B.skam - Stallbrunst

Daniel Forsman (Ideal Father, Kontakt Service) is at it again with a new project on the Italian label Death In Venice. The debut Stallbrunst with Blodskam was released as a limited 30-copies cassette release. A cool-looking blood-colored cassette, with some Nordic 70s-vintage pornographic imagery on the inlay. And you guys might have thought that we are dealing with a fetish-driven HNW/ANW release?... Well, we are not! An intriguing Swedish thing between early death industrial and terrific heavy ambiance. 

Minor note, because of the censure on social media I have decided to edit the photo and the name of the act (above). If I don´t do that, then the post will be removed. 

The first track on the A-side is called... Lurking Inappropriately Outside Your Funeral (Secret Service Style) kind of takes me back to the names of tracks by early Nurse With Wound. Starts with a kind of looped sound of theatrical trumpets, murky noise layers of flesh-scraping death-industrial-soundscapes with additional (and creepy) multi-layered recorded samples. Lovely old-school industrial feel so far! True Swedish industrial you might say! 

The second track Skinjob Knife Ritual Science Test (The Owls Have Cameras In Their Eyes) sounds and starts like a sinister thriller flick. Almost a kind of Twin Peaks sort of vibe going on. Love the recorded atmospheric background here, and the thumping death-industrial pulse sound wraps the whole thing up quite nicely. Excellent movie-sounding stuff with that industrial edge.

The third track Fumnling In The Sewers Of Idiot Canyon raises a slightly erotic ritualistic mood, combined with tons of heavy feedback and high-to-the-ceiling noise-ambient. You can actually sleep to this stuff, not that it is boring! Heavy, surreal, and quite hypnotic at the same time.

The fourth track City Buster Crows Rapist (2007 Hamburg Drug Den Prostitute Remix) is a truly depraved track. Funeral ambient noise with a nasty s/m video-nasty running in the background. 

The fifth track Listen To The Sound of Pomegranates ´Til You Beaten To The Ground is the most rhythmic track on the A-side. Rhythmic and automatic machine noise dominates the whole track and reminds me of another Swedish project called Institut (if you remember them). 

We flip the cassette and continue our journey into depravity on the B-side. The sixth track is called Gangrene Palm Brugmansia Eye, interesting title right kids?. Classic deep-ambient Brighter Death Now stuff here, right back to his Necrose Evangelicum album. Lots of ritualistic feedback and paranormal reverbed samples. This is really excellent! Truly classy stuff going on.

The seventh track Human Torture Rack Outta Nowhere continues with a relentless slice of skin-peeling noise. Imagine how it would/could sound if the guys from Texas Chainsaw Massacre would be a power-electronics act. That sort of feel!

The eighth track In Shape Plus Insane (Shit Version) is actually more of a harsh noise vein. Works as a sort of intermission from the death-industrial moods. 

The last two tracks I will leave for the reader's imagination! 

Woawww... This is a VERY good album. I didn´t have high hopes for this, mainly because of the pornographic approach of the recordings itself. But the moods, and creativity that have been put inside this album truly outshine my prejudiced nature. A great journey into the adventurous spirit of true depraved industrial music. Great album! 

Bandcamp (label):

https://deathinveniceproductions.bandcamp.com/album/blodskam-stallbrunst

   

 Moral Order - Mallevs Maleficarvm

Another first-timer on Kalteldur, another act that has reached cult status in the industrial underground. Moral Order started in 2018 with the first release called Wrath Of God on Gradual Hate Records. Since then, the act has been highly productive and prolific. Lots of the releases have been released through Tesco! And if you don´t know the German label Tesco, then I highly suggest you go and check it out! Home for legendary death-industrial/power-electronic acts like Anenzephalia, Genocide Organ, and Dagda Mor. Mallevs Maleficarvm. Besides a compilation of Old Caption, then this cassette is one of the newest by this act. And as you can see, it has been released in Spanish Marbre Negre (limited to 50 copies). If you want it on CD, then you can go and get it through Old Europa Cafe (yes, another legendary label!). This mini-album contains two tracks, each abou2 20 minutes long... so about 40 minutes in total. 

The album artwork itself, the front cover (as you can see above) shows a frame around the sort of gothic antique letters, and the track-listing is there as well. Open the cassette and you get a nice-looking cassette with a really cool-looking print on it. You can further examine the inlay on the backside as well, all with the iconic wood-cut pictures from the book itself (I also have it). There is also some extra info about the album as well. I LOVE the concept and idea that this recording has been done inside some sort of creepy and abandoned mansion located in Madrid, and the only source of light was three candles and the bloody moonlight. Love the idea, really do! So let us lay our ears to whatever... sounds we can hear!

The first track is the Invocation. There is a strange sound as if a piece of metal is being sharpened on a rolling piece of rock... or is it just a noisy and sensitive microphone? Evocative flanged sound effects give the soundscape a truly horrific cosmic experience. The clinical feeling of hospital basements paints the background of the track, giving it all a nice death-industrial feel. As a listener, you cannot help wondering about the informative text. Is this the sound of that abandoned house? What sounds have been made by the artist himself, and what other sounds have the environment created? At this point, I am not even half-through the first track ( like the former thing I reviewed!). You do notice some extra details in the paranormal-driven soundscape, a very dynamic one... lots of stuff going on! In a slow-pace offcourse... 

The second track is a lot more of an ambient-soundtrack sort of driven track, whereas Invocation worked more on noise and action. At this point, I could guess that the three candles being used, are at this point... slowly dying out. The presence of a sort of... engulfing claustrophobic darkness, getting thicker and thicker by the minute. We´re talking about that moment when the recording artist feels... that something is staring back at him from the darkness itself. I do feel, somehow that this track does represent the abandoned-house concept stronger than the former track. The first track feels like a track to scare away the paranormal activity, and the second track is the paranormal scaring away the noise ( so to speak ). Halfway through the track changes into something else. Crepy voices and the sound of something, hitting a bassline? Those voices here are really creepy... I mean... really creepy! The whole recording feels and sounds like some sort of living entity living... inside my speakers! As you can read, then yes. The sound is beyond incredible, takes my breath away like that song by Berlin. 

Everything works, and everything sounds good. There is just one thing I don´t get or understand. Where do you fit the work of Mallevs Malefiravm in this recording concept? There is not a hint of burning witches, or insane witch hunters being present. The only thing that is present, is the sound being made and recorded inside a abandoned mansion. If you remove the focus from the title of the album and use your focus on the informative notes (on the cover) then it will make sense. A perfect album with a paranormal touch, just with the album title doesn't go hand in hand with the recordings. If you look away from that, then you are dealing with a VERY good album... seriously! Best dark-ambient/death-industrial I have heard for a long time!  

   

Bandcamp (label):

https://marbrenegre.bandcamp.com/album/mallevs-maleficarvm

Bandcamp (band):

https://moralorder.bandcamp.com/

Facebook (band):

https://moralorder.bandcamp.com/

Lyke Wake - I Live In Fear, I Burn In Hate / Symphonic Noise

The latest release from the master of Symphonic Noise. This must be the third in the chapter on Symphonic Noise, suddenly I realized that the last 3 releases by Lyke Wake have had the Symphonic Noise tag in the album title. And this one is the third one in the chapter. I am not 100% sure how limited this release is, other than it has been released through Lyke Wake´s label Aseptic Noise. The label doesn´t have a website, but Lyke Wake has a website. And at the end of the website (with all the available releases), it tells for CD or free MP3 files mail to: lykewake@virgilio.it. Simple as that! 

With this new release, Lyke Wake continues the artwork style in the same manner as like former album At The End Of The Dream. Kind of surreal and naive at the same time, you see the 4 seasons in one picture with the same tree on it. You know... autumn, spring, summer, and winter. How that is connected with the title I Live In Fear, I Burn In Hat... well... But apart from that, I love the artwork. It works fantastic looking at it while listening to the recorded material within. 

The first (and only) track I Live In Fear, I Burn In Hate starts with the sound of atmospheric synth-driven violins. It gets interrupted by that cool sort of... early John Carpenter/Terminator 1 synth. An angelic female vocal heightens the cold and apocalyptic atmosphere. Everything so far has been mixed nicely, as nothing of the recorded elements drowns the other sounds/elements. We return once more to the synth-driven violins, and at this point, the listener would understand that this highly adventurous release has a sort of... story-telling evolvement in how the album progresses from the start to the end. 

Im just writing things while this album goes on my stereo. For those who haven´t read my former Lyke Wake reviews, then I can describe it as... sort of a thing between the orchestral Controlled Bleeding, early Coil, and then some Klaus Schulze as well. Kind of majestic and eerie at the same time! Highly ambitious since Lyke Wake knows what he is doing. Lyke Wake is an excellent keyboard player and knows a thing or two about doing symphonic melodies while maintaining that experimental industrial /noise-ambient edge. Pure stuff for escapism. Every album by Lyke Wake has a tiny world inside for the listener to explore. The fans of dungeon synth would also truly dig Lyke Wake. Further curious, do remember to read the interview I did with him (link further below).

Almost halfway through now. So far I have been through elements of cosmic noise and angelic encounters. Lyke Wake has an interesting way to create these long tracks. He goes back to melodies that we have heard further back on the album, but the great thing is that it isn't just a copy-paste thing, it does sound like a long impro session. It kind of works (sort of) in the same manner as... the stuff I was listening to today, John Coltrane. A kind of cut-up sort of work, with repetitions. 

Again, Lyke Wake is just great. Overwhelming, this guy could do music for an opera! I just had to have a pause from reviewing, my chickens were gone (found again). But that is exactly how this album is, filled with panic attacks and relief. Kind of a curse with this act, a favorite of the reviewer. Ace project, ace albums... what more can I say!  

Official Webpage (band+label):

https://lykewake.wixsite.com/lyke-wake

Interview:

http://kalteldur.blogspot.com/2020/04/lyke-wake-interview-with-stefano-d.html

 

 Toni Dimitrov & Boban Ristevski - 

Technological Slavery

The side-label of E.C.T. called S.E.C.T. has released this interesting 3" CD in a mini-jewel, limited of course. Featuring two veterans in the field of experimental electronics, drones, and ambient music. Toni Dimitrov is a DJ, producer, co-founder of Acid Fake Recordings, and a highly productive recording artist. And Boban Ristevski/Lefterna (and Playing For Oblivion) who we reviewed on that great split from Attenuation Circuit (read former review). I did some research regarding the title, it I found out that it´s based on the manifesto/book written by the Unabomber Ted Kaczynski. He did literary fight a war against technological development, kind of interesting to look at the time we live in right now. That kind of makes this release HIGHLY serious. 

It´s a small 16 minutes thing covering a huge concept/theme. Spread over 2 tracks, being 8 minutes each. The simple artwork has also been based on the artwork for Kaczynski´s book as well. 

The first part starts with a heavy-industrial low-fi rumble, with some hidden, manipulated, and looped human voices in the mix. Creepy-ass microscopic sounds click in and out from some hidden vortex. Sort of insectoid sounds, grasshoppers sort of. There is also the clattering noise from some sort of short-rave radio, giving the piece a kind of post-apocalyptic sort of feel to it. This track has some kind of disturbing and coldness to it which I cannot put my finger on, which sort of heightens the listening experience. Fans of early NON, MB, Nocturnal Emissions, and Zoviet France will dig this!

The second part starts in the same low-fi manner, just more with a minimalistic ambient approach. Some kind of looped music in there, radio chatter, and a very cool-sounding sort of... windy sound. Like wind traveling through a huge steel pipe sort of. To me, it sounds like the world/human life has just ended, and the only noise/sound being present is abandoned technology. The disturbing coldness is still going strong in this track as well. 

A strong and highly focused conceptual album. It delivers what it plans to deliver to the listener, a message without any words. But a message which can be understood, through concentrated listening. It´s bloody marvelous, sure to send shivers down every spine! Even good old Ted would be proud! Industrial-drone music at its absolute best! Be quick to get the physical release via E.C.T. (links below)!

Discogs (label):

https://www.discogs.com/release/25348411-Toni-Dimitrov-Boban-Ristevski-Technological-Slavery

Facebook (label):

https://www.facebook.com/ectrecs/

        

Circuit Corrupter - Destructive Maelstrom 

A new act from Spain is to be reviewed on Kalteldur, Circuit Corrupter. The album is called Destructive Maelstrom and is the debut of this act. The album has been released through a label called Abhorrent A.D. The limited cassette has already sold out on the label´s Bandcamp site, but there are still some copies left through the act´s own Bandcamp site, so be quick! 

The brainchild behind this act is also responsible for another act called Dead Eye Terrorist (released on Marbre Negre), an act which I also will review later this year. The recorded material has been spread on the two sides of the cassette, one long track on the A-side and a couple of short tracks on the B-side. About 22 minutes in total length. Should I mention the artwork for the release?. Well. let us just say that it is a nasty piece of work! Buy and check it out!

The First track on the A-side is called Sow Despair. Starts with a crumpling HNW low-fi rumble, like something on the frying pan. A sample/recording of unknown origins could be from some S/M flick or something similar. All of this gets interrupted by a psychedelic cut-up noise, which then gets interrupted by additional distorted squeaks of harsh brain-tingling sounds. Cool retro/analog spacy sounds and screaming vocals have also been added to the cut-up noise-scape. Lots of action lots of everything going on in here! At times it sounds like a huge computer getting its circuits burned out, completely like an information overload unit. The sound quality is excellent, although it is quite noisy and quite chaotic you can still hear everything which is going on. All the sounds haven´t been mixed together into mashed potato, but all the stuff going on has lots of space between them. Excellent piece of noise here.

 

We turn to the B-side to the second track of the album which is called Torture the Luminous Spirits. The recording/sample here is definitely from some S/M flick of some sort, or could also be some from a torture horror flick as well. The relentless action-driven knop-twiddling continues completely without remorse! The pumped noise drills your senses in the same way a drunken dentist ruins your teeth.

The third track is called Don´t Show Remose... Doesn't show any remorse either. Lots of Fxxxxx-up spacy sounds here, fading in and out of focus while a huge amount of voltage runs through your body.

The fourth track Traumatize Innocence is an even more dynamic track. Lots of cuts and chopped-out moments. Always enjoyed it when sounds and stuff travel and jump through my stereo speakers.

The rest of the album continues the relentless assault on the senses, without a single pause or moment for anyone to catch their breath. Not a single boring moment on Destructive Maelstrom, and the album title is also a perfect way to actually describe this demon-possessed album. Certainly an album for the fans of harsh noise, which find themselves being pretty bored by well... noise. Action-sound here!

Bandcamp (label):

https://abhorrentafterdeath.bandcamp.com/album/circuit-corrupter-destructive-maelstrom

Bandcamp (band):

https://circuitcorrupter.bandcamp.com/album/destructive-maelstrom