Scythe - The Sphere of Quantum
Aspects of doom-metal come in all matters of shape and form. Scythe might just be one of the outsiders of doom/funeral-metal. Hailing from A Coruña, Spain... and having several obscure releases in their ammunition belt aswell. This release was physically released on CD-R by the band itself, and the cassette released on a defunct Russian label called Otvar (2014-2016). As I can see... the cassette can still be purchased through the label´s Bandcamp site, it can also be purchased easily through Discogs (see links below). A 3-track album, with 40 minutes of pure and raw crunchy experimental doom´ness. There is really nothing else I can tell you about this act. Their Facebook and Bandcamp site has been closed, so who knows who hides behind this obscure act from Spain!.
First track Quantum Waste of Existence gives the listener a good sense of what kind of doom band this actually is. Think early no-wave era with Sonic Youth and Swans, and then think funeral doom like Scepticism and then further on to the early recordings with drone-metal pioneers Earth. It´s not long-haired enough to be doom-metal, too psychedelic to be funeral-metal, too dark to be filed alongside indie-noise rockers and too much action to be labelled as drone-metal (you get the point!... right?!). A punishing delivery of crunchy and heavily distorted bass and guitar with ritualistic no-wave drums, with eerie scream-like effects in the background. The whole thing sounds like it has been recorded in the sewers, tons of mood and it sounds fxxxx great!.
Second track Dreamlike Humankind´s Intermission turns down on the rock sound, and delivers are more experimental ambient-noise sound-treatment. A very sort of old-school industrial feeling starts the track... metallic clatterings, looped hummings, bell-like sounds, distorted and torturous moods, slow and thundering drummings, monotone toy-piano-likes keyboard... and a very creepy desert/Texas-breed psychedelic guitar going on! I mean... Woawww!. Being high on mescaline close to Spahn Ranch in Death Valley!. What can go wrong?!.
Last track (and the longest) called Scythetic Fate For... Adds more death-doom growl-vocals to the infernal doom-mix. Might just be the most ritualistic and trippy free-improvisational track on the album. Kind of a slow version of Autopsy with the acid-drenched free-form style of early Controlled Bleeding. I´ll say no more here, incredible track and an incredible way of ending the album.
A 5 star-motel treatment for everyone, go and give it a listen and headhunt their tape for god sake!.
Bandcamp (label):
Discogs (band):