Escuadron de la Muerte & Alpha + Galates
- Himnos Y Resistencia. Veterans Psychotroniques.
Yup. It is one of the longest headline entries on Kalteldur ever. Two acts, one hailing from Mexico and one hailing from France. Putting their thoughts and ideas together, and have managed to pull a kind of split album on CD. One actually 100% split as of such, the two bands (maybe randomly) share the tracklist on the album.
The one-act from Mexico (Escuadron de la Muerte) is a veteran when it comes to Mexican power electronics. An act that has been active since 2008, and has had its albums released on Steinklang, Skullline, and even had their debut on Trevor Ward´s Strength Through Awareness Branch (Grey Wolves). Be sure to check their discography out, cause it´s massive! The other french act Alpha+Galates is an act that is somehow connected to the industrial ritual act Melek-Tha (which is also a French act!). Several releases by this so-called skinhead-industrial act, some physical releaes are available on some of the links on their Bandcamp site (Link below)... The truth is (which was later told), was the idea behind this track came from Dr. Strangelove!
What else can I tell, the cover art of course!. What do we have? An incredible and surreal rainbow-colored painting, showcasing the kind of dreams that comes out of the mind of filmmaker David Cronenberg. On top of that, you also get a cool-looking poster with it. A kind of nice demonic-themed painting which reminds me of something from one of those Warhammer Fantasy books that meets Hellraiser, which I actually like cause I am a nerd! You don´t always have to show WW2 photos to be a tough power electronics act. Enough of that, let us get on with the recordings!
The first track is called Conspiracion de la Vodka (with Escuadron de la Muerte). I don´t think it is about doing noise while being drunk on Vodka (Could be). But it could also be about a specific Vodka advertisement which showed a map of 19 Century North America, back then where Mexico was a part of the USA. The whole thing ignited paranoia among the local nativists (which you can understand). The track is a pulsating death-crushing piece of merciless heavy electronics, much in the same vein as Genocide Organ or Death Squad. Heavy and clipped distortions thump like a mad machine while screaming screeching sounds scratch your ear, weird recorded and mutated samples going on the background as well. Cool intro so far, more on the heavy attitude than the aggressive one (which I like).
The next is with Alpha + Galates and the track is called Psychotronic Holocaust. The track follows up nicely after the first track ended. Rain of noise and metallic clattering with death-industrial aesthetics sucks the listener right in. Cool soundscapes here to contemplate the primitive noise here.
The third track Operacion Climax de Medianoche with Escuadron, starts with low-fi AM-radio sounds and some moaning female voices. Creepy windy sounds and a thunderous death-industrial-machinegun rhythm kicks in. A lovely subtle and brutal piece, very hypnotizing!
The Fourth track with Alpha + Galates called Detruire le Monde Moderne sounds like... Some kind of recorded music, being heavily distorted and multilayered with tons of mutated feedback. I sense a kind of epic melody in there, which kind of takes me back to the noisy moments with Blood Axis.
The fifth track is also with Alpha + Galates called Vers i´Alliance des Forces, which is a track that floats in the same way as the former track, just way more harsh and aggressive. The sound is in the traditional German power-electronics sound.
The sixth track (Alpha + Galates again) is a bit more interesting. Power electronics with a kind of ritualistic setting. It goes from a heavy sound to a more moody soundtrack sort of sound. Noisy soundscapes clashes with the soundtrack of old black and white horror flicks (sort of). Very intense mood going on here!
I will now jump to the last track, which is a track where both acts are being present!. A harsh-noise wall with dynamics starts the thing, which extra layered sounds of noise being added while you are listening. A hint or two of sounds behind this wall can be heard and sensed! The wall is then turned down while the sounds behind the wall become easier to hear. Grey´Wolves´ish vocals are added later on as well. The wall is now kind of...looped. Which ends and is repeated in a thumping explosive sound. High pitched sounds yelling the listener that the end is nigh ( or the album ).
And that ends the album, and yes... some of those high-pitched sounds can still be heard if you ask me. It was a raw and brutal experience without a doubt. Kind of a mixed feeling with the way how the track listing goes, I would rather hear a full-length from each act. I don´t really think that the sound of the two acts sticks all that well together, maybe that was the intention! My favorite of the two acts would be the Mexican ones, their stuff just seems more... thoughtful and...patient as well. While the French cannot wait and jump head-first straight into it (which some are more into, then acts while relays more on mood before action).
I still think that it is an interesting album which has a lot of good moments. We are also dealing with an album that requires the listener to listen to it again ( a couple of times ). First time I heard this album was different, compared to the second and third times. But on top of that, I do actually have a gut feeling that we are dealing with something which might cult recording turn into a cult album in the future. There is a lot of blood and sweat here kids!.
Bandcamp (label):
Bandcamp (band - Escuadron de la Muerte):
Bandcamp (band - Alpha + Galates ):