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Farer – Monad

7/12/2020

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doom / avant-garde / noise
Aesthetic Death 
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Doom is one of those genres that can basically be everything because nowadays it is more than doom in the Type-O or Candlemass-kind of sense, it is also used as a description for a certain attitude and a certain range of music somewhere between Domkraft and Sunn O))), Anna von Hauswolff’s BADA and Wino. But to describe it simply as a state of mind is also not enough, because, unlike punk, doom cannot be an attitude. 

This is also noticeable when listening to Dutch doom/noise mashers Farer who have just released their full-length debut “Monad” at the end of November. But the band members are definitely no newcomers, as they have been playing under the name Menhir since 2013 and include members of Ortega. Last year they chose Farer as their new name and with that also came a change of style and sound. While Ortega gravitates much more towards post-metal, Farer is a bastard of doom and avantgarde noise. 

Their 4 track, 52-minute debut is a bastard of various parents – Sumac, Boris, The Body and Briqueville. Seems like a strange combination? Well, maybe, but Farer also play strange music. First off, they seemingly want to sound as if they are riding on the ways of a hurricane. There is always this sense of storm in their music, which is also a clear hint at their noise-aspirations. The distortion is set to echo over itself so that it keeps on reverberating in itself creating this kind of spiraling effect pulling the listener higher and higher. The latter effect is also supported by the fact that sometimes they use some smaller snippets in the background to even further strengthen their huge soundscape so that the air gets thicker and the oxygen gets less and less. Funny is the moment at the end of the opening track “Phanes” when you notice that part of those snippets was a clean-sung choral which was used in those part of the storm that are less upfront but still audible. 

The band plays with some industrial sounds in “Asulon”, the second track, which gives that song a “Godflesh”-feel, even though that is maybe a very personal idea. Nevertheless, this is also the track which seems most like Briqueville. The clean vocals at the beginning of the track connects it very well to the end of “Phanes” as mentioned before. The meandering industrial reverbs in the background are laid over the ever-present dangerous basic soundscape that connects all tracks and that makes this album also a very coherent unity. In “Asulon” the guitars take over after 5.20 minutes and they turn this track even more into a standout song. Alas, one should not forget that the creation of a “standout track” is probably not what Farer had in mind, they wanted to create a standout album and they really did. The noise guitars that are partially Sumac, partially Sonic Youth and yet always Farer are combined with wonderful little drums changes. Even when we have a guitar crescendo trying to move ahead of everything else it is still always held back by the other instruments so that we cannot but wonder how effective the band is. 

They show us so much in the final two songs “Moros” and “Elpis” that it becomes clear why Menhir only published one EP in 2016 before the band changed their sound, their songwriting, their approach and developed new songs. The choice must have been a hard one, but when listening to the “horns” (at least that’s what they sound like) in “Moros” one recognizes a band that chose not to choose between things but to be as borderless and free as possible. Everything works for the best of the record. 

“Monad” is nothing more and nothing less than another reason why to hold back with your AOTY lists till December. This band is gonna go far if they publish more music in the vein of their debut with so many high-quality songs garnished with as much virtuous noise as these four tracks. And, as if it was the most simple thing in the world, they show what doom is in the year 2020. It is writing a record that doesn’t care about what doom is but that defines it for themselves. 


​Thorsten

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Dark Buddha Rising – Mathreyata

13/11/2020

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drone metal / noise
Svart Records
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It was April 19th, 2018. A long, long time ago. When there were socially undistanced gatherings with sonic support called concerts. It was one of the mind-blowingly warm April days in Tilburg’s Freak Canyon at Roadburn. And late in the day there was another collaboration, this time by two of Finland’s finest: Oranssi Pazuzu and Dark Buddha Rising under the moniker of “Waste of Space Orchestra”, a recording of that collab was released last year to high critical acclaim. For me, it was my first real encounter with Dark Buddha Rising, I had listened to some of their stuff before that weekend as I always do with most of the artists, but this concert was really able to transcend that place and moment in time. Since then I collected nearly all DBR stuff and was positively excited when I heard that they would release a new record mid-November.

After giving “Mathreyata” a thorough listening session, I can only say: Wow! Masterpiece! Top of the class for this year! Why? Well, let’s find out.

When entering the record via “Sunyaga” the listener steps into a world where human life is either non-existing or physically regressed up to a point where regular human interaction is not possible anymore due to the mental and bodily decay. Mankind is so regressed from before that no one even remembers anymore what caused this development. There is a small group of remainers that hold up a torch of enlightenment through rituals. These are accompanied by music from the apocalypse – deep, sonic assaults on the living and the dead and everyone in between. 

What strikes everyone listening is how rich this music is, even though it is to harsh and noisy. Listening to each of the four songs on “Mathreyata” is like witnessing a perfectly well-rehearsed orchestra performing songs by Neurosis. It is fighting against the scripted music but at the same time it still sounds awesome. DBR’s mix of noise, sludge, drone and doom is similar Sunn O))) at certain moments but then again it’s like a modern version of Godflesh or a less-well-lit adaptation of Swallow the Sun. This is very obvious with the second track “Nagathma” with its lush melodic lines on the one side and the harsh indistinguishable growls on the other. 

The band took up the concepts they had already introduced on their last two regular releases, the full-length “Inversum” (2015) and the EP “II” (2018), as Vesa Ajomo states "Mathreyata follows the visions that were received from ‘Inversum’'s implosion and is the accession of what we invoked with the ‘II’ EP. Before completing the great circle, all cycles must be dissolved. In the end we are standing at the edge of the abyss.” When listening to this record, an abyss must be quite tempting and disturbing at the same time. 

What is awesome about this record is its balance, you never have the feeling that anything on it is too much or not enough. The tracks tell you everything you need to know about its ugliness and simultaneously lures you in to find out more – in a very adequate length: unlike on some other DBR releases, no track is longer than 15 minutes (not shorter than seven at the other end). 

If you are looking to buy only one extreme metal album this year - “Mathreyata” might be your best choice because it combines the best trademarks of the Dark Buddha Rising-sound with a precise songwriting and some perfectly encapsulated soundscapes.


Thorsten

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Brieviews 72

7/6/2020

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For Greater Good - ... Unfolds

ambient / dark folk / cinematic
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Rejoice, dark folk and ambient fans, because cinematic masterminds For Greater Good have returned. After several years of silence, Izzy and Sam have unleashed a four track EP that will take you back to the glorious days of Cold Meat Industry. With a blend of ambient, martial industrial and cinematic folk, often combined with new wave-like vocals, '...Unfolds' does exactly what the title promises. Opener 'Ihtyll' feels like a love song created by Penitent and featuring Nick Cave while 'And Thus ... Unfolds' is a gritty dark industrial tune. 'Northern Lights' brings back the gloomy atmosphere and the shimmering melodies, plus some Biosphere basses.
So, if the first three tracks of a four track EP already remind me of acts like Nick Cave, Penitent, Raison d'ètre, Aphex Twin and Biosphere, I guess it's alright to call this a pretty damn varied release. And then comes 'Synchronism', a goosebumps inducing dark pop anthem with vocals by Raya. In all, '...Unfolds' indicates a more than welcome return for a highly exciting ambient project. Recommended? Dûh!

Noiss - Deafening EP

alternative rock / punk / grunge
website
Spotify
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Hailing from Chambèry in France, Noiss wants to slam you down with guitars, drums and rough vocals. In all honesty, this EP is neither noise nor deafening but it's a pretty convincing piece of old school grunge and punk rock, containing flashes of Nirvana, Queens Of The Stone Age and, why not, Pixies, just to name a few. Of these five tracks, 'Iteration 7' is my favorite, a groovy rock tune that will make you either bang your head or do some kind of weird, aggressive dance. So, if you're in for a grainy garage rock party, be sure to invite Noiss: raunchy and delicious...

Katapult - A Fistful of Truth

thrash metal
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Inspired by the Gothenborg metal scene, Swiss thrash metal duo Katapult comes up with an odd EP that will either make you scratch your head or immediately open the moshpit. The four tracks on this EP are harsh, intense and raging pieces of thrash metal, created with the attitude of punk and laced with the anger of old school death metal. I think that's the best way to describe the music hiding behind this weird cover art. Think old Sepultura, Lamb Of God or The Haunted and you come close to the bloodshed Katapult is capable of. 

WARD041 - Uoltam

dark ambient / drone
Signora Ward Records
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A mysterious act on an enigmatic label where ambient, noise, dark jazz and blackened atmospheres meet. 'Uoltam' contains two tracks, simply named '1' and '2'. The opener is a haunting piece of dark ambient with eerie soundscapes and threatening background noises.
Track two feels even harsher and darker, reminding me of experimental ambient acts like Tactile, Rapoon or Tho-So-Aa. This is the perfect soundtrack for a nightly walk in the forest, surrounded by ancient spirits and grueling beasts. 
​Dark ambient at its best...

Rutger Zuydervelt - Porcelain

drone / ambient / soundtrack
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Rutger Zuydervelt, also known as Machinefabriek, composed this spooky soundtrack for the movie 'Porcelain' by Jenneke Boeijink. The album contains 22 short ambient pieces and drones which perfectly seem to illustrate the atmosphere in the movie but also work quite well on their own. Together they seem to create one long track, both narrative and minimal, with only a few drones and strings. That is, of course, the strength of Rutger Zuydervelt's talent and experience: finding beauty in minimalism and shimmering sounds in the darkest drones. A perfect soundtrack.

Machinefabriek with Anne Bakker - Oehoe

drone / ambient
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And one more release by Rutger Zuydervelt, this time under the Machinefabriek moniker and in cooperation with violinist/vocalist Anne Bakker. The ten pieces on this album are strange and eclectic experiment with noises, voices and melodies. For some reason this whole album reminds me of some of the most experimental gigs I've seen at the now defunct Incubate festival. If you're into avant-garde, neoclassical and experimental music, 'Oehoe' is definitely something up your alley, but I guess that's no surprise for fans of Rutger Zuydervelt. 'Oehoe' is one of thos releases to cherish for a long time.

Petrolio - GLVWXUER#DQVLD#JHQHUDOL​]​]​DWR

industrial / dark ambient / noise
HGM Music
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So, since we're picking the stranger releases for this edition of Brieviews, here is Petrolio, an Italian industrial noise act who seems to bang his head on his keyboard to come up with song titles. Not that he needs titles anyway because this music is harsh, intense and brutal, somewhere between Haus Arafna, Merzbow and Brighter Death Now. Sometimes there's beats but most of the time you'll be sinking into a thick pool of noises, soundscapes and electronic drones, clinging on to that one normal sound hidden deep beneath the gruesome noise. If that's your thing, this EP is definitely a must-have...

Hellstorm Of Flaming Nothingness - I Am An Empty Shell

drone / dark ambient
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Equally dark but less noisy, Antwerp based drone act Hellstorm Of Flaming Nothingness delivers another set of mind-altering drones and top-shelf gloomscapes. Beneath the often extremely minimalistic approach lies a pitch black worldview. No, this album will not make you happy, but neither does watching the news or scrolling on facebook. 'I Am An Empty Shell' is a crushing statement of ambient minimalism and a surprisingly strong album. This is music to meditate to, to purify and reinvent yourself, to weep uncontrollably and to regain strength when it is all over. One music have for all you dark souls...

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Ulveblod – Omnia Mors Aequat

31/3/2020

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black metal / noise
Consouling Sounds
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Dillinger Escape Plan meets Bathory. Orchid meets Celtic Frost. Some Girls meets Mayhem. Whenever aggressive extremes meet a moment of chaos will be piled up at the exact spot where their forces clashed and the first mercenaries fell. Ulveblod is that exact spot in the middle of two unforgiving enemies. The product of a struggle that spit out Vitriol, the main songwriter, guitarist and founder of Ulveblod, without any kind of orientation, after his partner in music, M. died right before Roadburn last year. Together they were Nihill, one of the most prolific black metal bands to ever come out of the Netherlands and maybe the most-prominent pillar of the now dominant force that Dutch black metal has become with its flourishing scene and amazing bands.

Vitriol has founded Ulveblod as his new outlet for his vision of black metal which many people will neither understand nor share. This is chaos, manic compression, no compromise wanted, pure get it or die – shit. You don’t like it? No one gives a fuck and neither should you.

The guitars follow no clear line, they scream your brains to death, throwing your heads not only from side to side but also jumpkicking it over your neck and then tearing at your scalp to throw it towards your risen knees. No breath of fresh air, no stopping or pausing needed.
The drums are designed to entrance you with their nonstop pounding, which makes heavy use of the cymbals and toms, but is defined by an ongoing hurricane-blastbeat-apocalypse. 
The vocals are quivering and shivering but not voiceless, not without strength but powerful and demanding, catching all your attention and giving you a pulse to make your veins explode.

This music is pure chaos and has no sense for beauty because all beauty dies. Everything must die, that’s a fact. And death equals all – Omnia mors aequat. Death is pain and pain distributes itself equally, everyone is the same in death and we all die – alone. Nihill died with M. and one day Ulveblod will also die. However – at this moment, it screams in your face, sends shivers down every nerve and artery you got. It is here, it is now, it is Ulveblod, and it’s going to equal you out.


Thorsten

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Brieviews 70

8/3/2020

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Keelrider – Sun / Too Far Gone

grunge / stoner rock
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Iceland’s scene is very likely one of the strongest worldwide as we are talking about a country with roughly 360,000 inhabitants and yet we all know so many bands from Iceland pushing the brim for modern music further and further. Keelrider is another one of those, although they most likely will not see as much attention as Sigur Ros, Björk or the whole Icelandic black metal scene because they are Stoner Grungers with a twist. In 2018 they published their debut album “North” and last year they published two singles from their upcoming album “Second Wind”. While “Too Far Gone” is in parts a very nice melange of Alice in Chains-vocals and Soundgarden-stoner riffs, “Sun” is much more interesting because the band some a little more variety when it comes to time signatures and giving the guitar lines more space to breathe. If you are into stoner rock and grunge, this band is something right for you! 


Calendula – De Brevitatis

post metal
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Post-Metal from Italy. Most foreigners automatically associate it with Postvorta but some, a little deeper in and a little longer might remember the name Calendula, the sextet from Parma, which released an EP (2011) and a full-length (2012) a while ago. After some changes concerning line-up and musical direction, they released a 25-minute-song in November which definitely doesn’t fit to the title “De Brevitate Vitae” - it’s not brevis (brief) at all. It is quite a monster with a lot of dynamic changes and oscillates between dynamic driving drums and some really clever, counteracting guitar-work following the long intro, which sometimes hints at a bit of Tool. The vocals are pretty good, they also use some samples to give it a more differentiated sonic outline. Something that can be criticized is the sound as the partially trashy Lo-Fi sound doesn’t really fit a record as ambitious as this one, although on the other side it fits to the proclaimed role models  – 90s post-rock bands such as Slint (noticeable in the very effective guitar motif after the first real break). If the guys follow this path, we might have two Italian associations with the term Post-Metal.


A Heart Beats – Dazes the Mind

electronic 
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Svart Records is one of the finest labels when it comes to hard, harsh music, most people know about that. Most people do not know that they also have an electronic sub-label – Svartronix which again is very open-minded. A few weeks ago they released the debut song by A Heart Beats “Dazes the Mind” which is pop music that fits perfectly in any 80s mix of songs by some tropical house producer. This songs purvey a kind of Caribbean calypso feeling but their sex-appeal derives to a large extent from the intriguing vocals of Paile who once was a member of Beastmilk. His delivery is very nice and especially the chorus is so funky that one automatically feels his feet moving, but the line also has some depth “It dazes the mind / and numbs the tongue”. The beats produced by Tuuki are layered with some space basslines in the sense of some more synth-driven Daft Punk and the beat itself is shuffling a bit, so that the sunny, opening sounds give the song a holiday feeling without the stupidity. A promising debut song, let’s hope A Heart Beats and Svartronix has some more servings.


Intaglio – The Memory of Death

doom / death metal
Solitude Productions
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Russian death doom act Intaglio released a demo version of a new track at the end of last year and in some way, the beauty lies in the rhythm. Many voices will now scream that the rhythm is nothing particular new to the genre, as the slow, dragging rhythm of the song is really quite normal, but the way that the strings connect to it, support it in certain passages, yeah, even form it from time to time, that is really breathtaking – the Gothic attitude it brings to the song turns it into a remarkable one. The lyrics, speaking about the overwhelming character of a memory of death which overshadows everything else, are delivered in regular death metal style. Another standout feature is the use of the use of an upright bass that is tuned so well, that you can hear each tap and each ring.
In some way, three pretty singular metal genres are amalgamated into one pretty dense net of emotions that will leave no open ear without imprinting a memory of itself on the listener. If this is a first sign of a new album then one might keep Intaglio in mind.


American Nightmare – Life Support

punk
Deathwish
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Everything about this 7” screams “Old school! Old school!”, the cover (seemingly a reverse from the classic Minor Threat discography cover that also was adopted by Rancid several years ago), the cover b-side, the black-white style, the sound, everything! But first things first: The revived band released a good album in 2018 and last December followed with this 7” out on Heartworm Press. The title track is a new shotgun blast somewhere between Zeke, MC5, The Clash, Turbonegro and Black Flag (although one must say, that only the vocals sometimes hint at Rollins) – definitely a good track. The b-side is a well-made cover of “Left for Dead” by The Lemonheads another one of these late 80s punk bands that turned more and more to indie-rock. The cover is good and shows a different side to American Nightmare. However, there is one thing that is lacking in this release and that is the teenage angst that made AN famous. The despair, the sadness, the melancholy – not there. On the other hand, that might drive the listener to despair and achieves the same effect.


Tuatha – The Lore of Place 

avant garde / folk
Dog Tunnel Records
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There are genres that seemingly are so heavily steeped in tradition and customs that it is hard to imagine to hear a new sound in them. Take Irish Folk for example; most of us at first might associate it with pub nights somewhere between the Dubliners and Christy Moore (at best) or Michael Flatley and Enya (at worst). But to combine the traditional folk instruments bodhran, flute, violin, and guitar with a wall of sound, lots of spoken word (not cheerfully and rhythmically, but rather intimidating and fierceful) is something rarely heard before. Tuatha is a fierce project that will leave some of us open-mouthed. Formed in early 2019 and already a rising star on the scene, the septet uses old Irish tales from the Middle Ages and Gaelic Dindsenchas (short poems describing certain places) to deepen their already impressive style. In parts, their unrelentless approach reminds one of the approach Archive and SubRosa took in totally different musical landscapes. This here is unique, bewitching and typical Irish yet also totally un-Irish. Folks, give Tuatha a listen!


Mosara – Demo 2019

sludge / doom
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A quartet from Phoenix, Arizona with a very grainy, heavy sound, Mosara released their debut demo last November. It shall be a prelude to a record which is in the making and should see the light of day before the end of the year; of course the demo should also draw interest from labels and I think it might: The musical soundscape is strongly influenced by a lot of proto-metal like Sabbath, Blue Cheer, but also by classic doom bands like Electric Wizard or Cough – that means, you get what you expect, low-tuned, richly-distorted, grainy, a bit lofi-ish doom sounds with a tinge of sludge influences (most audible on the second track “Clay and Iron”). Sometimes the howls and growls could be a bit fiercer and less despaired because, sometimes, Tony Gallegos (ex-Twingiant) is a bit too clear. Nevertheless the sound is great, as if someone mated Fu Manchu with Sabbath and their offspring was left in the desert with a guitar as the only means of communication. The riffs are dragging, the bass is dominant, the drums are supportive – all good in the Arizona desert. 


Ploughshare – Tellurian Insurgency

death metal / black metal / doom / noise / grindcore
Brilliant Emperor Records
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Noise bastard? Yeah. Death metal? Sometimes. Grindcore? For sure. Doomy Gloom? You bet. All of that and more is “Tellurian Insurgency” by Ploughshare. With their third release in as many years (after 2017’s “Literature of Piss” and 2018’s acclaimed “In Offal, Salvation”) the quartet from Australia’s capital Canberra once again proves that the bar is always too low for them. Excellent musicians with a highly complex understanding of how music works they show that extreme metal must also rely on atmosphere that sometimes exists between the chords and blastbeasts. A great deal of the attraction of this band is the vocals, which never sound cheesy but quite on point. This EP also features a remix of their standout song, the title track of “In Offal, Salvation”, which shows that it is even possible to give this dark nightmare of a song an even more desperate twist. One thing that becomes clear throughout the record is how important good drumming is for such a kind of music as it must set the tone for everyone. If the guys can keep up their productivity we should await a new heir to the extreme metal throne in 2020.


Lament Cityscape – The New Wet

industrial
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Describing this Oakland, CA, quartet is not that easy and not that difficult at the same time. Their sound relies heavily on synths, samples but also on guitar, bass and drums. They cross constantly between electronic noise (aka industrial) and post-punk’ish avantgarde sounds. Initiated in 2013 and having independently released already a bunch of records, Lament Cityscape set out to publish three EPs in 2020, each following some red thread and yet also standing out on its own. Something that they share with some of the pioneers of this kind of sonic assault (Godflesh, Killing Joke, Author & Punisher) are the harsh sounds that sometimes remind one of buoys warning the oncoming ships of the nearby rocks and sandbanks which here are symbolized by the rough drum attacks. In parts, this is a good record for those who like Godflesh’s Streetcleaner a bit less polished and a bit more straightforward. Partially, one is left behind by a lack of surprise, but fans of industrial noises and harsh synth-driven drums will really like this.


Blood Spore – Fungal Warfare Upon All Life

black metal
Blood Harvest
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At first, the band’s name might sound like a nice pun on 80s karate flic “Bloodsport” (with the amazing multiple Academy Award winning actor Jean-Claude van Shakespeare) but when listening to this new face on renown Swedish Meta label Blood Harvest it becomes clear that the idea of a fungi which sits parasitically on its host and feeds of it before finally killing it works perfectly within the black metal community. It also works nicely because the record to it is really good and leaves one’s ears with an immediate wish to press replay because of its clever changes in mood, dynamics and tempi. The record (especially the second track “Cede to the Saprophyte”) is like a nice blend of groove metal and black metal with the emphasis, of course, on the latter. Thematically, the record presents the idea of the fungal mass on this planet slowly but certainly taking over and destroying all other organisms, a new take on the apocalyptic visions presented by bands like Botanist or Arx Atrata. For a band that only came together in 2018, this is really somewhat impressive. 


​Thorsten

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Hans Castrup - The world is all that is .​.​.

11/11/2019

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experimental / electronic / dark ambient / ambient / noise 
Nostalgie De La Boue
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The world is all that is​.​.. is the most recent release by German electronic underground experimental noise artist Hans Castrup. With six tracks — The concept of sinking, Popular imagination, Full of used notes, Paradox difference, Clarification of geometry and Upon a hill —, on this work, like his previous albums, Hans continues to dive deep into a realm of lugubrious, melancholic and sinister sound experiences, where he clearly heads towards a stylistic direction of impious, responsive, nihilist and fatalist demise. Each and every album released by Hans Castrup seems to be the perfect soundtrack for a H.P. Lovecraft horror story. 

Already in the first track, the dense, epic and monumental The concept of sinking, we clearly see that the artist — deliberately or not — establishes his creative efforts towards a prominently dark ambient musical cosmogony. With pulsating, almost afflictive sonorous reverberations, the sensitive pluralism that emanates from the expansive and digressive agonies that subtlety comes out of these tracks certainly makes this album one of the darkest in the artist's discography. 

Nevertheless, there is also a lighter side in the music — albeit ostensibly dispersive —, that sounds as a more discreet, reasonable, proverbial uneasiness allocated in the background, that ocasionally flirts with our projective sensibilities, gracefully establishing an harmonious pattern that can be as decisively obscure as it is delightfully stimulating. 

The music gradually reveals itself as it is: as complex — in the darker depths of its relentless and dissolute darkness —, as it is majestically simple and objective, in the way it calmly delivers its pungent and uneventful dimension of poingnant mortality smoothly to the listener. Just as impressive is Hans' remarkable ability to progressively reinvent his music with more diluted elements, while never losing his virtuous and graceful sonorous identity. 

With the conception of an exceedingly dense, cohesive and robust musical atmosphere, it looks like Hans Castrup has crafted The world is all that is​.​.. as a pervasive parallel dimension destitute of acessible colorful sensibilities, whose mandatory elements are all indebted to a relentless and abrasive sonorous tissue, made entirely of an unforgiving, infinite and ruthless demise. 

As the perfect sonorous background for a surreal hallucinatory black and white alternate reality — like the ones shown in old sixties television anthology series like The Twilight Zone and One Step Beyond —, the music conceived on this marvelous album by Hans Castrup transports us to a whole different, more diluted, arbitrary and conspicuous diagram of existence, where the fugacious ephemeralities of life seems dormant, because they were never what they seemed to be, in the first place. 

Your sensitivities will be all confused, before they would be entirely configured in a completely different sonorous perception, diametrically opposite to what you had expected. In the end, The world is all that is​.​..  is a fantastic descent into a world of gloom, solitude and demise, without any possibilities to return. 


Wagner

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Have a Nice Life – Sea of Worry

7/11/2019

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post metal / blackgaze / noise
The Flenser
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A few years ago, Have a Nice Life published a manifesto: “We believe in all of the following: complete self-autonomy, cooperation towards shared goals, contradictions, home recording, home distr[i]bution [sic], idealistic capitalism, creating art as if no one else existed, the necessity of doing Awesome and Intense things with your life, being prolific, and not letting anyone ignore us, no matter what.” 

In these lines, to be found on their website enemieslist.net they want to clarify their own vision of a new society, of art and of themselves as humans. The world should change towards a more shared-togetherness, we’re in this together now. Creating art should be idealistic without the big buck in mind. Everybody should try to be the best and the most peaceful version of themselves they could be. If we now apply this to their third album Sea of Worry, there is nothing more to say than: Perfection achieved!

The album is clearly self-recorded – just listen to the imperfect wavey-ness “Everything we Forget”, any self-important producer would have tried to even it out in order to make it more sinus-like so that the highs and lows are more clearly distinguishable; Tim Macuga and Dan Barrett don’t do that. It has this typical HANL-flow, nothing seems out of place and it shows what a band like Radiohead could be capable of today if their background was more classic bleakness and not shiny, sparkly 80s early Brit-pop (even though some new wave sparks can also be found this record). The sounds of Sea of Worry are made with synthesizers but the band has the ability of a guy like DJ Shadow to make artificial sounds seem like utter natural water flowing over a lotus leaf and into a huge pond of corroded metal, only to birth a beautiful flower stem out of the rotten orange. Even distorted walls of sound with their black metal blastbeats shining through the industrial wallowing of a far-off sea rescue buoy in the middle of a raging thunderstorm are never intended to disturb the listener. 

An album like this will never be a million-seller, Have a Nice Life will never perform as the headliner in Wembley Stadium, but those who know them, will follow them forever, as they – and this is a very important factor for the band – they rather remain silent for years and years before releasing something halfheartedly – it’s the old ‘L’art pour l’art’. And there will be fans who will not like this – more bass-driven and a bit uptempo version of HANL, but again, Tim and Dan are not in it for them, but for themselves.

The most disturbing moment on this record is certainly the spoken word intro to the final opus “Destinos” when you hear a preacher’s bible studies in which he questions God’s moral character for if he is so good how can he create such a negative place like hell and send people there while on the other hand being able to forgive some of the most horrible beings? Interestingly these proto-black-metal-questions are being drenched out by growing chants and an acoustic guitar before it puts layer on layer, flowing into an intense post-metal part and leaving the audience speechless in front of the stage. 

There was never a need for a band that mixes Ulver, Joy Division, Crowbar, Sonic Youth and Current 93 – hell, there was never even a shared space between those bands – but Have a Nice Life show again that with time, passion, a love for detail and a good measure of musical braveness such diverse origins can flow into timeless music. Another manifesto.​

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Consumer – In Computers

27/10/2019

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industrial / post rock / metal / noise
The Flenser
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Sometimes the seemingly impossible is possible. Leicester City wins the Premier League, some player not Messi or Ronaldo wins an important award, Guns’n’Roses reunite, Tom Warrior finishes his “Requiem” with an orchestra-supported performance at Roadburn. However, can a side-project achieve something as unique as the “main” project? Sometimes yes – think of S.O.D. who sometimes outshone Anthrax. 

Consumer is a side-project, and Have a Nice Life is its roots. Tim of HANL formed Consumer in 2017 together with the live-band that supports him and Dan on the road. However, it must be noted that this band is hopefully more than a once-off-project because their sound and approach are different to HANL. You can hear some proto-noise in Consumer’s sound even though it is coming from an opposite idea. If we take bands like the Melvins or Pere Ubu, it is clear that the foundation for their early work was always a guitar and the wish to do something unusual with it. Consumer also want to do something unusual, but their foundation is clearly much more focused on electronics and synths. The shared motif is distortion. Consumer distort their instruments (the aforementioned plus guitars and a regular rhythm section) and twist them around and around until everything contributes to a mantra-esque hard flow of ebb and tide. 

Sometimes the drums sound as if Einstuerzende Neubauten got the idea that self-made instruments are cool but their sound had to go through a broken vocoder to make the result even more uncomfortable just to lose a battle with a synth-driven melody that alludes to the end of a sinking ship on the open sea. Everything is in its right place, flows into one another on “In Computers” and even though the sound is hard to describe it must be clear that this band has a knack for ear candy. The sounds are unusual and sometimes harsh but they never disgust. 

The instrumental trilogy “In Computers Parts I – III” at the end is definitely HANL-like, of course as Tim is at work. The electronica in “Part II” can be seen as a little nod to Radiohead in their “Kid A/ Amnesiac”-period, not the worst of mental connections; some other parts sound like a very self-indulging and noise-less collab between Mogwai and Aphex Twin. Obviously, a lot of ideas, connections, comparisons come to mind when listening to Consumer’s full-length debut but one should note that this is a release which can take all of that scrutiny and needn’t be afraid of any of it for it is unique and self-sufficient. And maybe that is the best one can say for any side-project, right? 


​Thorsten

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Mur – Brutalism

18/10/2019

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black metal / noise / industrial / hardcore
Les Acteurs de L'Ombre Productions
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Over the years, the boundaries between genres have vanished more and more. Some think that is not good and try to remain pvre and trve to their roots, which should be tolerated. As long as nobody gets hurt for it. Others think that it’s good to cross boundaries and explore new genre-blending possibilities. With Mur from France it is clear from the very start – they belong to the latter group.

The six-piece combine so many styles and ideas, it is hard to twist your mind around all of them –
some parts are noise, some have an industrial touch, others bear witness to hardcore roots while all of them seem to be infused with a certain black metal attitude. So if you are looking for a band between Melvins, Pitchshifter, Venom and, let’s say, Portrayal of Guilt – here it is. Unfortunately, that sounds silly as all of the bands mentioned above do not have one single thing in common, and if you then try to get a mental impression of it, just by reading these lines – well, sorry, but your idea won’t do because Mur is more. Literally, they are more than just a combination of single ideas and styles.

Over the last couple of years we have seen a lot of developments in black metal but Mur is still a new one, because Black Metal and Industrial and Hardcore (the three main pillars) have not yet been amalgamated as cleverly as on “Brutalism”. Take “Third” as an example – it starts off with an eerie, soft combination of slightly distorted, electrified guitar picking and spherical ambient passages until a hardcore drum part kicks in and changes the tone completely.

Next is the blackened screaming by vocalist Jay and the song swirls and whirls around always
accompanied by synthesizers to give it some kind of gloom-factor. The rhythm section slows the
song down with industrial-like precision before it speeds up again and the shrieking noise parts
become stronger and then fade again when a nearly alternative metal part gives us a little clarity
with the synths now dominating again – the listener is thrown from side to side trying to grasp all
that is happening.

Clearly, one might argue that Mur are trying to do too much, trying too hard to get as many people in as possible. If you want to see it that way, you can, but maybe you are missing out on the fun of a record that shows some really good ideas and is still able to convince because of a lot of overall composition work in order to sound as if everything was in its right place. 


Thorsten

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Brieviews 63

6/7/2019

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Maximilian Latva - Nekyia

noise / dark ambient / experimental
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After 'Hrön', released in 2017, Maximilian Latva returns with a new album. Six tracks long, 'Nekyia' is a harsh and often unsetling dark ambient trip with intense synth-scapes and wailing guitars. It's cool to hear how Latva adapts elements of noise into captivating electronic chamber music with a haunting atmosphere. The result is something that seasoned ambient-noise fans can fully appreciate. My favorite track here is 'Sanoista saastunut', a lingering set of distorted synths, perfectly suited for gritty jazz bars and eerie horror movies alike. My advice? Check it out, it'll be worth the sonic journey...

HIN  - Warmer Weather 

electronic
dSound In Silence
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Two school friends, jamming with electronics and creating melancholic yet dance-able indie pop tunes, that's pretty much how this project can be described. This duo comes up with an intriguing EP where electronics meets post rock. Most of the songs on this EP remind me a bit of Worriedaboutsatan but with emotional indie-vocals. Opener 'The Lower Heat' is already a potential top hit and halfway through 'Blue In Alkali' I'm expecting HIN to one day support Depeche Mode. Don't ask me why. This is very interesting modern-day post-whatever with intense electronic percussion and an emotional impact, neat!

Winterblind - Effigy

progressive / metal / black metal
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According to their facebook page, Belgian progressive metal band Winterblind is definitely not a pyramid scheme. That's good to know but I think it's more interesting to dive into their ruthless and complex music. 'Effigy' is their second EP, and it's loaded with warring riffs, meticulous drumming and harsh vocals. The result is a six-track EP which is just as baffling as it is confusing. If you're into the technically superior regions of black metal, Winterblind might be one of your new favorites. Speaking of favorites, 'Stride' is my aboslute favorite, although 'Black-Scholes' and the almost Tool-ish 'My Public Anatomy' also deliver the odd goods. Anyway, 'Effigy' is an EP to discover...

Plague 9 - Mr. Ass

heavy metal / thrash metal
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Coined as "something for headbanging metal junkies", Australian four-piece Plague 9 delivers old school thrash metal in the vein of most of your favorites. Between the intense riffs and the grooving drums we can find influences from Pantera, Megadeth, Metallica and so on. Opener 'Stuck In Hell' might need a few seconds to get used to but halfway through this song I can see a crowd of metalheads fiercely banging their heads. 'Criminal Justice' might be a bit too chaotic for me but 'Flavour Of The Weak' is a smasher and a possible fan favorite. In all, this is definitely something for old school thrashers.

Things That Aren’t There - Vicious Cycles

downtempo / electronic / post rock / shoegaze
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English electronic post rock duo Things That Aren't There return with another epic two-track EP. I reviewed their preview EP in Brieviews 38 (read) so I was curious about their evolution. Opener and title track 'Vicious Cycles' immediately delivers the goods. Driving on minimal beats and lingering electronics, this song is a modern day shoegaze epic, laced with elements from industrial and post rock. A bit like Worriedaboutsatan but darker and eerier. 'The West Was Won' nudges more towards the post rock spectrum with its dreamy guitars, making it another brilliant piece of music. Recommended? Absolutely!

Wykan - Brigid - Of The Night

psychedelic / doom
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In Brieviews 39 I was raving about the psychedelic rock meets extreme metal sound of Montreal based act Wykan. Guess what, they did it again. What starts out as something Pink Floyd forgot to compose suddenly and brutally dives into the world of old school black metal. In fact, Wykan regularly drags you from a trip through space into the depths of hell and back again. This is such a bewildering experience. Not enough variation for you? Well, how about some stoner rock riffs, or grinding blastbeats, or ritual doom worship? All of that is in all three of these mindblowing tunes. Be sure to get your ears on this EP.

Radien - Aste

sludge / black metal
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Beginning with one of the most haunting intros in blackened sludge history, this two-track by Finnish act Radien is one to cherish for a long time. Eerie vocals and throat-singing over slow, lingering riffs and forceful drums, creating an intense, murky atmosphere, right before all hell breaks loose in sheer Yob or Conan style. Yet, now that those comparisons have been made, it's safe to say that Radien somehow manages to lift the level of intensity even higher. Makes me wonder: why is this band not at the very top of the sludge-scene? And the second track simply repeats the whole demolition. Masterfully crafted blackened sludge, nothing more, nothing less...

Peter Jørgensen - Alt i Stykker

ambient / modern classical / experimental
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With a range of acoustic instruments and classically schooled vocalists, Peter Jørgensen delivers an awe-inspiring two-track EP. 'Alt i Stykker' is no regular ambient album, although the overall sentiment is slow and narrative. I think this could better be described as two lengthy pieces of modern day classical music, or sound track compositions for a gloomy film. In all, 'Alt i Stykker' is a remarkable release, not easy to categorize but definitely easy to enjoy if you are into unusual, free form and improvised classical music. Check it out. it's certainly worth your time.

Boobs Of Doom - Sorcerer

drone / doom / noise / experimental
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Scottish doom outcasts Boobs Of Doom are regulars here on Merchants Of Air, and for a good reason too. This duo does things their way, resulting in weird and interesting albums which defy the rules of doom metal, so to speak. In fact, 'Sorcerer' nudges harshly towards the drone and noise scene with four unique tracks. Perhaps you can say that this is the musique concrète version of drone doom. Perhaps you could say that this is a bit too strange for your sensitive ears but fact remains, Boobs Of Doom is a unique entity, walking its own path through the world of sonic composition and quite often, it's worth following that path...

Temple Music - The Unquiet Mind

ambient / electronic
Sombre Soniks
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Alan Trench & Steve Robinson have been working under the moniker Temple Music for quite some time now and with 'The Unquiet Mind', they deliver a brooding album, inspired by ​Evia, an island at the crossroads of Greek, Byzantine, Ottoman, Venetian and Albanian cultures. Musically, this results in a frenzy of soundscapes, rhythms and melodies which remind me of a mix between Master Musicians Of Bukkake and Tangerine Dream. The five pieces on this album are lengthy electronic music compositions, perfectly capable of taking the listener on a trip. It'll be an unusual sonic adventure but one with many stories to tell, I promise.

Lunden - Lunden

noise rock
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Danish duo Lunden sounds like two members of Melvins getting drunk and jamming on each other's instruments. I'm not sure if that's a compliment but still, this is mind bending noise rock, probably influenced by everything between Sonic Youth, post hardcore and ritual noise acts. 'Bestanden' is way over the top for me but most of the other tracks showcase an intense urge to experiment. 'Ultrapisme' is another weird noise act while 'Screen Walking' and 'Endlessity' scream garage noise rock. In all, this is something for the die-hard noise rock fans, who should already be drooling by now...

Jimbo - Where The Vultures Gather

stoner rock / grunge / alternative rock
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Hailing from Kingston, Ontario, Canada, Jimbo throws three pieces of grooving rock music into this eclectic mix. Firmly rooted in the stoner rock scene ('Mama Wava'), this trio is not afraid to experiment with old school doom rock and grunge ('Pyrethrin') or heavy garage rock ('Where The Vultures Gather'). Perhaps not surprisingly for a band who seems to be influenced by acts like Led Zeppelin, Smashing Pumpkins and Alice In Chains. These three songs are quite interesting, especially if you love flashing guitar solos (yeah, let's also list heavy metal as an influence, just for these solos). Now shut up and rock!!!


​Serge
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