not like a traditional band where there’s a story book about three people and they’re together forever. It’s like, through different times we have gone through a lot of different things, and the main thing is like each album, whoever has played with us on the records, like the first three records pretty much two out of three same people… We had a great time playing with the first bassist, but he had things to move onto. Jamming with a keyboardist was a different touch for our third album, that was a fun thing to do, but the same thing there. The last album… it’s just the continuation of both music and life. In the 90’s life is a lot heavier than it was in the 60’s, I was just saying to one of my friends last night that people don’t realize today there’s fuckin’ bills, there’s child support, there’s alimony, there’s taxes, there’s just all this fucked up shit that comes down on guys, who are artists, who want to play music… It’s like, when you try to make more than one person’s life gel with someone else’s and then you put all of those factors in there it makes it really, really hard to ever keep something with the same group of people in for longer than three or four years. People change and their lives change, so it’s a part of both.
Right now, it makes me really happy, because we’ve only had two different drummers in TODAY IS THE DAY, the one on the first three albums, and the one on the new album… Now, my partner, that I played with on the first three albums is back with me playing live and that’s fucking great, so in essence, we have two thirds of TODAY IS THE DAY from the original line up in there. Even if we didn’t, it would still be the same to me because I believe in TODAY IS THE DAY more than anything in the world. I have it tattooed underneath my skin from long ago, and it just means a whole lot to me as a philosophy, besides being a band.
One thing that has always sort of surprised me about the band is that people are either fanatical about you, or have absolutely no idea who you are. There’s nobody that is indifferent, they either totally love you, or have never even heard the name…
Or it freaks them out beyond repair (laughs)…
Have you found this to be true, and if so why do you think it is?
It’s such a drastic shift in gears to go from listening to pretty much most music, and then hear TODAY IS THE DAY. I was in the car yesterday, and the radio happened to be on and some fucking Classic Rock song was on, and in the middle of it being on, I thought to myself… I was thinking about the first song off of our first album, like six years ago, which is old to me, called “Black Dahlia”. So this was the first piece of Rock that we ever made, I think it was some shit like ERIC CLAPTAN on the radio, and I was thinking this guy is supposed to be like a master. This would be like the equivalent of a cartoon book versus the Sistine Chapel or something, meaning like, we’ve always wanted to make different kinds of music… When you do that and do different things, for instance, a lot of the things that we do musically… Music is feeling, so if you do things right, you can control how someone feels through music. Most music is based around 2/4 or 4/4 time, almost like doing an inside out reversal, almost every single part in every single riff in all of our songs is not in 2/4 or 4/4, it’s like backwards. It’s almost always in odd time. It’s going to create a different kind of feel, so that coupled with the sound and the sheer force of it all, it’s like a lot of times when they get in contact with it they’re like, “Whoa, this is kind of fucking me up, it makes me feel nauseated, or I feel like pulling my hair out.” That’s the reaction that comes off of it, some people want to go for something real, and they want to experience it and they want to feel it, and they are the ones that are into it. Then those that like your passing music listener, they’re not gonna really… sometimes they may not even get it, they might say, “this is tripped out Noise” or something. I don’t know it’s just a weird thing to me, because I’m playing in it and it seems really natural to me. But like I said I could be riding in a car and hear some other crap and just think to myself , “god it seems like we make such fucking weird music compared to everyone else.”
When did you first realize that most of humanity should be drowned in their own chamber pots?
I think it was after like, pretty much, getting a mind of my own. Like when I was a little kid I didn’t really know what was going on, my parents carted me from one state to another, moving me back and forth. So, a lot of times I didn’t have friends to really figure things out with or talk to. It’s just weird as I got older, like in my teens, I had a mind of my own, and it was like it seems like I don’t fit in anywhere with people… At the time I was a little heavy, like I was a fat kid, like I weighed 200 pounds and was five feet tall. As I got older, I grew up I realized after I got thin that, it’s was so shitty that people would fuckin’ treat me bad when I was fat and then treat me cool when I was thin. That coupled with a lot of other weird things, experiences with other people fucking me over and stuff, it made me realize… You gotta really be careful man, because there’s just not that many people on Earth that you can truly trust, and the rest of them you can totally not trust, because pretty much it’s every man for himself these days.
The lyrics have always dealt with the brutality of relationships and the general uselessness and drain of people on the whole, you sort of talked about how you came to this, but how do you deal with these things in day to day life?
Well you know, I’m really cut and dry about things, it’s like the people I surround myself with are people that I really love, and truly, truly, truly care about, and we get along, and there’s a connection and there’s a bond between the people that I hang around. I don’t really even have that many people in my life, it’s like, my girlfriend, my mom and the two guys that I play with, and then my friends that I work with with music. Other than that it’s real basic, I just found… you gotta be like that, if somebody is going to fuck you up once or twice then they are always going to fuck you up. It just a lot better to choose who you spend your time with and then make it be a quality thing rather than quantity.
There is a lot of violence outlined in the lyrics, of varying degrees, but it’s heartfelt violence, not b-movie butchery. It’s a genuine, sort of frustration of emotions just exploding rather than some lunatic… It seems very pure, how do you respond to that….
I have a really, really bad temper in a way that I keep under control, and the temperament… Temper means how much you can handle of “bad” until you get pissed off and have an outward reaction from it. I have an amazing amount of temperament to control it, but as far as being sensitive to things going on… If something hurts me or fucks me off, that cuts right through to the quick and… A lot of the actions and pictures I want to paint through words, and things that I’m saying, are scenes of full on outrage and action as far as how I feel. It’s not really a conscious thing it’s more or less a feeling of at the moment, like this.
I’m not attacking you with this question by any means… women are not portrayed in a very favorable light on your albums, is this because they are clearly and inherently evil, or are you dealing in specifics?
(laughs) Right, no, I mean it’s both. I feel I’m just as hateful towards men as I am women on the record, I pretty much hate everybody. I’m just saying that most women are fucked, just like most men are fucked. I think it sticks out in the graphics, or the lyrics a lot of times, because there’s a big taboo about depicting in art or movies or anything, negativity toward women or violence or anything. When you have an ax in a woman’s skull on the back of your album that kind set people off in a different kind of way. It’s just like anything., there are good women and there are bad women. I have had my heart broken before and at the moment my heart is in amazing shape. It’s just the reality of the way, there’s a lot of bad people and there’s a lot of good people.
Given the choice, what would be your preferred method of massive depopulation?
I think we’d go ahead for a full global nuclear assault. That way it would end it really, really quick for them, and they’d all melt. Pretty much, me and my woman hiding in an underground cavern to be able to reproduce the next race.
What impact do you think coming from and staying in Tennessee has had on you personally as well as on the success of the band, or the output of the band?
I think a lot… when you live in a place that’s known for being cool or something, or there’s a lot of art or a lot of things going on you can get caught up in following ideas of what people think is cool. When you live in a place that’s considered fuckin’ uncool it takes twice as much balls to stand out as an individual in a place that’s way more conservative than it is in someplace where it’s… For instance I think it’s a lot harder to be a freak in the South than it is up North, because there’s freaky people everywhere in the big cities. Down here it’s so rare, people down here just freak out on like, strangeness or any kind of different qualities.
I grew up in Northern Michigan, so I know what you’re talking about…
Yeah, it’s like out in the sticks… I lived in Michigan for awhile too, and even in Detroit… You sometimes want to ask yourself “what the fuck? I can’t believe how close minded these people are.” At the same time, even though our world has come a long way, and we have computers and everything else… To really think about it man, people are still just so fucking retarded as far as level of imagination or competence that anybody has is just unreal, and that’s the reason that the world, a lot of times, is just such a bland place to live in. It’s all based on money ruled by people who lead the masses, giving them exactly what they want, which is a lot of unsatisfying garbage.
It’s amazing what will shock and offend people…
Still to this day, it’s so crazy.
The presentation of the new album with both the cover and the title begs the question, what has Satan done for you lately? Are you a Satanist, or was it a bit of camp, the image is just great.
It’s only two different things, one is the cover represents mind expansion and freedom of thinking and it happened to use to theme of a pentagram as the egg, it could have been a cross, it could have been a heart, it could have been anything. It just happened to be the pentagram, which made it all the better because the idea that it gives off of Satan recreating, fucks off people a whole lot, and I like it a whole lot. You couple that with the picture of us with the white shirts on, and that idea… We are a team, and we are a military unit about what we do, and like I wanted to have us all wear the same thing in that picture to show a symbol of unity. The white shirts represented a lot of different things… I thought it would come out looking like a computer cult or something like that, which is the way I wanted it to look. Overall, the name of the album is “Temple Of The Morning Star”, it the name of a Satanic church in Denver. I don’t know, 1997 these are the things going on around me, and this is the way I dress up my room.
Gordon (Relapse Promo God) had mentioned to my co-editor that you guys played a show at a college for the deaf, or something?
Do you mean the Rochester Institute of Technology show? They had a signing person interpret the lyrics and everything while we were playing. It was unbelievable, it was very funny watching the expressions this guy was doing to TODAY IS THE DAY. In another way it was kind of cool, because all of the expressions he was doing were really, really powerful gestures, so it was kind of weird to see somebody sign TODAY IS THE DAY music.
You seem like a band that really enjoys doing shows, I’ve seen you a few times, and one of the times I saw you there were only 4 people there, and you still played your asses off, how important is turnout when you think about whether or not a show went well?
Oh, thanks man… Not at all, sometimes when we play shows and there’s like three or four people there I’ve had an amazing time. Remember, I hate people, so less people means less aggravation, so me and the guys can actually get it on musically and have a good time without all of the crap going on around us. It’s like everyday when we play we’re playing individually for ourselves, and together as a band… I put up with life all day long and everything, and when it comes time to do TODAY IS THE DAY music, that’s a moment when it really doesn’t matter if there’s anyone in front of us, or five people or a thousand. It’s really nice when there’s a lot of people and they feel it, and it’s moving them, but there’s two dudes standing out there, it doesn’t matter to me. I’m playing Rock to make myself feel.
What three books and or movies would you consider essential?
“The Last Temptation Of Christ”, “Taxi Driver” and the first Alien movie.
How would you like your epitaph to read?
He lived till he died.
I guess that’s it for what I have, do you have anything else that you’d like to add or promote?
I could tell you about the two new books that my fiancee and I have written. She’s written a book called, “Wine Is Our Friend And Other Heavy Metal Objects” and I have a new book, also with her , coming out on Cosmic Printing called, “The Origin Of The Mullet”. Chapter one, Bruce Dickenson… Other than that let all of the TODAY IS THAT DAY people out there know that all is well, and that new ideas are forming. It looks like new TODAY IS THE DAY will be in stores next Spring, probably about March ’99 to bring us into the end of the world.
Unholy – Interview
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
I remember several years back during the height of my tape trading, somehow securing a 100th generation copy of “The Second Ring of Power” by an unheard of band (at least by me that is) out of Finland called UNHOLY. The strange moods that were created on that impressive piece of work (their 2nd full-length release) by the bands combination of black tinged doom metal and a heavy handed, avant-garde weirdness, moved me to wear out my copy of that tape. 2 Years have past, during which UNHOLY had broken up, only to reform and return to a scene that may not have quite understood their intentions, with their most bold and experimental release to date. “Rapture” journeys deeper into cross genre pollination for results that are dreamy, emotive and swept with a dense gothic charisma that even a lot of Goth bands can’t figure out how to produce. If you have an open mind that excepts depressive mood swings to accompany your metal heavy music, I encourage you to read on and let Ismo Toivonen (guitars/keyboards) fill you in on one of the scenes most cultured and impressive bands. UNHOLY is a name you should remember. -Marty – (Taken from Worm Gear #7)
Greetings Ismo! It’s great to have the depressive UNHOLY back into the business of creating underground music once again. For the less educated regarding the bands evolution, could you give us all some history behind UNHOLY?
Well, this will be long… UNHOLY is formed in 1988 when Jarkko Toivonen and Pasi Aijo decided to begin playing together. I joined the band in autumn 1989. At that point they had been released their first demo. Jan Kuhanen came behind drums in -91 or something, I don’t remember exactly. Before that we had several drummers but not any good. I think Jan has made possible all of what we are now, because he was so good that he even made us to try harder and harder. So, we made a few demos and at last in -91 we recorded our last demo “Trip to Depressive Autumn”. It was quite popular in those days and we made a recording contract with Lethal Records. Wild Rags also took our demo under their license in USA and so in -92 we recorded our first CD “From the Shadows” in Austria. Well, that album was terrible shit because of awful mixing. Lethal wanted to do mixing by themselves and anybody can hear this. Lethal was a RIP OFF label and I don’t want to talk about it anymore. Then we got a contract with Avantgarde Music and in spring 1994 we recorded a second CD “The Second Ring of Power”. In those times I left guitar (I played it in UNHOLY since the beginning) and began to play only keyboards. We didn’t need two guitars but we really needed strange, original sounds. That was what we got and personally I’m really satisfied in result of Second Ring. Sounds are good, mixing works and so on.
We made gigs in Finland and we had a change to make a quite big European tour but the tour manager was a rip off and the tour was cancelled just a few days before it was to start. Some guys also had some personal problems, I would say personal alcohol problems, and because of that and those other setbacks in a very short time we felt frustrated and lost our creativity and energy. So we decided to withdraw from the metal scene. I had, and I think we all had plans to continue one day so I wouldn’t say that we split. During that break we all had, and still have, some of our own projects. Some successful, some less successful. In the summer 1996 I asked Jan and Pasi to begin playing together again. We didn’t ask for Jarkko because he had his own band “Tiermes” and he lived far away from Imatra and we thought that things wouldn’t work because of it. So, I play guitars and keyboards now. We started to make new material and this time we were really serious. We asked Avantgarde to make a contract, because everything went well last time. They agreed and in spring -97 we signed a two album deal with them. We recorded it during the summer in the same studio where we made “The Second Ring…” So, here we are. Uh, that was a shorter version. You can check out a longer one from our web site.
UNHOLY has been disbanded for a 2 year span after the completion of the amazing “The Second Ring of Power”. What was the deciding factor/elements that brought you all back together and into the frame of mind to create again?
I think we all wanted to play some heavy stuff after the many different kinds of personal projects we had during that “holiday”. I think we had more energy than ever so we got to go and set it free. Maybe that’s the reason why “Rapture” is quite aggressive and depressive in the same time. We also know each other so well that it’s easy to start again. When you have played almost 10 years together you know exactly what guys mean.
During the 2 year hiatus, did yourself or any of the other members remain in contact or productive in the underground? Have you noticed any drastic changes in the music or people that make up this scene?
Jarkko had contacts in scene all the time because of his TIERMES project. But us three didn’t have any idea what was going on in the scene. I can see many changes have happened here. Few years ago, the scene was turned more inside, but nowadays it’s more open and people are not so prejudiced. That’s good because when people grow, the scene must grow too. Music has changed quite a lot. It’s really professionally produced and played, and I couldn’t imagine that stuff like “From The Shadows” could strike through today. Anyway I don’t listen that kind of music so who I am to talk?
Early on in the bands development, corpse paint was part of your theatrical presentation. What sort of significance did this hold for UNHOLY? Now that it seems like it has been elevated to a mindless trend, do you think more bands are falling back on the gimmick instead of concentrating on content?
Corpse paint kind of gave us strength and sharpened our minds when we were on the stage. It had no other meaning for me. BEHERIT, IMPALED NAZARENE and us were the first bands to use this in Finland. But soon there was all kind of shit bands who had these masks too. It became so trendy that we decided: no thanks. Hard to say but I hope not.
On a personal level, what do you feel is the most important element to consider when creating music? Do you feel that you have captured this with your new album “Rapture”? Do tell us how this melancholic release came together…
I think you just have to take your instrument, start to play and hear what is coming. We have always made songs in this method but earlier one guy made the whole riff alone and then showed it to others. Then we put all these riffs (made in completely different times and place) together and made some arrangements. So that was it. It sounded complex like “uuh, these guys can play!” but it is not a song. It has no spirit. We have made the songs of “Rapture” a completely different way: When we have a rehearsing session we just start to play something and improvise. When we got a good riff, we continue playing it sometimes for an hour and add some new things to it all the time. At the same time we compose the next riff. When we have spent all our energy and hopefully got several good riffs fit together, we record it to tape and then listen to it at home. If it still works, we begin to refine it and this period might take many weeks. At last the song is ready and with that method it’s really a song. Not just a handful of individual riffs. And we all three are creating it from the beginning. But that is just possible because UNHOLY has only three members now. It couldn’t work in old UNHOLY. And there is one thing that helps us too: we can play different instruments so we might even change instruments during making of the song, so it can give a new color to the music too. This new style to make songs has given us some new views and now everyone can be more a part of song making than earlier. Now we can really say that music is made by UNHOLY, the whole band. Yeah, I’m quite satisfied.
Where do you think the suicide inspiring mood generated by your music comes from? Are you and your fellow band mates really as grim as your art would suggest?
I haven’t heard that our music generates that kind of mood but I have to believe it when you say so. Maybe it comes to music because when we are playing, we are really “in” the music with our whole body. When we have rehearsed for 5 hours we are really tired. We don’t rage and jump all over the places during rehearsing period, we just concentrate and we are doing it quite calm. I can say it’s really mentally exhausting. No, we are not SO grim at home and on the streets. It just begins when we start to play.
The music of UNHOLY has retained it’s strong and groundbreaking avant-garde style while staying true to the traits that fall under the “metal” classification. Since the band has been labeled everything from death, dark, black, gothic and doom metal, what style do you feel your music rests most comfortably in?
I think it’s not wise to classify any music, because it always brings some chains to band and then they might think that “we have to play like this because we play XXX-metal”. That is not very usual but some people might get influences from those categories. There is other reason too: nowadays there is many different categories because bands are playing more original music than in 80’s and the beginning of 90’s. This will lead to a point where every band has their own classification term. That would be really stupid. We have always tried to get away from any classification. In the late 80’s there was only Death, Trash and Heavy (and Celtic Frost), and it was easy, hah. But after all if you ask me my opinion of our style, I would still say Doom, I don’t know why. Maybe it sounds less stupid.
Do you think your highly unique take on all of these styles has in some ways hindered the bands popularity over the years? Sometimes fans of this genre of music seem rather close minded to new thing…
Of course. I think that we have too original of music for big audiences. Offering our music to “normal” metal fan is like offering a fusion jazz to classical music fan. People just don’t understand our style. “Rapture” will be easier to understand, because it contains more classical elements and so it’s more melodic.
While listening to “Rapture”, I get the impression that there is a deeper meaning or purpose existing within your songs than the standard “evil” rantings of this genre or typical “3 guys just wanting to jam” mentality. Am I reading too much into what you’re trying to achieve, or is there indeed something more?
You’re right, there is a deeper meaning. I think there has always been, but nowadays it be more visible. The whole idea of “Rapture’s” lyrics is to make people think where everything is going. We live in a sick world and there isn’t any “knight spirit” and honor left. All noble-minded people have been crushed into speechless-ness and all self-respect is gone. Man has lost his connection to nature and all these things makes us quite anxious.
I found “Rapture” to be far more mature and depressive than your past works due to a more eclectic aura being portrayed within your use of keyboards and sequences. Please discuss this instruments importance and evolution in the band.
As I told you earlier, we have changed the method of doing music. So, now we use keyboards more free and even in the composing progress. We have songs that have began from drums and bass and then we have composed all other stuff on it, using keyboards, guitar or what ever it needed. I think the main reason for depressive keyboard melodies is just composing! We just don’t make songs, we compose them.
Where do you see this medium leading your music stylistically in the future?
I think our next album will be more melodic and more symphonic. It’ll also be even more depressive and mind-touching.
With all the different and emotional ideas that exist within “Rapture”, I think it’s apparent that you strongly appreciate other genres of music like possibly dark wave for example. What are some other styles of music/bands that have influenced you that you could maybe suggest to others to widen their musical scope?
The fact is that anyone of us listens to any black or death metal. Of course if we find some good music which really feels good, we don’t care if it is black or any fucking panzer general metal. The main thing is that it has to work. So maybe our music taste influences our music but it’s hard to say what exactly makes this influence. We listen to music from classical to techno (I must say less techno but if it’s good we don’t split on it). Here is some bands what I listen to: Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Sielun Veljet, Voivod, Circle, J.S.Bach, Dvorak etc. etc.
Now that we all have a greater understanding of the musical force behind UNHOLY, could you give us a glimpse into your lyrical concepts? Were does the band stand collectively on the theories of god/devil, heaven/hell? Are these thoughts just as vital to your everyday existence as they are a creative output?
I don’t believe in those kinds of things. My god is in my mind and I think the same goes with anyone else.
When looking at the Scandinavian metal scene as a whole, it seems like a majority of the global attention is directed to Norway and Sweden, when Finland also has a very healthy scene as well (i.e.: SKEPTICISM, IMPALED NAZARENE, UNHOLY, THY SERPENT and countless others). Could possibly the criminal aspects of the black metal movement be the reasoning for this? What are your thoughts on all of this and during that era, was there any mischievous activities going on in Finland as well ?
These criminal things have nothing to do with music. Teenagers buy more albums when the things the band has made is against societal authorities. Some bands are doing that and I must say that scene wouldn’t be the same without that but we don’t support that kind of action.
Being of Finish descent myself, I have always been curious as to why there seems to be so much animosity between the Finns and Swedish people? If you have also noticed this (and from being on the front lines so to speak), perhaps you could shed some light on this topic)
I think it is because in Finland we have Swedish minority and because of that we have to read Swedish in schools. Most people don’t need Swedish language in their whole life but still we have to read it. The Swedish have huge power in Finland when you think how few they are. That results in a grudge even for Sweden. That could be one reason but I cannot say it’s true.
Now that the album is available, will there be a tour to follow? How important is playing live to the band and what can one expect from an UNHOLY show?
I think there will not be any tour, because we have only three member now and I don’t see any reason to go to gig without keyboards and female vocals. We would have to take at least two new members to make some gigs. But I must say it’s not impossible. If we get a good offer everything is possible and it would be really cool to make some live shows again.
Many thanks Ismo for wading through this monster sized interview. May your journey be a successful one and once again, it’s good to hear something new from UNHOLY! Any final comments, Insults or ponderous statements?
It was really a pleasure to answer that kind of questions. I must say that this was the first intelligent interview I’ve ever answered. Some last words: “A Thought Unchained, Unpredictably Drifting In Wider Spaces, Beyond The Limitations Of The Spirit Of Time…”
War – Interview
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
Part of the reason the black metal scene has exploded out of control during the past several years is due to the large influx of project bands orsuper groups. Some of these offshoots have been nothing more than forgettable, but on the other hand, a good share of them have been just as venomous and important to the vitality of the scene as the main bands many of these projects sprouted up from. Sweden’s WAR is such a creation, and with all the talent that fills it’s ranks, success was only an upside down cross and several well placed power chords away. As members, It (ABRUPTUM, OPHTHALAMIA, VONDUR), All (same), David “Blackmoon” Parland (EX-NECROPHOBIC/DARK FUNERAL), Peter Tagtgren (HYPOCRISY, THE ABYSS) and Mikael Hedlund explored a more destructive medium of musical expression, they have single handedly summoned the essence of black metal back to it’s raw, simplistic and controversial roots. I recently spoke to guitarist Blackmoon about WAR’s inception, importance and scandalous journey down the left hand path. Continue onward and learn of what the future holds for Scandinavia’s newest upholder of blasphemous metal. -Marty – (Taken from Worm Gear #7)
I guess the best place to start would be with the True Satanist Horde. I’ve heard about it, but what is it exactly?
That organization is not going any longer. The True Satanist Horde was run by It from ABRUPTUM, and he moved abroad a half year ago to Finland. He sold all of his black metal things and was totally fed up with the scene. He was the one that left the horde. It’s a shame, but everything just fell apart so there really isn’t a horde right now. I don’t know, we might start something, but it will take a long time. Right now we really don’t have a guy that wants to hold stuff.
Along with some of the music, I was surprised to see that It actually handled a majority of the lyrics. Do you think that his absence will change the philosophy of WAR any?
No, the concept will always be the same, it’s still going to be about war. I mean, WAR is about war. We have already recorded the follow up full length called “We Are War” and It didn’t have anything to do with that material riff wise or with the lyrics. It’s still the same type of lyrics. It’s about Satan and it’s about war. It’s not a great loss that It is no longer in the band.
Even though the horde has broken up, basically the views are expressed in the words and the music of WAR correct?
Yeah, you could say so. The WAR lyrics are very much about war, it’s not really that much about Satan. They deal with a little bit of our beliefs of course.
Along with yourself, their are a lot of big names in the band, how did WAR come together?
That’s quite a funny story actually, It happened very spontaneously. Me and It were up at THE ABYSS studio in the end of ’95. Me and It were recording the last of the ABRUPTUM album, I was accompanying him. We stopped in the studio and got fucking drunk one evening with Peter (Tagtgren) and we decided that we had to form a really primitive band. You know, a fist in the face to all of these like keyboard, totally gutless bands. We thought that we’d do the opposite, be extremely primitive, Peter said, “We’ll call ourselves WAR”. Right there the band was born while we were drunk.
So is that when a lot of songs are written, When you are all under the influence?
I think we did like 2 or 3 songs that same night, but they were totally shit of course. No songs were written on there under any alcohol influence.
So does everybody live in different parts of Sweden?
Yes actually.
So it’s difficult for everyone to get together and practice right?
Yes you are right. I’m living here in Stockholm as well as All the singer lives here also. The other guys live farther north in Sweden like 3 or 4 hours away by car. It’s not that bad, but WAR really isn’t a rehearsing type band. We will get together when we have some new stuff and practice for 3 or 4 days, try to build some more songs and record it. That’s the only way for us to do it.
As far as the songwriting goes on “Total War”, I found it to be evenly split between all of you. Do you think this was more of a band effort for you than say your previous bands NECROPHOBIC or DARK FUNERAL?
Yes I think so in a way, because we all took part in the writing process more. It was actually myself and It that came up with most of the music, but then All did some lyrics as well. Peter along with Mikael came up with some riffs as well. Yes it was definitely more of a band effort than say DARK FUNERAL or NECROPHOBIC, because of course in those bands I wrote most of the parts myself.
Now that this whole Jon Nodtveidt (DISSECTION) and Vlad rampage is over, do you think that It will ever return to Sweden?
I can’t be sure but I don’t think so. He has already sold a lot of his stuff. He’s welcomed back here of course, but he hasn’t anything to do. He has quit everything he was doing like all of the bands, so I don’t think he will return and do the same things again.
Why do you think he quit all of that stuff?
I don’t really exactly know. He was very fed up with everything. One day he could be really into it and the next he’d be like totally fed up with everything so who knows. He wasn’t really getting anywhere or making any money on the music.
Plus the threats against his family by a new Satanic faction probably didn’t help the situation either.
I haven’t really heard that. I don’t think that his family were threatened or anything. There were some rumors that there were some people after It, like these MLO guys Vlad and Jon or whatever, but those were really just rumors. They hadn’t said anything like they were going to kill him or anything. There were some bad vibes between those guys, but it was all mainly just rumors. I haven’t heard anything about his family being threatened.
Something like that happens and there are so many bullshit rumors that come with it, nobody knows exactly what’s going on. What was the deal with this MLO?
The thing was that Jon and It, they are old friends and they were both part of this True Satanist Horde a couple of years back. I don’t know the exact story, but it was like Jon and a couple of other guys from Gothenburg wanted to split from the horde and start this MLO section, but It had problems with that for some reason. Maybe he didn’t want any kind of side organizations to his horde. That caused some problems between both guys. They started to dislike each other from what I know.
So Jon is basically in jail for sure then?
He’s not in jail right now from what I know, he’s in custody. There hasn’t been a trial yet or anything, but I’m quite sure that he will go into jail. From what I’ve heard and I’ve actually been in contact with that guy quite a bit myself so I kind of know him, I’m quite certain that he killed and committed that fucking murder. I don’t know for sure, but I think it’s very possible.
It’s kind of sad to throw everything away that you’ve worked for on something as stupid as that.
I don’t care anymore now, but it’s a little irritating when stuff like that happens, when people turn their backs on each other. I don’t care anymore about it.
Since you were also linked with DARK FUNERAL, your actual guitar tone and playing style is evident in both bands music. What do you think sets WAR apart from the music you wrote for “Secrets of The Black Arts”?
I think they’re quite far away from each other actually. Maybe you can recognize some of the similarities, but I really don’t see any of the similarities that I did with WAR and DARK FUNERAL. The music in DARK FUNERAL is better written, more orchestrated and far more complex. The stuff we do in WAR is totally primitive. Maybe some people can here that it’s me in both bands, but I can’t do that for myself.
Do you think the new DARK FUNERAL stuff is going to have some of your characteristics?
No. I have heard the new DARK FUNERAL album which they recorded a month ago like 6 or 7 times now. It obviously still has some elements of the old DARK FUNERAL, but to me it’s sounding more like EMPEROR or something. It’s not just me, there are a lot of people that have heard it and say that it doesn’t really sound that much like old DARK FUNERAL.
Are you still on talking terms with those guys?
No, definitely not.
Well, I was just wondering if you talked to them after their American tour to see what they thought of the place?
I haven’t been in contact with those guys for a long time. It’s fucking stupid, but there is still some bad vibes and shit. If we see each other on the fucking street, maybe I’d talk with them for a minute or something, but we’re definitely not friends. We’re definitely not worst enemies either.
The music of WAR is simplistic and intense. Will this continue on the full-length, or will the music grow more technical?
We’ve already recorded the full-length and I’d say it’s just a little bit more technical. Some parts of the songs are quite reminiscent of early SLAYER so for some people they might think we have changed totally. Well we haven’t because there are still some of them primitive, crazy and brutal parts. We said to ourselves that we wanted to do some things in the vein of early SLAYER, like the “Show No Mercy” style and that’s what we did.
How did you find the time to start HELLSPAWN records?
That’s a good question actually. I really don’t have the time that much to really run HELLSPAWN RECORDS. There really isn’t that much happening right now with it, except for the BATHORY tribute which is on it’s way right now and we still have to print up 5,000 digi-pacs. That will come out in three weeks and it will be really great. I don’t really know what will happen with HELLSPAWN RECORDS because I really don’t have the time to run a fucking label because I’m a musician in the first place. I really don’t have the time to be a fucking businessman as well.
Did you kind of start the label with the idea in mind to release your own solo project BLACKMOON?
The BLACKMOON project was something that I worked on for awhile. This is a little bit sad maybe, but I have cut that band and those plans for awhile. I was supposed to put out an album for NECROPOLIS RECORDS and when I came up with half of the material, I realized that it really wasn’t as dark as I wanted it to be. So I thought there was no use in releasing it, it was quite good musically, but once again, wasn’t as dark as I wanted it. So right now, this whole BLACKMOON project is put on ice.
So are you going to release the full-length WAR album?
No I won’t. I know it’s stated on the WAR bio-sheets that I’m supposed to release the new album. There were some really minor problems between myself and Paul (Thind, head NECROPOLIS honcho otherwise known as Typhon- Marty). We were waiting for the WAR CD to come out and it wasn’t happening. I though like, “If he can’t get this release out, I will release the full-length myself.” But I’ve talked to Paul and everything is on it’s way and getting promoted really well so it’ll be best if they release it.
As “Total War” rips through the underground, the track “I Am Elite” seems to be causing quite a stir due to the racial comments (I’m referring here to the line, “Nigger’s and Kykes, stay away” -Marty).
Yes, I know what you mean.
Before this interview, I was talking to Joker (NECROPOLIS publicist) and I asked him if you”d be willing to discuss it and he said that, “he will deny it and so does NECROPOLIS”. Is there any reason for that?
Denying what?
The racial comments in that particular song. I know you personally didn’t write the lyrics, but I was wondering if these thoughts were expressed by all the members in the band?
(Brief pause) Well, I don’t really know. Fuck this is hard to say, It’s hard to get it right in the media you know?
It is a rather touchy subject.
Yeah, O.K., I wasn’t the one responsible for the things that were said on that fucking song. That was something that happened very spontaneously in the studio. O.K., I can say that I stand behind everything that was said on that song. The lyrics to “I Am Elite” deals with Christianity vs. the Satanic side. If you are referring to the special comments, “Nigger’s and Kykes, stay away”, I’m not really racist but I can say it like this, I hate everyone, regardless of their race so therefore, I’m not a racist. I just don’t like people in general, so why can’t we say that?
People seem to be freaking out about that line and in their minds it may be easy to classify the ideals of WAR in with the same context as say skinhead Oi music?
O.K., we have only ourselves to blame of course, it was just something that happened in the studio. If we knew that it would really cause a stir, we wouldn’t have done that because it was kind of serious. I mean, we are not really racist like that, but I think it was something that All felt and we all didn’t know if we were going to keep it. We thought we were going to tape it over. In the end we thought that no one would recognize what was being said.
All has a very distinct way of singing. You can pretty much understand everything he has to say?
Yeah, Maybe you can.
With all this controversy swiftly surrounding the band, do you think that all the members will be able to withstand the pressure and keep the band together?
Yes of course. We are WAR and we stand up for what we say. We won’t let anything like that bring us down. If this were to evolve into something really big, them we’d have to wait and see what happens. If there is some talk about it then it’s O.K., if it’s blown out of proportion totally, then I don’t know what will happen.
Aside from the upcoming full-length, what do you think the future holds for WAR?
More music of course, but we don’t have anything planned right now. There will be more albums, that’s for sure because the WAR thing has turned out to be a really cool band I think. Talking about the near future, I hope at least that NECROPOLIS can get us some kind of a small tour for the full-length album. That’s what I’m hoping for. But then I don’t know what’s going to happen exactly after that.
On a much larger subject, what do you think about the future of black metal? I’m sure it’s current commercialization bothers the shit out of you?
I don’t know if it really bothers me that much. That depends on what commercial means because everything that has to do with money is commercial. I guess it’s not really that good that there are big labels putting out black metal bands and earning a lot of money. But in a way, as a musician myself, if I had the chance to really get out and spread my music really well and earn some money, then I wouldn’t say no. I’m a musician and black metal is very much my life, so if I could get the opportunity, then I wouldn’t turn it down.
I guess the whole purpose of making music is to have it heard. A lot of the old schooler’s would say that this style of music should stay underground?
Yeah, but what is underground? Should people only hear some bad taped copies? That was cool in the old days when you were a tape trader and stuff like that. I mean, that was really underground when you were trading with people across the whole fucking world and you got all these really obscure bands. The scene is more commercialized now. It’s good in a way that more people can hear the music, but there are a lot of idiot people that are going to earn money on it. I don’t really care anymore because the scene is so fucked up anyway, there is so many shit labels and shit bands that I don’t care about it at all.
Do you think that a lot of people that have been into it for awhile are beginning to get that attitude?
Yeah I think so. It’s like a never ending stream of new bands and releases all the time. Most stuff is shit really.
Do you see yourself being involved with any other bands in the near future? What are your upcoming plans?
Actually, I’m involved in a new band right now you probably haven’t heard about. Me and some other guys have started a totally new black metal band called INFERNAL. I put this band together with one of the ex-DARK FUNERAL guys, that is the singer and bass player who played on “Secrets of the Black Arts”. He’s the singer and rhythm guitar player for INFERNAL and we have a really killer drummer whom is originally from the band DEFLESHED. That band really isn’t my cup of tea, but he is a really killer drummer. That band is more of a death metal style. People have said that INFERNAL sounds very much like old DARK FUNERAL but the drumming is more intense and there are more things going on all the time. It’s more chaotic. If you say that you can recognize my riffing style in WAR, you will hear 200% that this is me playing. I was kind of surprised myself, We were just recording a couple of songs in the rehearsal space and when we listened back to it we said, “This could easily be DARK FUNERAL”. It’s a little bit more brutal, but it’s still the same vocals but it’s also a lot darker. INFERNAL is something that we are working really hard on. It’s not really a project, it’s a totally new band. We will put something out quite fast I think because we have some offers right now. I think we’ll put out a mini CD in 2 or 3 months.
You mentioned offers, Were these from bigger or smaller labels?
I really shouldn’t say anything yet because it’s still in the talks. It’s really fucking incredible because it was one of the bigger labels that just called me up and he just heard that I was forming a new band. He said that I have a good reputation with the scene and he was really interested in hearing my new band. We have to send him like 2 or 3 songs and we’ll see what happens.
I guess that’s all I have Blackmoon! Do you have any final comments?
Final comments? Awe fuck, I don’t really know, I’m really quite bad at doing those (laughs).
Yeah, I guess those are usually quite cheesy.
Yeah, it’ll be like, “Total War, blah, blah” Or whatever (laughs).
By the way, I am going to use that.
That’s O.K., it’s actually quite good (laughs), it’s very tongue in cheek.
Xasthur – Interview
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
Ultimately, describing music is futile. Its intention and meaning are subjectively unique to each respective listener, and any “shared” experience among them essentially signifies a weak concept to begin with.
Not so for Xasthur, the sole vision of one mysterious Malefic. Anyone who heard his Nocturnal Poisoning debut LP last year will testify that they’re unequivocally altered by the album, that SINKING in its fathomless depths i and continuing to do so, spin after successive spin – is one of the most (sub)consciousness-expanding experiences falling under the black metal banner. Beyond that, describing it is futile. Malefic has created a world all his own, and we again stand at its blacker/larger-than-night doors waiting for another chance to be sucked in…and down.
Alas, at the time of this interview, Xasthur had recently released a new 12″ mini-album, Suicide in Dark Serenity, which continues to expand ‘n’ exaggerate the man’s already inscrutable vision of BM, and a split 7″ with Nachtmystium for Blood Fire Death is already in the bag. Read on and die… – Nathan
First off, how ’bout some background: When/how did Xasthur form, and what so inspired this entity’s birth?
It formed around early 1996, and I had a lot of hard times making it work out – I was thinking maybe it wasn’t meant to be, after a lot of time had past. To tell the truth, I’d never had so much suppressed hatred come out of me until I heard Graveland’s Thousand Swords album. I give Graveland a lot of credit – it really had an impact, not only the hateful battle hymns of Thousand Swords, but reading about Rob Darken’s viewpoints. And like I said, hatred and sorrow brought Xasthur to be. Up until ’96, I’d been listening to a lot of death metal, but after a while, it started to lack the extreme emotions that I’d always been feeling, as it never seemed to express a person’s state of mind. It was like any normal person could play it – death metal, that is.
Is it fair to say that Xasthur is your vision, and yours alone? Is Xasthur a one-man band by necessity, or by choice?
Both necessity and choice. Typical humans and I don’t see eye to eye on how black metal should be, yet who am I to say how it should be? I tend to even hate a decent percentage of people who are supposedly in the “scene” – that would just be one view or problem. I like working alone on black metal songs, in the cold, on my own time and not someone’s sheep-schedule filled with light and excuses. I wanted to have members for a while, but that wasn’t meant to be… now, as you can see, and then, as there was no progress being made. I would say it really turned into a choice or preference – I realized that selfishness works for me, as in fuck other peoples’ input.
Since Xasthur is essentially you, what are your conceptions of “black metal,” and how – if at all – does Xasthur meet and/or exceed those conceptions?
There are many shades of black, and sometimes it’s hidden in places not many people would look for it, be it in music or in the outside world. I don’t need to look for it… it finds me. Am I glad that blackness finds me? Of course not! I’m not supposed to be, but I’ll make it into something that will make it work for me if I can. I would say that Xasthur can meet some – but not all – of the expectations of black metal, because there will always be complainers and different points of view. I don’t care about meeting anyone’s expectations – Xasthur is for those who seek suicide, misery, and the obscurity of old, nostalgic black metal that will curse their state of mind… for underground fiends, not the mainstream. Most importantly, it’s for myself – how can a price be put on something that isn’t marketable?
And since you play all instruments in Xasthur, which one do you feel most comfortable/fluent with? If there’s in fact an instrument of choice, does that guide each song’s initial framework in terms of how it’s created?
This is a good question, and I don’t know why I’ve never been asked this before. I like the bass a lot… I feel the possibilities are nearly endless. They don’t call it a “bass guitar” for nothing, if you ask me, because it’s both a bass and a guitar at the same time – it provides deep, dark notes and also provides another melody… some members of maybe Necromantia could probably say the same. I”m not much of a guitar player, really – I mean, I’m comfortable with the songs I make, but I like bass and second-guitar disharmonies the best, as it’s more comfortable to me and not as limiting as the initial “riff” of song. I very rarely create or start a song starting with bass, though – just guitar.
Really, how do you construct Xasthur’s songs, and in particular the album Nocturnal Poisoning? Does each song come to life via a tangible element, or is it more so something intangible like feeling?
I sometimes hear something dismal in my head according to which kind of bad day I’m having, then I’ll take that dismal tone, learn it, and then play it wrong, making it worse. And then sometimes, as you say, just a guitar riff when it’ll just all fall into place without me even really knowing it.
What is the intention of Xathur’s music, and specifically Nocturnal Poisoning? With your compositions being as long and loping as they are, one would assume that the “intention” is hypnotic transcendence or even psychedelic consciousness, but is there daresay infinitely more to your music and its core – perhaps an “infinite sound”?
To hurt as many people as possible, and this would be the legal way of doing that.
That said, what about the new album’s title – is a bit of “nocturnal poisoning” indeed behind this record? Put simply, are any “substances” requisite to write/play Xasthur’s transcendental music?
If you’re asking about any kind of drugs taken to create any of this, the answer would be no. I’m always sober when I make songs and record them. I can be amused and sickened with my own thoughts… I don’t need drugs to be more dysfunctional than I already am. The title has nothing to do with getting high at night or something – it has to do with silently killing people in their sleep and making their nightmares coming true by the holy ones that obsess on their own nightmares, and making it happen to them.
How would you contest, then, allegations that Nocturnal Poisoning – or any Xasthur record, for that matter – is merely repetitive and consequently “boring”? To counteract such ignorance, how do you delineate between “repetition” and “repetitiousness”?
I would say if someone’s looking for some band to hear that just wants to put as many notes that can fit into a count/measure as possible – showing off their athletic abilities, it seems – and not their blackened souls, then look elsewhere when it comes to myself and Xasthur. It needs to be repetitive for it to sink in.
Also, since you’re a one-man band playing hypnotic BM, how would you counter allegations that Xasthur’s merely a “Burzum clone”? The difference is obvious to the enlightened, but how would you stake your claims for originality/uniqueness?
I wouldn’t care if someone were to call Xasthur a Burzum clone. I would take it as a compliment because Burzum was rarely a clone of anyone, and no one can clone Burzum in Burzum’s ways. Varg will think of some notes/chords I would’ve never imagined, and I would hope vice versa. One claim that I think I can make is its unpredictable paths and changes. I used to worry about those kind of things ruining a song – now, I like songs to be ruined in this way.
Considering the dank and cavernous air of Nocturnal Poisoning, is a raw production necessary for this vibe to truly “come to life”? Or, if given a considerable budget, would Xasthur’s music change at all? Basically, what I’m asking is this: Even if the production is “too raw” for some (fuck ’em), is the studio an integral instrument to capture and color your music?
That’s right! Fuck ’em! Sure, I’ll admit, about a different kind of budget – I’m what some would consider poor. Being poor and the equipment that comes as a result of being poor doesn’t even phase me anymore. Though I have some decent recording tools, a band with no ideas or just a few will need some really great equipment. But, if someone has a few hundred or thousand ideas and mediocre equipment, it shouldn’t matter. I thought people would complain about the “production,” but surprisingly they didn’t. If I was given some budget to record with, I don’t think it would be the same… going to some “studio” to record would be so premeditated, whereas doing things the way I already do is like acting on impulse – meaning, some of these songs on Nocturnal Poisoning, and other songs, were almost improv, or I’d change them right in the middle as I heard them in the back of my mind…. I want this kind of black metal I do to sound old, as if some cassettes existed in the 1600s were found or dug up somewhere, and there was some black metal band on them from who knows where….
Considering that Nocturnal Poisoning is (presumably) meant to be absorbed as a whole, can the same be said for Suicide In Dark Serenity insomuch being a complete work in itself? Or, is it more so a “companion” record, so to speak, to Nocturnal Poisoning since its compositions were written across a wider variety of times?
I think the same can be said, if you’re talking about some sort of flow, feeling, pattern, theme or piece of time – this new record has nearly the same [elements] to it. True, the songs on this new LP were all written over a wide span of time, 1995-’96 through 2001, but were all re-recorded close to each other around 2001 – some of these were from the demo and have been improved drastically, which makes for a better enemy than a companion, though. There will most likely be a CD version of this coming in late 2003 with a bonus track or two, hopefully – maybe a digipack, not sure though…
In my eyes, the greatest music – and especially the greatest black metal – is that which is transcendental, otherworldly…music that is truly an experience, and one that’s to be absorbed within the deepest corridors of the mind. So, at least in the BM realm, are you trying to achieve similar results?
What I’m doing is giving off a reflection of myself and yourself – you will see it, you will hear it, you will feel what it’s like to step into my world, and you will not like it at all! Dead can also mean dying because you had nothing to live for… doesn’t always require a nice escape, or option like a grave. I realized one day sitting and observing what I already knew in public, and that is that words have lost their meaning. Normal people who I already hate killed so many words and what they could mean – they say they’re “depressed” because they missed the bus or a TV show. They don’t know the true meaning of depression – if they did, as “normal” as they are, they would’ve been killed by it, and I wouldn’t be hearing it out of their mouths. They’ll say, “I hate this kind of food” – do they really? Do they feel true hate? Have they ever received true hate? I don’t think so! Well, I have. And do they really hate a food, for example, that they’re lucky enough to be eating in the first place? Because of examples like these, I feel like I could NEVER tell anyone what’s on my mind, and they would never grasp it, because their definitions aren’t the same. And they don’t know what true suffering is, so how could I ever express mine? They know the true meaning of terror by what they saw on September 11th, but it only changed people for a short amount of time and then they forget and carry on with their oblivious lifestyles, forgetting that their lives could end in a split second. For some reason I can’t understand, they value their empty existence – I’m rather impartial about mine… I could take it or leave it.
XXX Maniac – Harvesting The Cunt Nectar
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
30 tracks of porn and gore obsessed drum machine Grindcore in the spirit of Prosthetic Cunt and Agoraphobic Nosebleed. The tracks are short and furious, but pretty well written, with some memorable riffs and catchy slow breaks. The production is robust and powerful. Vocally, savage screams and guttural growls flesh it out and are quite strong really. There are some in between styles that are both more reserved and more crazed mixed in as well that really make the release greater than the sum of its parts.. The growls aren’t pitch shifted to oblivion, and the rawness of the screams give this some feeling it might have otherwise lacked. There are guest vocal appearances by Carl Schultz, Rich Hoak, John Sheldon and a of couple others. Apologies to the others, the font is pretty evil and I didn’t want to spell their names wrong. There are of course the mandatory samples between or in nearly every song, most of which deal with violence, pornography or violent pornography. This isn’t something that I probably would have sought out on my own, because my expectations for this type of release are generally pretty low, but I really enjoyed it. “Harvesting The Cunt Nectar” is right on par with the above mentioned bands while still having an identity of its own. No surprises but executed really well. – Scott
RED CANDLE RECORDS/CROOKED CROSSES
Xombie – S/T
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
I’d heard a lot of good stuff about this release online and was pleased to see it show up for review. This is a minimally packaged CDR from Snip-Snip like some of the other releases reviewed in this issue, basic but gets the job done. Xombie create heavy, with a capital “H” analog synth drones. There isn’t a lot of depth or evolution to these tracks, but the end result is still quite effective. Deep low end analog distortions cycle away in an increasingly hypnotic repetition. It’s a full and monolithic presentation that draws you in and swells up around you. These eight tracks are all utterly simplistic, but there is just something contagious about them. Intellectually I’m surprised I like this as much as I do because of how basic it is, but sonically it hits the spot. The tracks don’t have any titles listed, but track three, stands out among my favorites, hefty low end throb, dissected by a cutting higher frequency. Track four is based around another bass driven loop with atmosphere and grit swirling and swelling subtly behind it. This basic idea is the root of most of these tracks, yet they all stand on their own and don’t get redundant. The almost rhythmic looping and cycling with the rich tones and overall ominous feel create a complete listen despite the simplicity of the construction. – Scott
SNIP-SNIP
Iovae – W / K.R.ZOG – The Green Tape
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a CommentAt times when the weird and obscure cross my path I tend to grow wary of what is in store for me when I first start listening to it. Iovae W / K.R.Zog is very much that bizarre little journey that we all have to make when it comes to listening and reviewing music. This is one of the first of many, and when I mean many releases from HUNG LIKE A HORSE?! I mean many. “The Green Tape” has elements of organic textures, settle noise and live recordings. Most of the release probes the proposed experiences of cut ups and aimless shots of noise. There’s not much more to this album but that. Shifting in a profoundly large measure and having really no direction I just felt a little annoyed by how much time they could’ve spent on this album rather than throwing all this together haphazardly. Now don’t get me wrong, there are some good parts to this release. But “parts” are all I can come up with when taking the time to dissect what was transcribed. Sounds of lawnmowers, stereo field static, and distorted samples are just an outline to “The Green Tape”. There was just no profound structure or direction. Even when a very catchy percussion loop is implemented into the mix of things the same mis-direct habits take place. Almost like they start the drum machine on, and turn the tv on and walk away. That being so, an awesome heavy low end drone fades in entirely getting my interest once again. But then in the underscore of the track there’s this cartoony like chatter for which kills the whole feel you think they’re going to take. If you like projects like this, then it’ll be right up your alley. Yet it just wasn’t my cup of tea. – K
HUNG LIKE A HORSE
Insidioous Descrepancy – Decadent Orgy Of Atrocious Suffering & The Inerrancy Of Profanation
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
The material found on “Decadent Orgy of Atrocious Suffering” was originally released back in 2002, but thankfully brutal American death metal hasn’t changed much since that time so this still sounds as fresh as it would have the day it was released. Seriously though, this is some pretty decent material if you are into brutal American death metal so it was good of the fine folks at Unmatched Brutality to step in and give this album a broader, more proper release. The two main problems I had with “Decadent Orgy of Atrocious Suffering” were the (though decent sounding) drum machine and the almost complete and total lack of solos. In fact, the only solo that I was able to pick out at all was the one in the cover version of Immolation’s “Dawn of Possession”, and even that sounded a bit forced and unnatural. Kudos for your choice of a cover song though, “Dawn of Possession” is a totally classic piece of ripping death metal. Also, kudos for 
the False Prophet inspired cover art on this reissue. The two most impressive aspects of Insidious Decrepancy would have to be the ridiculously long and utterly tongue twisting track titles and the fact that everything is conceived, created and executed by a single man named Shawn Whitaker. All Shawn needs to do now is learn how to play drums in the studio, or hire someone else to so he can ditch the drum machine that is likely holding him back from reaching a wider audience. As for “The Inerrancy Of Profanation” album, it is simply more of the same only a bit tighter, faster and more technical. Check this material out if you are a total brutal death freak and don’t mind drum machines. – Lance Rogers
UNMATCHED BRUTALITY
Xiphoid Dementia – Embalmed In Purity
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
This 6 track CDR is probably the nicest and most professional looking CDR release I have seen. For starters it comes in an oversized gauze bag, the case is a DVD sized case, but the design is more like a jewelcase, thinner, harder and clear plastic with a tray. The artwork is full color inside and out, and nicely designed as well I may add. Very impressive before even putting the disc in the machine. “Embalmed In Purity” is made up of three parts, and each part of two tracks. So there’s 6 tracks all together and only one of which is under the 10 minute mark and some well over. Xiphoid Dementia create a style of Dark Noise that is right in line with the way I love to hear it done. These are richly developed tracks that evolve through the elements of Death Industrial, Dark Ambient with some heavier levels of noise, elements of Power Electronics, as well as pieces of melody that emerge. I’m not going to dissect each track here because it works so well as a whole, and with the shifts in tone throughout the review would be an epic text. This is lush and dense music, with a heavy emphasis on atmosphere and subtle detail. The mix of sounds is great, cavernous clangs and drones, dirty noise swells, more pure electronics, synths tones and melodies, environmental recordings, tactfully executed vocals, percussive rumbles and strikes, scientific pulses and chirps… I could go on. The tone is one of active dread, not anticipatory, but rather immersive in a flailing darkness where everything you see and hear is not to be trusted… and the moments where you don’t see or hear anything are to be trusted even less. The flow instituted by XD on this release is impeccable really, everything grows and changes so fluidly, and yet dramatically and the length of the tracks, one of which just stretches the 17 minute mark, is a non issue because they are crafted so delicately. This project has been around for a few years now, and has very few releases because they have obviously invested themselves in going slow and getting it right. “Embalmed In Purity” is a testament to that philosophy and an incredible release. Xiphoid Dementia is now on my very short list of rising Dark Noise projects that qualify as essential listening. – Scott
EXISTENCE ESTABLISHMENT
Infidel?/Castro! – Bioentropic damage fractal
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
Listening to Infidel?/Castro!, one phrase keeps popping into my head – kitchen sink. Ranging from ambient to drone to breakcore to metal to noise, “Bioentropic Damage Fractal” seems like the product of a manic episode. During a manic episode, everything seems like a totally perfect, totally genius idea. Described on the promo as ‘hyper-complex and hyper-epic’, it just comes off as hyper. But then, the promo also describes it as ‘cohesive and focused’, casting some doubt upon whether the writer actually listened to this two-CD sound explosion. Apparently these guys have made some kind of splash in the ‘indie-experimental’ scene, where it seems that live shows involving ‘instrument-switching, button-pushing, drumbashing, knob-tweaking, string-breaking and chest-scrawling’ is totally brand new and unheard-of. Kids, I’ve got two words for you – big deal. This isn’t shocking, new, original, creative, or fresh and it’s something I’ve definitely heard before. Just not all at once in an incoherent mish-mash parading itself as the Next Big Thing. This is amateur and it won’t fool anybody who isn’t fresh off the indie rock boat. -Christine Lett
CRUCIAL BLAST
Xenonics K-30 – Automated
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
XK-30 is a collaboration between Navicon Torture Technologies and Converter personnel. The disc begins with the churning heavy electronics machinations of “Terramek”, subtle textures provide a distant atmosphere to the saturated track. “Disperse or We Fire” pulses and sizzles with an apocalyptic martial law tone, sirens and machines organizing obedience. “Dyplastoid” has a meditative laboratory throb looping beneath it’s static washes and metallic loops. It becomes more blatantly rhythmic and machine like as it grows, almost reaching a rusted tribalism as the beat becomes more pronounced and the textures erode around it. “Infiltrator” is rather quiet by comparison, a piston like hum roots higher frequency drifts and distant distortions. “The Bloody Sea” and “G.M.A.S.” round out the disc in similar fashion., with “G.M.A.S.” adding palpitating analog drones to a cannonade of weapons fire and pre-recorded warnings of doom. “Automated” carries feel of both grimy factory and stainless steel laboratory through it’s duration… the sounds are a nice mix of very crisp analog tones and frequencies and murkier distortions and metallic resonance. It is largely rhythmic throughout, but not in the sense of real beats, it is the voice of contraptions chattering in time… chattering about how easily the flesh can fall. – Scott
AD NOISEAM
Hevein – Sound Over Matter
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
Hevein is a rock/thrash band featuring Max Lilja of Apocalyptica on Cello. It’s also complete bullshit. The guy isn’t anything more than a flawed cello player. Max can find pitch but he has no grasping of the stylistic components one hears in a godly string player like Annebjorg Lein (hardanger fiddle), the guy from Vasen, Mark O’Connor (violin), Yo Yo-Ma (Cello), Paul Mercer (Violin), Edgar Meyer (double bass and a personal favorite), or anyone who has adopted a unique playing style in the very competitive string world. I don’t find anything remarkable about having an incompetent player of a foreign instrument in a metal context. It isn’t insulting to my personal tastes as much as amusing that this band no doubt receives wonderful reviews worldwide. That doesn’t change the fact that Max Lilja has nothing on his resume other than a Metallica cover band not too far from what we all had in junior high/high school at one time or another. It makes sense when you think about it. If you know you aren’t good enough to compete with half-decent players in your field, you might as well join a crust, punk, or metal band where you can “shine”. Lets move away from Max for a moment and explore why Hevein is just a bad listening experience as a whole. While cello and violin play an important role, there is indeed a band beneath them that find themselves in a nu metal/rock hybrid with the most disgustingly commercial aspects any self-respecting metalhead would vomit upon. This isn’t to say that the listener who enjoys extreme metal doesn’t occasionally listen to more commercial music or enjoy background music lacking complexities. I just have to assume that most people (including myself) would separate those two worlds when they espouse the principles of objectivity in extreme metal. To easily discern commercial music and extreme metal becomes less apparent as the popularity of joining the two flourishes in modern culture. Hevein isn’t as difficult to categorize as hard as they want you to think they are. This is pop music. The vocals have the tough guy screams contrasting the common sensationalist clean vocals that are not only unconvincing but barely accomplished. The saving grace is the lyrics any young kid could grasp due to their inexplicable nature. “I’m only human but I did the best I could… I’m doing the best I caaaaaaa-aaaannn…. Living life like a butterfly… Try to wash you awwwaaay.” Apocalyptica was on Mercury Records and they obviously had no interest in Hevein. So where does that leave Candlelight’s involvement? “Men are apt to prefer a prosperous error to an afflicted truth.” Enjoy the short ride, guys. -TRA
SPINEFARM/CANDLELIGHT
Hate Profile – Opus I: The Khaos Hatefile
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
A complete paradox. The music lacks both Hate and any kind of framework that a profile would, indeed, entail. Also, the cover of the album is a profile of Amon 418’s face just above his Burzum shirt. Hardly consistent unless it marks the beginning of a record that goes in so many directions that the mere idea of consistency is lost. This holds true as “The Khaos Hatefile” lends itself to any number of styles. Opening with a simple and effective clean guitar diddy and accompanied by sampled sounds of rain and other typical eerie, dismal sounds associated with the “get ready for the shit!” metal intro. This carries into the first song “Bleeding Black Heart” which offers some black/thrash riffing and slower, more groove orientated moments as well as some very welcomed speedy twin-guitar leads ala mid-era Hypocrisy. The guitar riffs tend to alternate with no regard to any style of metal but maintain a tone that allows even the occasional dissonant, post-black metal chord strumming room to evolve and grow. The problem with much of the material is that it is very predictable and I am constantly reminded that I’ve heard this record before. Seeing as this is a debut, there will be much room for evolution should the creator decide to outgrow some of the many styles he seems to adore and instead focus on his own strengths as a writer such as the riffing on “The Darkened Angel”. The album is solid and tight, but more or less lacking any identity. It is incredibly obvious that the session drummer did what he needed to without adding any flavor or texture to the overall sound, which could be said for the vocals as well. Perhaps finding someone to permanently join this project would be fitting to the almost non-existent stylistic approach. Direction is the weakest link to an otherwise impressive debut. – TRA
CRUZ DEL SUR MUSIC
Worm Gear 