Megaptera - Beyond The Massive Darkness
We have all seen it, one of the big classic releases on Cold Meat Industry (R.I.P) has just been re-issued on Old Captain. Beyond The Massive Darkness is... (hold onto your glasses!)... two albums that have been put together as a double CD/vinyl, the bonus being 2 new versions of 2 tracks from the Curse of the Scarecrow album plus the Deep Inside EP on CD2. Released as a limited 8-panel matte-laminated digipack, with a cool poster as well. You can also get the monster CD-tree box set, with lots of goodies inside (T-shirt, pins, poster, etc, etc).
For those who don´t know Megaptera, let me give you youngsters a quick intro for why anyone wanna revive this old death-industrial dinosaur in the first place!
Megaptera is one of the real classics when it comes to death- industrial, also being a classic act regarding the label Cold Meat Industry and even Slaughter Productions. Started in 1991 with the Near Death album on the proto-CMI tape label Sound Source, and then from 1992 to 1994 they recorded the two albums which would be re-issued on CMI and now Old Captain. One of the great things about Megaptera is their... recognizable sound. At times they use entire dialogues from classic occult-themed horror films, and then they mix that together with their otherworldly-heavy industrial sounds. At times we sink into swampy ambient-industrial territory, horror soundtracks, and other times they remind us a bit of the early Test Dept... just a lot slower!
Whatever they did... they managed to release about 14 albums, some eps and several compilations. We also know Megaptera from one other thing, from being on some of the best compilations in the realm of death industrial! Megaptera was ALWAYS on the best compilations, and their tracks were ALSO some of the best on those compilations as well. Up there with the likes of Brighter Death Now, MZ-412, In Slaughter Natives, and Archon Satani. Essential Nordic death-industrial. If you need more info about Megaptera, then you can always check up on the interview I did with them (link below). Well, Let us start checking up on some of the tracks within now!
First track Human Sacrifice on CD 1 ( Beyond the Shadow ). Starts instantly with a huge hum of... voices or gas slipping out of 100 small holes in a huge cathedral. Think I can hear... airplanes in there, diving through the clouds... or is it a bomber airplane?! Some rhythmic vibrations resonate in the hypnotic gas hum while mysterious human voices are talking beyond. And then some really excellent ritualistic beats set the mood, really dark stuff now! Imagine prisoners walking up some steps to meet some hooded guy with a huge axe, there really isn´t much hope here people!
The second track Distinct Killing is a pure rhythmic industrial treat, not that far away from Memorandum ( if you remember that act ). Heavy tribal industrial, really barbaric moods going on. Occasional noisy elements here and there, and some cool-sounding (and horrific) sounds following the beat tightly.
The third track The Offering works as a lovely tribute to one of the Exorcist films, something about the coming of the antichrist and exorcism. An epic and thunderous industrial soundtrack works perfectly in the "background". If I were the movie director, I would feel proud listening to this.
We jump unto CD-2 (Songs From the Massive Darkness) with the charming title of a track Sludgy Heads Found In A Handbag. Weird police-like sirens scream through the night, reverbed wet moods from a deep sewer, a deep humming machine, screaming distorted electronics ... and some kind of vibrating brush cleaning a rusty metal pipe. Everything is... weird and exciting to listen to.
Track 5 Dysentery is another great tribute to a classic horror flick, John Carpenter´s sci-fi horror The Thing. Menacing dark industrial-ambient collides with the stressed-out discussions between the characters in the movie. If you haven´t seen it yet... I suggest you do!
Track 7 from the Deep Inside EP, might just be one of the most memorable and iconic Megaptera tracks ever. A very long adventurous soundtrack-driven track containing all the elements that Megaptera can bestow upon the listener! Hypnotizing ambiance, ritualistic atmospheres, mind-boggling vibes, waves of eldritch moments, a breathtaking synth melody, and the memorable sample of a mad preacher! A truly epic journey into the sound of gothic horror!
Everything is good here, every good reason to invest in this re-issue. Why? Might just be for the sole reason, that u get the Deep Inside EP with this one. The Deep Inside EP might just be one of their best works, and this EP is not included in the CMI release. But, I do tend to cherish my CMI edition. The Old Captain version looks great (without a doubt), but feels slightly cheaper compared to the CMI one. A digipack with a thicker, textured feel could give that reissue that certain vintage feel that (again) gives that feeling that you are holding a classic in your hands. And some kind of informative booklet would also be nice, a written document about the making, the importance of this release, etc.
Bandcamp (label)):
Bandcamp (band):
Interview with Megaptera: