The Rita - Macha Vs. Knife

Another review for Swedish label Ominous Recordings. Legendary pioneers of harsh-noise-wall-act The Rita is out with a two-track compilation called Macha Vs. Knife. Out on CD (Digipack!) via Ominous Records. Two huge tracks are 30 minutes in total, which leaves the listener with an hour of relentless noise-scapes for the hard of hearing! The limited CD is out on 300 copies, so it should be possible for the curious to get a copy!

The first track called Macha Magall, was a track that was originally released as a split with Goat on Deadline Recordings in 2007. The title of the track itself is also the name of the movie actress which you can see in the cover artwork. A cult actress from Belgian who was in erotic and nazi-related exploitation flicks of the 70s, mostly known for her role in La Bestia In Calore. 

The Rita is mostly known for its HNW outputs but this recording is more in the vein of stretched-out harsh noise. Metallic and thundering epic noise from the bowels of a tank. Shrapnel from an exploding hand grenade rotates in the air and cuts into the flesh, kind of the same way how the noise operates from one speaker to the other. Primitive extreme low fi harsh-noise at its best. Incredible how much energy the artist has squeezed into 30+ minutes! Proto HNW in a way, imagine a TV screen showing a static snow screen. And you can almost sense, see and hear various fragments of a transmission hidden in there. Kind of an expression forcing its way out of nothingness. 

The next track is called Straight Razor Vs Knife which was a track that was originally released as a split with Maim on Snip-Snap Recordings in 2005. More of an HNW noise track, but with a more aggressive ambient-noise approach. The start of the track gives the listener a sound-wise sensation of a knife getting sharpened on one of those machines. Later on the sound spurts and screams with microphone distortions, and a vinyl player playing a sand-covered record. And then later on it enters an almost digital-created soundscape, and the noisy analog sounds transform into square computerized pixels. I'm not even close to being halfway through this track! I guess at this point, the ambient-noise approach has been vaporized into the thin air. 

Probably one of the most brutal 2-track albums I have heard in a long time. At times you do think that you have a pretty good idea of where the album/sound will take you, but then once in a while, it takes a sharp turn into a new direction all. Very monotone kind of sound expression, but also a very adventurous and refreshing sound on this compilation album by The Rita.   

     

Bandcamp (label):

https://ominousrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/macha-vs-knife

Bandcamp (label):

https://phagetapes.bandcamp.com/album/macha-vs-knife

 Nundata - Untitled

A kind of veteran in the world of modern noise music. Nundata hails from Serbia and has (so far) been responsible for over 80 releases since 2009. On various labels like Smell the Stench, Required Rate of Return, and of course Marbre Negre. This one came out last year on Mabre Negre, as a limited cassette edition. Running over 50 minutes, with three tracks divided into 2 cassette sides. 

The first track Monodata Neon Part 1 starts with a blast of blistering white noise, high pitched without any bass. A very narrow and needle-thin penetration of noise slithering into the listener's ears. Harsh and psychedelic minimal-harsh noise would be one way to put it. At times the slithering noise sounds like tortured screams, smoldering rusty pieces of metal, warped short-wave radios, dentist drills, and the sound of falling bombs from bomber planes. I am not even halfway through the first track, which is 25 minutes long! The whole recording is being developed and warped throughout the entire track, lovely kind of live-feeling going on in here. Great noise! The looped noise at the ending is great, lovely rhythmic touch there. 

The rhythmic touch continues further on the second track Monodata Neon Part 2. While the punctuating sound-bits float above the listener like a noisy cloud. The distortion is soo tense here, that it sounds like bacon on a frying pan. Lazer-like sounds are added to heighten the psychedelic mind further on. Almost too many things are being added to the adventurous noise journey here, almost ending in harsh noise in the great cosmic!  

The last track called Mono No Fun starts with a recording of human voices. Sounds like some sort of political/religious speech of some sort, multilayered with added sound effects. Brutal harsh noise with that live thing again, honest improvisational brutality.

Quite a challenging beast I must say. It´s long, abstract, and incredibly brutal. Amazing that the artist could do these recordings without taking a break! A constant and menacing monster of noise, drowning and swallowing the listener into the world that the release contains. Bored with noise and need a new fix of extreme sound, go and look this one out kids!.

Bandcamp (label):

https://marbrenegre.bandcamp.com/album/untitled-10

Bandcamp (band):

https://nundata.bandcamp.com/

   

 Gespenst - Den Sidste Færd

The second time around I get to review Gespenst, and this is also their second album. The last album I reviewed with them was back in 2018, although it was released in 2016. This second album has been released in 3 formats! Vinyl, CD via a German label called Vendetta Records, and on cassette via Danish label Strange Aeons. About 30+ minutes in total, with 5 tracks on it. 

Cool and simple artwork, inviting the listener into a fantasy-inspired netherworld... not that far away from Isengard and Mordor. Nice and nifty-looking print on the cassette, and the inner sleeve even includes a lyric sheet. Again, nice design with a moody and picturesque design. 

The first track Dødsfærd (which is also the longest!) starts with a cold wind blowing through the leaves of trees, I could imagine that the daytime would be at nighttime of course. Slow and grinding black-metal guitar work with an epic touch starts the journey, with some cool-sounding drums (instrumental of course!). Kind of black-metal for doom-metal fans so far. I am not 100% sure, is there a synth in the background is it just the reverb of the guitars?. Nevertheless, the track gets more tempo. Why I don´t know, the grind of the slowness worked pretty well. This switch of tempo just sounds as if someone pressed the... well tempo button (FF) on the tape. It´s a matter of taste I know, as for me I have never been much for stuff that has to be fast (for some reason). The good thing is that Gespenst manages to hold the atmosphere through the entire track. I forgot to mention the vocals. Which I like a lot, never been much for the screaming gremlin vocals (that is). Heavy and deep vocals with some extra phlegm in the throat. 

The second track Besværgelse works as a kind of atmospheric horror soundtrack/ambient 1-minute intermission before we are submerged into the next guitar-driven track.

The third track Portal is a track without a slow intro but starts with quick tempos. Tempo switch to the slow also happens here. More of a straight black metal track than the first track. Less atmosphere, more action if you ask me. 

We change the side of the cassette and sink our teeth into the fourth track called Rejse. Starts with a slow guitar playing, which reminds me of the melody from the first track. Lots of atmospheric stuff going on here, love the part where you can only hear the bass. Starts with a slow tempo, and ends at a quick tempo.

The last track Intethed is something else. Ambient synth-work, depressing guitar-work (Excellent melody) with hints of ghosty human moans here and there. Sort of an ethereal/4AD (Cocteau Twins/Dead Can Dance) feeling here. A good way to end the album.

And that ends Den Sidste Færd (Last journey in English!). A moody and depressing piece of metalized rock music for fans of black metal. Well played, the sound is decent, with cool cover artwork and cool poetical lyrics. I would like it more if the lyrics had a certain conceptual influence on the overall sound of the album. If you don´t actually read the lyrics (which are good)) while listening, it will just sound like beer-chugging rock and roll music. But then again, I am not a huge fan of black metal. I am quite sure that veteran listeners of the genre would dig this album. 

Bandcamp (label):

https://vendetta-records.bandcamp.com/album/den-sidste-f-rd

 

Boredom Knife - Feticide / Tyhjio - 

No lives matter

Another deal/strike from French cult-label Abhorrent Creation Tapes, although this release isn´t on tape... But they are (as we all know!) delivering some killing-smashing industrial-noise releases on Compact Disc. The last 2 releases I reviewed from this label were by 2 acts from Japan (Third Organ and Government Alpha), and this time we will be looking at a split with two acts from Finland (The land with a thousand lakes yes, and the moomins!). 

The first act is an act called Boredom Knife. Hails from the capital Helsinki, and describes the act as experimental electronic noise eruptions. Several physical releases on different labels, and more digital releases on the Bandcamp link below. The second act is called Tyhjiø (means Empty in English), again some cool physical releases on more on the Bandcamp site. Described as noise created out of nothing.

The first track with Boredom Knife is called Feticide. A blistering wall of evocative industrial noise churns out of your speakers. Screaming and wailing machine sounds of utter hopelessness. The sound gets heavier, metallic, and more concrete while the evocative elements still being present in the background. A great back-to-basics sound here, a lovely expressive low-fi approach that takes me back to more soundscapes-orientated tracks by Con-Dom or the Grey Wolves. Tons of atmosphere here, and tons of brutality as well. Hell, I even want more physical releases with this act, which can be located via Discogs. 

The second track No Live Matter by Tyhjiø starts with a noisy hiss, with some ambient-driven death-industrial elements. Think the track is about Jim Jones and his last days with his cult. Suicide, and murder for those who didn´t want suicide. Don´t know about him, go and read all about them. The biggest evil bad-ass cult leader of them all, incredibly tragic. The depressive death-industrial/ambient elements work while the recorded tape of the suicide speech of Jim Jones runs in the background. Kind of a classic theme/sample in the world of industrial/noise music. The noise and the tape recording bring despair and desperation to another level. The sound intensifies with the desperation and the cries from Jim Jones´s cult. Very apocalyptic and very depressing, could work well as a soundtrack for a Jim Jones documentary. Not as dynamic as the former track by Boredom Knife, but still the track has a very effective effort to give the listener a sense of dread. 

And that ends the Finnish split from a French label. A cool and short 2-track EP/Mini-album on CD with 2 acts. It´s good because it´s only about 30 minutes long if it was longer then it would be a slight case of over bombing! An effective, dark, and small cocktail to end the party at the local noise party, to end it with a whimper (and not a bang!). As depressive as it might sound, the release (and the acts) do share a lot of charms with it. The whole back-to-basics idea works here, and I have a feeling that the two acts had (maybe) an idea of what kind of sound/feeling their split should have. Too many acts end up doing splits without having a specific idea/theme to work towards, here you have a feeling that the two acts have worked toward a common goal. Need noise for the upcoming apocalypse, here it is!. 

Bandcamp (label):

https://abhorrentcreationtapes.bandcamp.com/album/boredom-knife-feticide-tyhjio-no-lives-matter-split

Bandcamp (Boredome Knife):

https://boredomknife.bandcamp.com/music

Bandcamp (Tyhjiø):

https://tyhjio.bandcamp.com/

 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/