Sagenhaft - Hypnerotomachia

Very excited that I have been given the opportunity to review the latest with Sagenhaft. I started with this act some 5 years ago, I bought their legendary (and essential) classic The Legend of the Forgotten Reign from 1996. Back then I didn´t have any idea that I was to get in good contact with the brain pilot behind this project and review his stuff. Hell! I even thought that Sagenhaft was a relic from the past, never to be alive again! So here we are (nonetheless), Sagenhaft in 2022 with a new mini-album out on cassette via Moonlit Castle Records! A limited 50 copies cassette (link below!).

When I dig the cover artwork I usually mention this...as always. A lovely simplistic and epic thing to look at. The whole white-on-black idea works like a charm, and even more when you are dealing with something with an esoteric and archaic touch. Still don´t know what the hell I am talking about?! Then do yourself a favor and check out the picture inside the booklet...(while listening to the music). It all makes sense, believe me!

Anyways... the album has been called Hypnerotomachia? A supposed (and mysterious) novel from the 15th century. My research tells me, that we are dealing with a kind of mysterious love story. A guy seeks his dream girl via dreamlike landscapes, and he ends up being united with her at the fountain of Venus. The book/novel was also one of the earliest examples of the art of printing. 

Down to the music. The first track Sleepless Night, Magical Forest invites the listener into the world of the wild spirits of the woods and forests. Nymphs, faeries, fauns... you name it. And you are invited to join their pagan dance around the bonfire. The otherworldly music (and the eldritch melodies) seduce you to join their dance. And you do, and you say to yourself. This album is bound to be good!

The Second track is called Dance of the Nymphs. A very merry and seducing piece, more seducing than the former track! Thinking about some erotic and highly decadent scenes from that classic Caligula flick from 1979, or that scene in the first Conan flick where they attack the Thulsa Doom cult in the middle of the night. Love that pagan vibe going on, the mood feels just right... and authentic.  

 

The third track Ethereal Garden moves away from the dungeon-synth vibes and further into ambient and drones. Sort of an ambient version of the Moon Hidden Behind the Cloud. Beautiful and melodic ambient music with a kind of post-rockish texture to it. At this point, the listener will tell him/herself ´We are definitely not in Kansas anymore!´ A minor hint of unpleasantness hides behind the ethereal soundscapes, has the nymphs succeeded in leading us ashtray and putting us to eternal sleep?!

The fourth (and last) track A Kiss To Seal the Dream is the most epic and heavenly piece on the album. The place in the novel (obviously) where the guy meets the girl at the Fountain of Venus... still in a dream? The track and the mood of medieval chamber music enlighten the title of the track, it does make sense. Not always that dungeon synth makes me wanna move, but this stuff does. Something magical going on in here!  

A truly magical and good mini-album from the land of good wine, italio-disco, and fast cars! Been ages since I have reviewed something being close to dungeon synth, and what a treat it was. It was something just like that, it just had some extra (and good) side effects. It was an adventurous and curious recording. Not sure if I would simply call this dungeon-synth. It sounds like something that doesn't want to be looped inside a nutshell. This also explains the sound of Sagenhaft, that is that Sagenhaft is one of the few acts which existed way before the rise of the dungeon synth. And I think It´s great that they/he have maintained the independent aesthetic and mood from their first 1996 release. A worthy buy for a huge selection of listeners. Do give it a listen people!

Bandcamp (band):

https://sagenhaft.bandcamp.com/album/hypnerotomachia

Bandcamp (label):

https://moonlitcastlerecords.bandcamp.com/album/hypnerotomachia

 

 James Osland - Lullabies For Nora

A new ambient album from the label-manager of Elm Records, James Osland from New Zealand. A limited CD-R, 50 copies available on his Bandcamp site below. 7 tracks, about 40 minutes in total. 

Think the album is meant as a tribute to Nora, who also did the artwork as well. Family-related, girlfriend... something like that.

The first track on the album is called Be As Wonderful Tomorrow As You Were Today, the most positive-minded track title this year on Kalteldur! Gentle and shimmering sounds of crystalized bells, a breeze through the pine trees, chill-wave synth background with a natural sound of a small river and some chirping birds. Incredibly pleasant and all that. I know I am mostly into dark and disturbing stuff, but I do like good ambient music when it is well done! This is well done, and I am enjoying it! Excellent intro track for the album. Kind of back to nature sort of, but with a futuristic touch to it.  

The second track Peace, Like Most Beautiful Things, Begins Small again starts with gentle and mysterious windy drones, slightly melancholic in a way. A kind of a desert theme from Dune spinning in my mind now, it has that retro early 80s ambient feel to it. Steve Roach and Brian Eno kind of. Incredibly dreamy stuff here, and incredible how it engulfs the listener. Some interesting and ethereal flute-like instruments in the background as well. Excellent!

The third track People Becoming More Than People starts with a cold and chilly synth, with gentle and soothing white noise in the background. Additional Aphex-Twin (early) ambient-melodies sets in. Hard to believe that it could get any better, but it did! Is it the sound of a humming distorted guitar in there, some string instrument I am sure? Some post-rockish texture here. Roaring waves of the beach get on the track later on. 

The fourth track All These Waves Of Human Kindness gets back to the chirping birds. Again, with the lovely mixture of white noise and ethereal synth work. The white noise bit does actually sound a bit like the needle on the record player. 

The fifth track Truly Happy Memories Always Live On remains in the cathedral-like forest with the sound of birds and woody keypads. At this point it does get a bit tedious, sounds like you are lost in the forest of happy memories. 

I will now jump to the last seventh track called The Hand-Holding Mine Squeezed Gently. I think I can hear one of those... water-springer? Lots of tiny drops and some dry grass on a hot summer day. Sensing a levitating sensation here, I wanna float upwards for some reason. Kind of laughing gas at the dentist, although this is without the drills and all that! A gentle ending for a gentle album. 

An album that starts in a very gentle way, and enters a more mysterious and intriguing territory of sound and expression. I would have liked more of that mysterious stuff, it does feel (when you are halfway through the album) that the mystery evaporates into thin air. Some new sounds or effects give the album an adventurous feeling. The best tracks on the album are tracks 2 and 3, hear them and you´ll understand! The album might have worked better as a mini-album, 3 tracks in total maybee! Give it go, and do give it a listen after a stressful day! It does actually puts the blood pressure down. 

Bandcamp (band):

https://jamesoslandaudio.bandcamp.com/album/lullabies-for-nora-self-release

 Jugendwerkhof - Mernscharmierung

I have reviewed Jugendwerkhof a couple of times before, they have even been included as one of the top releases of 2021! And of course, I wanted to review another one of their releases. This one came out in the same period as the former Leibinfamie CD album (read former review), released as a limited 20 copies cassette on the Spanish cult label Marbre Negre. 

Again, I really dig the cover artwork for this one. Raw and simple artwork/photo showing a crumpling female statue of some kind, with a kind of decayed industrial design in the background. All in a sort of pale and brownish color. Sadly there isn´t anything more to look at if you open the inner sleeve of the cassette, some info about the titles of the 4 tracks and some contact info for the label. All 4 tracks on the album have been called Menscharmierung I, II, III, and IV. 

The first track starts with a metallic grinding sound with a thick and humming death-industrial bass drone in the background. An extra layer of chaotic distortion is added to the mix, giving the track a big dynamic space to be in. Extra dynamics are added to the track. Some of the sounds sound close to the listener's ears while seconds later they move away into the distance. A passive and aggressive track, offering something both for the fans of Japanoise (Incapacitants), early industrial, and power electronics (Mauthausen Orchestra).  

The second track has a cool and thumping machine bass sound with some distortion on top of it. Takes me back to Brighter Death Now´s I Hate You track. My kind of noise-tea if you please. Extra and painful layers of sound are being added to the lovely smörgåsbord. A more in-your-face aggressive treat than the former track. There are some cool sounds going on, not sure if they are vocal-related. Whatever it is, it is distorted and warped beyond human recognition. There is almost a kind of spiritual and paranormal activity going on here!

After a staggering (and punishing) 16:49 of the second track, the third track starts. More of a downbeat and noisy dark-ambient kind of a start. In the vein of Flutwacht, just a bit more violent. Impaling sounds of noise penetrate the listener while shredding pieces of flying metal shred the skin. It a more of a vortex of sound, sucking the listener deeper into the album. Lots of thoughtful stuff here! The vocal elements are soo good here, bits of painful human voices that can be seen and heard through the metallic chaos. 

The last track continues the harsh and relentless mix of industrial power electronics and harsh noise. Incredible brutal and incredible jaw-dropping in the expression. One thing I love about Jugendwerkhof is, that u get what you see. Their sound perfectly describes the cover artwork and vice-versa. The last track might just be the most brutal track on the album, which is hard to imagine considering the other tracks!

In my book, Jugendwerkhof is the best harsh-noise unit in Europe. Forget Macronymphia and Japanoise-wannabees, these guys are the real shit! Connect all the dots if you please. Harsh noise for the fans of power electronics, and power electronics for the fans of harsh noise. 

Bandcamp (label):

https://marbrenegre.bandcamp.com/album/menscharmierung

Bandcamp (band):

https://lowlifehighvolume.bandcamp.com/album/blutst-tte

  

   

 Kadaitcha - Fracture

I have reviewed Kadaitcha before, some years ago with their cassette album called Tar. This time we are dealing with a physical and digital release that came out on the fourth of February, this year. The physical release has (sadly) already sold out, a strictly limited 40-copies 7-inch, released via Ant-Zen! Would love to hold and see the physical release with my own eyes. Clear vinyl and each release have a unique design with an exclusive print on acrylic glass! A two-track 7-inch from this Ukraine-based act.

The first track is called Night. Radio-chatter, metallic scrapyard-scratching, a monotone, and slow ind
ustrial thumping rhythm with some excellent (and evil!) sounding east-European spoken words. Lots of industrial ritualistic undercurrents and guitar-driven psychedelia on top of it. Laibach in their Nova Acropola-era and then add some Deutsche Nepal in it. I fxxxxx love it! Would love 2 have more with this act. They didn´t disappoint me the first time around, and they haven´t disappointed me (yet) with this release.

The second track Rekill has a slightly Japanese horror sound to it. Something clattering, something weird is apparently going on in abandoned underground railway stations, or the deep labyrinth-like basements of hospitals. Electronic machine sounds, murky drones, haunted atmosphere, and warped radio noise. Kind of intro that makes the listener think ´What the hell is going on?!´, really opens the listener's imagination here. Live drums are added further on, with slightly-evil-sounding shamanic vocals as well. Again, an awesome track. 

A unique EP/Mini-album on a 7-inch released via Ant-Zen. I can understand why Ant-Zen wanted to release it, they sound like a very serious act! Kadaitcha has some ideas, and they sound good and unique as well. Kind of like a mix of different styles. Elements of drones metal, noise-rock, industrial and ritualistic-driven ambient. For any collector of interesting 7-inches, this one is bound to be a cult release. 

Bandcamp (label):

https://ant-zen.bandcamp.com/album/fracture

Bandcamp (band):

https://kadaitcha.bandcamp.com/

        

 Ultrapolar Intrusion - This War Will Have No End

Another release from Steinklang is ready to be reviewed. This time we´re dealing with another act from Russia called Ultrapolar Intrusion, with an album called This War Will Never End. It was released on the 21´th of October last year (2021) and has been released as a 100 limited digipack on Steinklang. 9 tracks, over an hour long. 

I am not 100% sure what Ultrapolar Intrusion means, other than some sort of intrusion from the polar regions of Antarctica... maybe an earthquake-related thing?... I don´t know! Other than that, the album has been called This War Will Have No End. What war you might ask? Think we´re dealing with a symbolic title here since it has been released in 2021 (not 2022), so no... not about the terrible war between Ukraine and Russia.

The first track is called ...And A Yelling Witch Sat On Every Projectile. A very cool intro track with tons of atmosphere and almost religious undertones. Harsh industrial ambient noise in the tradition of Anenzephalia and Dagda Mor. Love the heavy and repetitive vibe here. Sounds pretty convincing so far! 

The second track Armour Protection and Firepower Superiority offer high-pitched drones, and death-industrial vibes with some menacing ritualistic undercurrents. The thumping echoed rhythm of the distortion sound is quite mesmerizing here! A very good track here! Like I mentioned earlier, fans of old death-industrial would dig this!   

The third track Without Feeling, Without Passion, starts with a humming drone. The sound of cannon fire adds extra tension to the mood. Russian spoken words are added, I don´t know what the hell he is talking about... but it sounds cool. Takes me back to early Laibach. The fire of the cannons begins to sound more...rhythmic actually (Sound bloody amazing!). I cannot point my finger down at anything boring here, everything is good here! 

The fourth track These Birds Sing With The Voices Of Flame... Scary beginning of a multilayered sound of a huge crowd of people (I think!). Chaotic and distorted screams of hypnotic feedback grab the attention of the listener. Additional looped waves of distorted sound turn the tension further on. Sofar is the hardest track on the album!

The fifth track To Use A Weapon kind of takes me back to the Grey Wolves. Messy but strangely structured at the same time. Lots of various vocal-based samples here, with some rather cool-sounding screaming vocals here as well. Not sure if they are vocals or something sampled from a movie. A sick track bound to disturb (just a bit!).

The sixth track The Knives Are Sharpened Thoroughly, sounds like a more... strange track. Almost sort of melancholic vibes going on. Are they sharpening their knives to cut unions maybe? A surprisingly down-beat track with a depressive mood attached to it. Excellent picturesque sounds going on, these guys are really good at the sample bit here!

I am gonna jump to the last track on the album called Trumpet Call (...The Teeth of the Dragon Are Already Thrown Into The Ground). Warped sound of trumpets praising the victory, or is it a victory? Doesn't sound like it in my ears. I am imagining this group of soldiers being praised for their heroism at some ceremony, broken and shattered after what they have been through. Cool sound piece with ceremoniously moments, a noisy version of Der Blutharsh if you please.

Lots of cool moments here, and what a masterpiece of an album! An album filled with surprises, all the aggressive titles offers depth and atmosphere... rather than boring and "edgy" power-electronics aggression without mood. I was totally surprised by this! A thoughtful masterpiece that I hope that people will listen to!

Bandcamp (label):

https://steinklangindustries.bandcamp.com/album/ultrapolar-intrusion-this-war-will-have-no-end-2021

  

   

   

 Government Alpha - Affective Imagery

Summer vacation can sometimes be a long and very boring thing. We´re all prober programmed into working and delivering something to the greater good, and then all of a sudden you are going on a 4-week long vacation. I keep thinking about that track with Pink Floyd, Comfortably Numb I think the title was. Finding motivation for anything (with all that extra time) on your hands... can be hard. That´s why I told myself today, that maybe it is the perfect time to review an album by one of the big ones in Japanoise. Government Alpha has been active in releasing high pressured and multi-layered noise since 1994, and so far his album count is around... 100! Not one of the truly old guys in Japanoise, but har so far proven to be the next Merzbow. This album was made back in 2019 and has then been released by the French label Abhorrent Creation Tapes, limited to 500 copies. Still possible to get the physical release from the label itself, check the link below!. 47 minutes, 9 tracks in total.

The first thing I still take notice too is the cover artwork itself. Surreal collage stuff, a lot of stuff to look at while the noise explodes in your speakers. The first collage picture shows 3 people reading magazines, two of these 3 people's heads look... weird (not sure what it is). Behind them are 4 analog clocks, and some rubbery stuff being entangled altogether. To the right we have a bandaged leg and some other interesting stuff going on. 2 other surreal collage photos are also inside the booklet as well. I love it when the artist gives the listener something to actually look at (while you are listening). The same thing with the cover artwork by Nurse With Wound, you just look deeply and listen at the same time... and wonder. Keeps the imagination alive! 

The first track on the album is called Stridor. Stridor means the sound that your throat creates when your throat is partially blocked. The sound of a lot of old-school alarm clocks ringing, with a mesmerizing and atmospheric synth drone in the background. Thumping and rhythmic distorted bass later on. A very calm and different intro to a Japanoise album, a cool ear-opener if you ask me.        

All that changes with the second track called Invisible Area. High-pitched and tweaked harsh noise breaks in from some open dimensional gate, explosive and splintered aural attack on the senses. A Super energetic force of electrical currents of sound without any mercy. Lots of action and stuff going on, not just noise for the sake of noise. I know I have said it before, not a big fan of harsh noise.. but this I like. It´s pure Japanoise, the way it should sound. 

In the third track Eternal Signals, it gets a bit spacier. I'm thinking about all those signals we keep transmitting into space now, noise and space right?. A very psychedelic noise track, not that far away from Merzbow´s Space Metalizer from 1997. Love the altered 8-bit´ish sounds here. 

The fourth track Apnea continues the psychedelic sound brutality. A cool track that tricks the listener into thinking that we´re dealing with a non-action noise track. It starts like a typical harsh noise thing, but then it evolves into a tentacled monster of noise. Lots of action so far! 

The high pumping action gets turned down a bit in the fifth track called Sacred Tree. A strange psychedelic ambient-noise creature with a kind of... Japanese soundtrack-horror approach. Love the way how the sounds move up and down into distortion.

The fifth track was too short, we´re hauled back into the action-driven noise of the sixth track called Obstructions. Maybe the most aggressive track on the album so far compact atomic bombs inside! Everything sounds super fast here, and there is background as well... which I can hardly hear. But it makes the aggressive track more interesting, with a (hard to hear) background. 

The seventh track In Equilibrium. Does not sound like something which is In Equilibrium, but more like something which is constant and chaotic at the same time. Moody noise with religious undertones in a way. Another cool track! My ears and my mind are getting a bit... over-stimulated now. Not enough that I wanna stop!

The eight-track Pale Idolum is a long and minimal one, not having that many layers like the other tracks. It is also the longest one on the album as well. A track that explores the very boundaries of sound that the artist can produce, through a minimal approach. 

The last track Transience is the ninth track on the album (and the last).  Ends with a monotonic wall of sound which evolve into chaos. 

And there you have it. Abstract noise with an aggressive attitude. It´s a pure energy drink with (something else inside) all the way from the start and to the very end. I love it in the beginning, but later on, the noise gets a bit dull. More of the "adventurous variations" approach could help a lot. Action-packed material for sure, but sadly without the mood. The best track on the album was Stridor, Eternal Signals, and Sacred Tree.

Bandcamp (label):

https://abhorrentcreationtapes.bandcamp.com/album/government-alpha-affective-imagery?fbclid=IwAR2M5BUSNj8X1vTL4YEF9ArNSolCW73t-6banFT2L6M1rI8_z7m4RkKHa_I

Bandcamp (band):

https://governmentalpha.bandcamp.com/

           

 Brighter Death Now live at Tusindfryd, Aalborg 16-04-2022

As I promised to the event manager at Tusindfryd, and to Roger Karmanic himself I will now try to review the live performance with Brighter Death Now at Tusindfryd. This is ALSO my first EVER review of a live concert, so here goes! Here, is just a quick introduction to those who don´t know Brighter Death Now.

Brighter Death Now is the solo project by a guy named Roger Karmanic. The crown jewel and pioneer of true death-industrial, and also one of the most iconic acts in the style as well. His first album came out on Börft Records, simply called Temp Tations. Another album followed in the same year called Slaughterhouse Invitation. Already here you could hear that something new was brewing in the realm of industrial music. Thumping machines in a factory, ultra-heavy and monotonous bass, distant voices and screams, high-pitched distortions. Doesn't sound like something new when you read it, but back then Brighter Death Now showcased a kind of style that showcased power electronics (Whitehouse, Sutcliffe Jugend), esoteric-ambient (Lustmord, Ain Soph), and old-school industrial (Throbbing Gristle, SPK). As brutal and direct as power electronics, but also with a thoughtful mind/eye on an atmosphere before action approach.

The sound of Brighter Death Now was a sound that only Brighter Death Now. Frightening simple and incredibly efficient. In typical 80s power-electronics/industrial style, you were confronted with an up-in-your-face message both in the concept, sound, and lyrics. Again, Brighter Death Now was altogether a different beast than that. To me, it was always about a kind of atmospheric story-telling approach to sound. Let the atmosphere/mood speak for itself! The soundtrack to hell... or the realm of the dead?    

Roger Karmanic then, of course, started his own label Cold Meat Industry. Most of you guys know this label, if you don't... LOOK IT UP!. The quick intro then! Cold Meat Industry was the best and coolest underground industrial indie label of the 90s! The label quickly gained recognition and success, and Brighter Death Now (of course) received more listeners. The best example from the best period would be his massive May All Be Dead album from 1998.

If I should give you any recommendations for starters, then I would suggest any albums made in the period of 1990-1998. Later on, it becomes noisier in the power-electronics style but still holds on to the atmospheric sound aesthetics of the early recordings.

 

Brighter Death Now is one of my all-time favorite acts, which I have followed since the Innerwar album from 1996. Back then I was just a confused kid who thought that Skinny Puppy was the hardest shit around, I WAS PROVED WRONG of course! So when I received the news that Brighter Death Now would be playing in Jutland, Denmark I of course jumped right into it!

The night started with two bands, Danish Ubehag and Of The Wand And The Moon. Ubehag was a kind of experimental doom/drone-metal act, not that far away from the early Cathedral and Earth...just a bit more user-friendly in their sound. At this time yours truly (also in good company with good friends) has drunk the first cold alcoholic beverages. The decent-sized crowd in the small room seems pleasant so far. 

After Of The Wand And The Moon enter the scene. They're a kind of band which delivers something pleasant and good every single time. Incredible atmospheric and incredibly melodic. They are the bloody reason why metal fans love neo-folk in Denmark by the way! Not that far away from the sound of Death In June (1992-1995), but with a kind of vintage psychedelic and nostalgic vibes like The Walker Brothers or anything Phil Spector produced back then. Tons of charms and tons of reasons to love the act, they deliver and you smile... while drinking your cold Hancock beer. At this, I start noticing a strange fellow in the room, on a pair of rolling skates!

    

After playing my playlist (via Mixcloud), Brighter Death Now enters the scene and all the comfort lights are turned totally down...(At this point, I think that the guy on the rolling skates has escaped!) Roger Karmanic is in good company, being Peter Andersson and his girlfriend Asa Tedebro. Everything is smoky and hazy all around, and everything is dark blue. Everything seems like... yes... we have just entered the twilight zone. It´s pure sound torture beyond description! We´re not just talking about an act (which just lazily) pushes the distortion button, but an act that has knowledge of how to deliver a truly infernal sound through high-pitched sounds and subsonic bass sounds. A pure cacophonic sound with epic religious undertones. 

After being submerged into this infernal netherworld, I quickly went out for a smoke. I had a hard time believing that I was finally witnessing Brighter Death Now live for the first bloody time! After hearing through the walls outside that they were playing Pay Day, I quickly went in again. And experienced that many of the happy crowd was gone, and only the older hardcore people were around (mostly males). 

At this time I could feel the effects of cold Hancock Beers from Skive. My head was spinning, and I was trying hard to focus on what the 3 people were doing. There was a violin, two bass players, knop-twidling on the effects boxes, and Roger skulking around in the dark-blue darkness with the beautiful and iconic Brighter Death Now icon on the wall. In a lot of ways, the situation perfectly describes Brighter Death Now. For those who couldn´t stand the sound of torture escaped at that time I needed a smoke. And when I re-entered (half-drunk), the right mood of the concert was there. And it was good. Nothing new as of such, but a good reminder of the effect the act has on me the first time around. I would love to hear what other people in the crowd thought, especially those who have heard this act for the first time.  

It was a concert which I will remember as well as I will remember a tattoo. The memory of it sticks, and it will remain. Will I go and see another Brighter Death Now live performance on Jutlandish soil? absolutely yes! Be sure to check out the works of Roger Karmanic in the links below! 

Brighter Death Now (Bandcamp):

https://brighterdeathnow.bandcamp.com/

Of The Wand And The Moon (Bandcamp):

https://ofthewandandthemoon.bandcamp.com/

      

      

      

 Knives - Violent Distillation

An interesting compilation from Ominous Recordings with an act called Knives. It´s (as you all can see) called Violent Distillation. And why is it interesting then?. Simply because that this single compact disc contains every released track by this act. One seven-inch, and 3 cassette tapes. Great idea to collect it all into a single disc!. All the material within has all been made and recorded in 2005, and the last track is an extra live bonus recording. I must say, there isn´t much to talk about when you look at the cover... but... I love it. I love the simple thing with white bold letters on a black background. A cool history lesson regarding the act inside as well. 

The Knives itself is a collab between Jon Borges (Pedestrian Deposit) and Phil Blankenship (The Cherry Point). About 34 minutes of pure American harsh noise for the hard of hearing!

The first track Switchblade Princess starts with a heavy-distorted and rumbling wall of sound. Additional static wall effects and screeching sounds made from bleeding fingers... controlling the harsh noise sound equipment! A chaotic mess of statics and pumped-up sound-action. Everything that is about pure harsh noise, can be found within this single track!

The second track Cemetery Girls I starts... VERY directly. Harsh tv/radio-static which almost sounds like crispy meat being burned on the frying pan. Lots of high-frequency treatment for the ears here, a very aggressive in-your-face track. Bound to make several people hold their breath! Max volume ear-phone listening is not recommended!

The third track Cemetery Girls II starts with a higher frequency than the first one! It is more of a proto-HNW thing, a harsh noise wall with turbo dynamics more like. Brutally distorted psychedelics just like a bad trip. The sound of everything violent trying to squeeze itself out of a tiny tiny hole, and your ear is on the other side of that hole! A piercing aural experience. 

In the fourth track Empty Desire I we are further introduced to the direct sound of pure harsh noise-action. At this point, you are probably feeling that you have been here before. A grinding and metallic distortion, when the brakes of the train deliver sparks... and a lot of noise!     

Empty Desire II is the fifth track... well, the train hasn´t stopped yet. The brakes are still on! You can almost feel the metal... crumpling! Why am I thinking about that Robot Wars show on UK television now?! 

Knives VS Knives I is a different beast than the former. Imagine a heavily distorted drone, with a kind of windy sound texture in the background. I am imagining a constant flushing toilet on an airplane!. Again, I like the brutal and static noise here. "Calm" and brutal at the same time, harsh noise with a lofty ceiling if you please. 

The seventh track Knives VS Knives II has a slightly heavy-ambient feel, the thing is... it only lasts for like 5 seconds. This track follows up nicely where the former track ended. Still being in the realm of atmospheric harsh noise. 

The last track on the album is the live bonus track that I mentioned earlier. A rumbling distortion with high frequencies, with occasional screaming effects trying to penetrate the wall of sound. There are some rather nice microscopic sounds worth noticing here, a live recording is a trick sometimes. The track ends with a cherry salute from the crowd. Love the recorded atmosphere of the crowd talking to each other when the track ends... I miss these kinds of concerts!.

And that ends the Violent Distillation. A happy and rampaging harsh-noise beast that warms cold ears in the winter seasons. The brutality is honest, and the intent is served for anyone who is bored. There is only one thing I need, which is content and a conceptual sound idea. But of course, it´s a matter of taste! It´s pure 2005 harsh noise, and the album does take me back to that time in Denmark (2005) when Ultimate Combat Noise roamed the Danish countryside. Why content, when you can represent pure chaotic noise?! But as a minor fan of harsh noise, I can guarantee you that the Knives... delivers the pure harsh noise experience 100%. I can still feel my ears, vibrating! 

Bandcamp (label):

https://ominousrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/violent-distillation

Discogs (band):

https://www.discogs.com/artist/311226-Knives-2

   

       

      

 Empty Chalice + Cactus Dildo - S/T

A new release from Industrial Ölocaust Recordings, a split CD-R with dark-ambient/ritual act Empty Chalice, and a new and unknown painfully called Cactus Dildo (ouch!). Now I do know Empty Chalice (since I have reviewed the act a couple of times before), but as mentioned before I didn´t know anything about Cactus Dildo. I tried looking it up on Discogs, and it turns out that the sole member of Cactus Dildo is one of the members of the pioneering dungeon-synth act called Sagenhaft. They made a dungeon-synth release way back in 1996. Anyways, this is a split release having 2 tracks from Empty Chalice and 4 tracks with Cactus Dildo. A limited cool-looking black and white jewel case. The release is also out on cassette!

There are also some notes in the album from each act on here, here are the notes by Empty Chalice:

Assembled, registered, and mixed in March/April 2020. Concept born from the peace ad power of intuition of Transcendental Meditation. When our false perception is corrected, misery ends also. 

The first track on the album is called Schisma. A Schisma is... something for you to look up on Wikipedia, something about musical notes and math. The track enters a mediative dark-ambient zone in the underworld. Caught somewhere between heaven or hell maybe. Deep ominous multilayered drones and hidden synths in there... maybe? Heavy space ambient (in a way) imagining the few space-ship-traveling scenes from Lynch´s Dune film here. There are a few irritating clicks in the sound, which I don´t think were intentional. A great dark-ambient track nonetheless. 

The next track (also with Empty Chalice) is called The Field. An awesome and great-sounding Raison D´être´ish track. Slightly melodic, heavenly epicness, moody melancholia. Still some unintentional clicks at the beginning of the track. Later on... the shimmering sound of metallic crystals and more of that angelic melancholia. 

The third track on the split starts with Cactus Dildo. The notes by Cactus Dildo being quite interesting, read : 

Music found on moldy tapes in the abandoned house of an old pervert.

This third track is called A Mattress Of Dead Fetus. Clearly a more industrial-noise act. Heavily distorted and slowed-down sound of drums and bass, with some string instruments in there (guitars or piano?). Some psychedelic and distorted vocals on top of that. Some of this might be some of that music mentioned earlier!. Love the ending, someone laughing... and the laughing just sounds disgusting for some reason. There is a noticeable wet clicking sound in the laughing throat.  

The fourth track is called Daisy (She Was Just A Little Girl). Old school pre-death-industrial moods get you back to early Lille Roger (pre Brighter Death Now), with the swirling industrial psychedelic noise dragging the listener further down. A nasty great track without a doubt, more of this!

The fifth track is called Diary Of An Old Pervert. Moaning sensual voices with a sleazy drum and bass pattern to back it up. Cool sounding post-rockish sound-textures with some distorted whispering vocals seducing the listener. Distorted whispering vocals, brilliant. You can get tired of those vocalists always shouting their lungs out when someone hits the distortion button! Almost a kind of, sleazy striptease thing going on in here. Brilliant track with a lot of new ideas. 

The sixth (bonus track) Moldy VHS. A psychedelic Wunderbaum of pleasant aural-depravities. Altered and layered spoken words, distorted guitar loops... and then it suddenly in silence! There are still... 10 minutes more. Waiting...Waiting... Total silence. Nothing more. 

An album presenting two acts which doesn't have much in common. But, I do love the contrast nonetheless! The first one finds peace in meditation, and the other finds peace in stalking around in a house that belonged to an old pervert... fair enough! Love the contrast, makes the listener think... why? The tracks with Empty Chalice are great but could be greater if the clicks weren´t there. Cactus Dildo sounds better than the band name (believe me!). Lovely and seductive sound of sleazy industrial strip-tease music, more of that, please!

Label (official):

https://cardinium.com/sound-grimoire/

Band (Empty Chalice):

https://emptychalice.bandcamp.com/album/empty-chalice-cactus-dildo-s-t

Band (Cactus Dildo):

https://cactusdildo.bandcamp.com/releases

 

 Samsuo - You Probably Think It´s The Ocean

Always a good thing to review stuff from Elm Records after tons of reviews in the harsh-noise/industrial section! Everything just cools down, a dip in a forest lake in the burning summertime. A way to reset the mind and body, with just that simple plunge into the waters. And that is exactly the concept behind one of the latest albums from Elm Records. 

Samsuo´s You Probably Think It´s The Ocean has a fine description on Elm Record´s Bandcamp site : 

You probably Think It's The Ocean' is a meandering sonic tale that draws the listener into a complex world of texture, tone, and melody. The narrative weaves between soft shorelines and turbulent seas, crashing waves, and gentle breezes. Exploring the depth of his sonic palette Samsuo conjures a deep and immersive story perfect for the Autumnal months.

Well ok. Taking a plunge in the autumnal months is not my thing, too cold. I did that once, with heavy hangovers after a drunkard Halloween night... I then ended up taking that plunge in a lake called Stilling Sø... The perfect cure for Halloween hangovers if you ask me... Anyways!.... 

The first track on the album is called You. May I remind you that every track on the album is named after every word added in the title of the album itself? It starts... gentle... with a shivering sound of non-melodic but drone-based guitar strings, with some water´ish sounds in the background. Very archaic stuff here, the atmosphere is absolutely sublime. Takes me back to something from Cure´s Faith album, not as dark and depressive of course...but... delivering the same kind of melancholic and thoughtful aesthetic. Layer upon layer of repetitive string drones sounds bloody amazing! Also reminds me of some of the guitar-based ambient stuff by Controlled Bleeding.

The second track You Probably continues the echoed and reverbed guitar strings, lower on the guitar notes than the former track. More guitar layers are then added. The artist has chosen to follow up closely on whatever happened in the first track, and it´s bloody lovely because it sounds great. The emotions in the drone´ish sounds hit you like ocean waves, has a certain...rhythm to it. 

The third track You Probably Think adds new stuff to the stuff. Repetitive and layered organ keyboards and some sublime and lowkey electronic rhythms. Crystalized moments are frozen in pure amber, almost forgetting in taking my breath here! Interesting synth-based ending here as well. 

The fourth track You Probably Think It´s has a certain... retro and nostalgic synth-wave feeling over it. It does remind me a bit of something from Autechre´s immortal Amber release from 1994. Exquisite ambient music at its best! You just get the picture of beautiful desert dunes with this track.

The fifth track You (Gezzz) Probably Think It´s The goes back to the sound of the first two tracks. Improvised and layered guitar work with reverb and echo. Is there a synth of some sort in the background? I am not sure, but the sound intrigues the listener without a doubt! Again, the ending here is so deep and sublime!

The sixth track You Probably Think It´s the OCEAN!!! A soothing outro of a track. At this point, you have probably recovered from the hangovers you had that Halloween night. Sitting in a warm car, bus whatever, and feeling the cold sensation leaving the body while you are feeling asleep. Bingo! Cold guitar work here as well, reminds me of the saddened sound of the Red House Painters for some reason. 

A perfect mixture of pure ambient and almost... sadcore kind of guitar work. I did think of the Cure, 4AD, and the Red House Painters here. Which is a sound from heaven... right?. This album does it, a 100% perfect ambient album. Adventurous with some daring nerve to top it. The sound/moment when an eccentric individual finally finds peace in mind. Highly recommendable album!....

 

Bandcamp (label):

https://elmrecords.bandcamp.com/album/you-probably-think-its-the-ocean

Bandcamp (band):

https://samsuo.bandcamp.com/

 

 Tuffo / Tube Tentacles / Gyakusatsu / Soma - Ewige Schönheit

A new and limited cassette release from Spanish Marbre Negre, this time featuring 4 acts on one cassette. In my part of the universe, I would call it a compilation, but in the case of this release, we´re talking about a four-way split. The interesting cover artwork itself shows a Marlene Dietrich´ish lookalike from the old days of movies. A very mysterious and cool-looking vintage photo, the expression on her face and with that background of morbid qualities... lurking in the background. Inside there is another lovely photo of the same actor, with contact info for the 4 acts. Sort of Weimar cultural decadence in the conceptual visual theme here. 4 acts, 2 acts on each side of the blackened tape. Almost 60 minutes in total.

First track Bolo with Tuffo. Really don´t know what Bolo is, tried to do a search for it. Could be anything from some kind of medicine, to something which you could polish your shoe with. Cool sounding ambient noise wall with dynamics going on here. Sounds like echoed recordings of a dusty vinyl on the record player, with a digitally manipulated sound of a leaking gas pipe in the background. Hypnotic stuff indeed. Later on, the gas pipe sound intensifies itself soundwise, while subliminal distorted sounds fade in and out of the recording. If one should ask me, the true conceptual sound of Marbre Negre... what would that sound like?. I think this track nails it. I have reviewed a lot of Marbre Negre releases, so I think I know what I am talking about. Always been intrigued by this label. 

The second track is Night of the Blood Beasts by Tube Tentacles. Psychedelic noise and vintage sound effects. If some early Berlin-School act/artist would go around and make a noise album, it could come close to the Lovecraftian world of Tube Tentacles. It´s an acid-drenched grinding brain in the machinery of the Fungi From Yuggoth on crack! Hell of a ride if you ask me. Or it could be the sound of some time machine getting stuck between the dimensions. Action-packed harsh noise with a nod or two to psychedelia and vintage sci-fi. I bloody love it!  

The third track is a bloody violent one! Violencia, Ultraviolencia, Parpadeo 2 by Gyakusatsu. A violent and highly energetic piece of ultra-sonic harsh noise. Who said that only Japan could produce this kind of stuff? Gyakusatsu might just be the new Government Alpha or even Incapacitants. Incredible neck-snapping material, bound to take your breath away!

The fourth and last track by Soma is called De Las Moscas Say El Rey, translated as Of The Flies Say the King. The track continues the hyper-sonic-ultra-violence with some additional mind-warping sound effects attached to it. Interesting screaming vocals can be sensed and heard through a cosmic void in the recording itself! Not as violent and bloody as the former track, but still as challenging to the nerves for sure. Kind of an act which delivers something between Tube Tentacles and Gyakusatsu, highly psychedelic-noise meeting highly violent harsh noise.

The whole idea of doing a conceptual split with 4 acts with a lot in common, is (as one can hear) a VERY good idea. They are label-mates and share the same soundwise vision at the same time. Why not make an album together? It´s bound to be a true cult release for the small harsh-noise/power-electronics crowd for sure, and what a pleasure it will give to that small crowd. I give this release a total thumbs up!. 

Bandcamp (label):

https://marbrenegre.bandcamp.com/album/ewige-sch-nheit