Paranoia Inducta - Demon´s Factory

A true veteran in neo-classical-inspired dark ambient music, Paranoia Inducta is a Polish act that started back in 2003. Since then, the act has released numerous releases on known labels such as Beast Of Prey, Rage In Eden, and on Heerwegen Tod Production. Demon´s Factory is the latest album, and it has come out as a jewel case and as a limited (and beautiful) A5 digipack. A 9-track full-length is about 60 minutes in total length. 

It is a conceptual album, which has its focuses on the time in which we live. Bit of everything really. War there, pandemic there, artificial intelligence, globalization, and (most importantly) the widespread exploitation of the individual itself. The artwork shows a sort of feminine character, all wrapped up in something. It does look like some sort of metal thing on the head, covering the mouth as well. I guess the artwork shows how wrapped up we all are, in information and bureaucracy maybe? Happiness through slavery right? The album title, Demon´s Factory? Maybe all of these horrible things happening in our time are all being produced by some infernal machinery. The question is, by demons or humans... or both?. Let us find out by clicking play on my compact-disc player!

The first track is (of course) called New World Order. Melancholic and manipulated tones (or voices) start the track, simmering ritualistic bells and lovely atmospheric background drones. Then comes the cool synth. Think John Carpenter or that classic Terminator theme song! Decent Lisa Gerrard kind of vocal work here also. A nice mixture between epic dark ambient and slick retro-wave. A simple, effective, and beautiful start for the album. 

The second track Demon´s Factory continues where the first track ended (obviously). Murky sound effects and atmospheric ambiance, and some nice ritualistic and religious chanting going on, Kind of makes me think back to that classic CMI act called Ildfrost. And then the ambient/ritual stops and some simple martial rhythms mark its presence. Epic kind of post-industrial Mad Max as a gothic opera sort. Love the sound production, and I dig the slick futuristic synth work. I personally think that the epic and melodic elements were (a bit) over the top, but it's a matter of taste... the sound and the melody (luckily) sound good!

The third track Lords Of Illusions starts with a menacing sound and then drops into a pure minimalistic soundtrack ambient. And then it comes. A trumpet melody, which does sound a bit like Gustav Holst Mars theme... but who cares?! I love that bloody theme. There is so much doom in that theme, even enough to make Darth Vader wet his black panties! Again I'm being sort of nostalgic here, thinking back to classic computer game soundtracks of the 90s (for some reason). A nicely done apocalyptic track, I really love the slick production and the efficient simplicity here.

The fourth track Heaven Inc offers marching drums, evil-sounding synth-undercurrents, and some Christian-based recordings taken from some big American church. It all has a kind of Jim Jones sort of vibe. Epic organ-synth work here also.   

The fifth track See You In Hell, has a lovely mysterious vibe in the beginning. Some extra-added, beautiful dramatic but subtle vocals were done by Erszebeth (Stupor Mentis) here. Interesting how a melody, dark ambient, and vocals can work together, rare that I hear that.

I am then going to jump further to the last ninth track called Dying Light. A cold and evocative ambient piece. Might just be my favorite track on the album. It actually does sound like... a dying light. The flickering light from a candle stick? As if the light is trying to survive, the ever-engulfing darkness surrounding it maybe? I do like how the sound of strings has been manipulated, and again the addition of that slick retro synth puts a smile on my old face. A good way to end the album, as good as how the album started with New World Order. 

And that is all I have to say about that! Demon´s Factiry is filled with ambition and a concept. And it does (mostly) sound really good. I do like how various styles are met, and trying to find out if it would actually work. And it does actually work, adding some melodies, vocals, and nostalgic synth work. But I do miss two things though, the absence of something sounding... well nasty and downright scary! If it´s all hell and death for us all, then of course I would have expected something...well nasty and scary! And then I miss some... edge or some sort of risk like it has that sort of... dangerous feel or sound to it. Demon´s Factory need to be messier, evil, and chaotic! It might just be a taste thing, try to give it a listen.

Bandcamp (band):

https://paranoiainducta.bandcamp.com/album/demons-factory

     

     

 Barrera - No Input Can Save Me From My Demons

Yes! A new Barrera tape from David López Saludes! This time on an interesting Swedish label called Mima Kass, an anti-music cassette label since 2019. Few copies left on the label, so you better be quick! A simple setup of tracks. One track on each side, each track being about 30 minutes long. All in the glory of pure HNW! Before I continue with the review, let me introduce you to a piece of philosophical text found within the inner sleeve:

"Does God want goodness or the choice of goodness? Is a man who chooses to be bad perhaps in some way better than a man who has the good imposed upon him?!

A text which raises certain questions, in the same manner as reading and understanding the stories of the Brothers Grimm or fables by Fontaine. Moral issues and questions regarding the actions of human beings. The question answers the question, in a way. Is it the bad man who imposes goodness upon others to control them? Might just be, does raise some questions when it comes to organized religion for mass consumption! This point of view also links nicely up with the artwork from the movie A Clockwork Orange, where man has invented a method to use technology to impose goodness upon certain criminals, in other words... to control them.

But anyways, the first track is also simply called No Input Can Save Me From My Demons... Side A. The cassette starts like the engine of a drag racer car. The sensation of bursting flames and smelly hot fumes and melted plastic. And again, as it is often with the case of Barrera... I can hear and sense a heavy dark-ambient texture roaming in the background. Which really is something that works great with HNW! With a long track like this, you (as the listener) really have to be patient. In the same matter as speaking and talking to an Ent, a single word/expression takes ... well. 30 minutes. But it's good anyways, the ambient texture in the background makes the noise vibrant, dynamic, and adventurous. I am not even halfway through the first track just yet! Later on, it does sound as if the dark-ambient textures have turned into eternal-looped moans coming from the mouths of dying angels. Yes, it does actually sound as if heaven has caught itself on fire! The sound of something which sounds like a short-wave radio also being present here. 

Ok, I'm tuning into the B-Side of the tape. I do have that strange sensation that I have been here before. Like getting lost inside a HUGE maze, and you end up being back to where you started. And as I was writing this, suddenly something new was revealed to me. The sound of this album is so dense, that u can alter the sound of it if you turn your head/ears. If I turn my head up, I can easily hear the heavy sounds. And if I turn it down, then the high sounds can be easily heard. Virtual reality and HNW in one page, who would have thought of that! Basically, I think that both tracks 1 & 2 should be seen as 1  track... instead of two.  

Well, my ears are red and I can feel a throbbing sensation inside my skull. Good thing I have a beer beside me. This one with Barrera is probably the most challenging of all his releases. Not because of its length, but more because of the expression itself being completely spaghettified like being sucked into a black hole! Might just be the last Barrera release/album? It's a hell of a beast, non-dynamic yes but filled with constant violent tension. So yes, if this doesn´t save you from your own demons... nothing will!

Bandcamp (label):

https://mimakass.bandcamp.com/album/no-input-can-save-me-from-my-demons

    

 

Егзорцизам – Нељудски Ентитети

The next thing in line from E.C.T. to get reviewed is an act from Serbia. The act is called, which means exorcism, and the album is called Нељудски Ентитети which then means non-human entities. The act is a very Christian-Orthodox-inspired thing, which will probably explain the exorcism idea. And this is also what the cover artwork is showing, some religious Jesus-like guy (the one on the left) lifting his magic finger towards a devil-possessed guy, who is being restrained by another guy. Notice the small demon escaping the mouth of the restrained. Inside the booklet, there are also lots of other cool archaic imagery with strong religious undertones. The album is limited to 50 copies, and it comes with an 8-page booklet and a nifty-looking mini poster as well. A 4 track album, almost 50 minutes in total length. The last fourth track is a bonus track (by the way). 

The first track Параноичне Фреске (Paranoid Frescoes) enters a highly atmospheric ambient space. Filled with esoteric moods, dungeon-synth melodies, and forgotten rituals from times sadly forgotten by age. Lovely organic sounds and lots of effects motivate the listener to explore the highly mysterious soundscape within. Not your typical dark-ambient stuff here though, very primal and very heavy as well. It does remind me of Endvra when they are doing those long ritual-ambient tracks. A nice mixture of esoteric soundscapes with some additional evocative synth melodies in the background. 

The second track Безбожан Кивот (Godless Kivot) is harsher than the former track. Heavily distorted bass sounds upfront in your speakers, with a creepy soundtrack behind that. This track is slightly closer (in sound) to another release that I reviewed from E.C.T. From an act which is another project from this artist, a project called Depression Embrace. Heavy industrial-ambient drone with ritualistic aesthetics, the same manner/style as Valefor´s Death Magick album from 1996 and Melak-Tha. Rare that I am hearing anyone doing anything which has something in common with that Valefor release! 

The third track Окултни опсесивни ентитети (Occult obsessive entities) starts as a very slow and quiet track. Slithering and murky sounds from some hellish underground, with an eldritch presence of something banging on some ritualistic bells. There are some interesting human voices to be located in this subtle inferno of sound as well. with some excellent and cold drones levitating above the listener. It´s a very chilled and "relaxing" track, but also a very brutal and incredibly dark one as well.

The fourth and last track Узалудне молитве (Vain Prayers) offers the sound of a windy desert and some chirping insects. A very heavy storm is brewing, almost as heavy and eerie as the winds over the lost and forgotten city of the Old Ones. Some excellent background synth-work is added, with some icy sounds of cold drops of water from some huge and deep limestone cavern. Again, interesting and strange samples of human voices in the background raise the curiosity of the listener. Love how the artist manages to add some kind of sinister feel to the track, for some strange reason I keep on checking if I (really) am all alone in my room?!  

An excellent non-typical occult-inspired dark-ambient album from Serbia. There is a nostalgic hint or two from the days when black metal artists did dark/industrial-ambient, and there is also a hint of an artist who is trying to pursue a unique sound. I do think that he is successful in reaching that goal with this album, I do find it incredibly refreshing! I love it when religious themes/concepts enter the world of murky ambient soundtracks, it is a rare occasion when it truly works... but it does here!     

Discogs (label):

https://www.discogs.com/label/1264202-ECT

Facebook (label):

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

Bandcamp (band):

https://yevkharistiya.bandcamp.com/album/--19

 Carlos Suero / Illman & Gyakusatsu - Lunacy

I remember the excellent Hansenbyó by Carlos Suero & Yama-Biko from 2018, I also remember the sheer brutality of the countless releases by Spanish power-electronics acta Gyakusatsu. Not sure who Illman is, maybe it's one of Carlos´s nicknames? Anyways, these two cult acts have teamed up on a limited cassette album, released by Marbre Negre. Carlos Suero on the A-side, and Gyakusatsu on the B-side. The title of this split album has been named Lunacy, and the artwork itself shows a murky forest in greyscale but... I think that there is an extra layer in the picture. I can see something transparent in there, but I cannot recognize what it is. There is something of a shape there alright, maybee it is meant to illustrate lunacy somehow? The kind of phantasmagoric images that the crazed and tortured mind can create? Anyways, let us check up on what kind of lunacy these two fellows have cooked up for us. 

The first track with Carlos Suero / Illman is called Brains. A doomy-heavy synth starts the track, with a sharp and punctuating drum machine to add it up. Extra layers of windy synth drones give the mood a scary touch, then come the vocals. Excellent sounding vocals, not a trace of distortion or heavy effects either... the natural sound of mentally menacing vocals! There is a mild reverb effect on the vocals, but that is just it... sounds like a has been recorded in a very small claustrophobic room. Classic industrial sound, makes me think of classic stuff like Blackhouse. 

The second track is simply called Do. Again, excellent drum-machine rhythms and a haunting atmosphere. Vocal parts doing their part, more of a Skinny Puppy vocal without the effects (now that I think of it). Love the frustration in the vocal expression here, the idea of Lunacy can really be felt here! No light at the end of the tunnel here, really dark stuff!

The third and last track with Carlos Suero / Illman is called Fell. From the beginning, the listener can hear the presence of a sucking void. The drums have a slight martial feel here, while the vocals add the last desperate mood to the A-side. Lovely kind of asylum feel to the Carlos Suero tracks, very claustrophobic and very intense. 

We flip the cassette and continue with the B-side with Gyakusatsu. It doesn´t start like the former tracks, it does start all right... with a narrowing screaming microphone sound. Or is it the sound of a loose cord somewhere, either way... the listener wakes up on another sound level. Multi-layered industrial harsh noise. Lots of distortion, lots of screaming, and lots of feedback, and samples. The track is called After Dark...Lunacy. Power-electronics for the fans of HNW I think. 

Love the idea of having a split with 2 acts sounding VERY different from each other. As a listener you have two different acts, having their interpretation of lunacy. Whereas Carlos Suero works more on mood before action, Gyakusatsu has more of an action-before-mood approach. In other words, a truly schizophrenic sound experience!

Bandcamp (label):

https://marbrenegre.bandcamp.com/album/lunacy-split

  

 VRNA - Cathedral Inside Me

Last year we reviewed VRNA´s La Vecchia Madre album on Old Europa Cafe and this time we are reviewing the latest Cathedral Inside Me released by DumpsterScore Home Recordings. Limited as 50 copies on black tape, and 25 limited on red tape. About 34 minutes with 5 tracks spread out on the two sides of the tape. 

Really dig the groovy hippie-satanic vibe from the cover artwork itself, I read a bit about the album on Discogs and it was revealed to me that the artwork was based on some obscure us-horror porn flick called, High Priestess Of Sexual Witchcraft! (1973).  

The first track Spiritual Fog starts the track with a heavily distorted synth, which almost sounds like a heavily reverbed and looped ambient-black-metal guitar. Mysterious chanting voices fade in and out, while a cavernous texture of sound lurks above the listener. Lovely kind of cosmic horror ritual-ambient stuff, very high to the ceiling with lots and lots of space for paranormal activities. 

The second track Cave Eternal starts more as an industrial-noise-based ritual piece. The clattering and banging on metallic sheets, the flesh scraping wailing sounds of distortion pedals and a cool and pulsating death-industria bass as well. Close to early Test Dept and MZ.412 if you ask me. Love the metallic sounds, really lifts the ritualistic aesthetic. Another mysterious sound is present in there as well, hard to describe... could be the sound of some demon trying to push inside the recording itself.

The third track Mens Sana / Corpore Cruciati sounds like you just have entered a party for hardcore black metal and industrial fans.  The whole beast of sound has been firmly melted together into... a huge machine of Satan! Organic machine sounds, post-rockish guitars, ritualistic beatings, and lots of echoes and reverb. I think this track contains two parts because the other one (Corpore Cruciati) starts now. More of a slow-paced industrial-rock and doom sound here. Sort of like Godflesh (debut) in slow-motion. And why not? Sounds excellent. The drums here sound like bombs exploding in slow motion as well!  

The fourth track A Cathedral Inside My Body starts with a heavy and chopped-up helicopter sound, starting a very hypnotizing session here. Melodic monk-like chantings, and more of the satanic-industrial MZ.412 moods. Love CMI retro-feel here, also thinking bout acts like Archon Satani and Inanna here.

The fifth and last track The Keystone Ground To Ashes returns to that cosmic horror sort of feel (like the first track). A hypnotizing and flanged looped rhythm, guitar distortions, and a constantly looped screaming sound. The feeling of despair and utter doom are strongly at work here. Probably the most intense piece on the album. Love the almost desert-rock feel that the guitars have here, makes the stuff more unique.

A great album! Offering moments of post-black-metal elements, punishing and rusty industrial sounds, and pure esoteric mysticism. A worthy investment for anyone who is into pitch-black occultism with black candles, nude people, and everything.    

Bandcamp (label):

https://dumpsterscore.bandcamp.com/album/cathedral-inside-me

Bandcamp (band):

https://urna-rituals.bandcamp.com/

 Grim - Magnolia´s Dream

A new album from one of the veterans of industrial and power electronics. Grim has only one member, Jun Konagaya who also started the cult act called White Hospital. If you don´t know White Hospital, then I would highly recommend their album Holocaust from 1984. Sort of like SPKs Information Overload Unit! But anyways, after White Hospital then Jun Konagaya started Grim in 1986 with the debut Folk Music. And the act is still going strong, this one is the latest and is the 13th album by this act.

The album has been released by Steinklang, and has come out on limited vinyl, tape, and CD. My copy is on CD, and the CD is limited to 200 copies. A really nice and solid digipack with tons of intriguing artwork inside. Now the album has been named Magnolia´s Dream, not sure who Magnolia is (any help?). What you get (and see) on the artwork, is some ghostly (and creepy) looking humanoid-figure on various locations/photos. Looks like a child in some vintage Halloween costume of some sort. On the CD tray itself, there is a photo showing dolls (or cakes?) showing the same figure. Strangely disturbing, I have a feeling that the concept of the album smells of Japanese ghost-folk-lore of some sort. I think that each track has been represented in the booklet, with a photo/picture for each track. There are 10 tracks on the album, the first five tracks are called the Opium tracks, and the last 5 tracks are called the Syan tracks. It all looks pretty interesting so far! 

The first track Opium I has a kind of weird and surreal nursery rhyme that meets dungeon synth sort of vibe. Some highly altered spoken words are being added, not sure of the language... maybe Japanese. Some cool and haunting noisy soundscapes in the background as well. Love the intro, really weird and a good ear-opener if you ask me.

The second track Opium II jumps straight into a kind of rhythmic industrial noise-scape. Really love how the vocals have been done here, love the way the voice has been altered beyond recognition. I think there are vocals of some sort, sounds like a demon screaming from some other dimension. There is also a simple melody in all this. Very epic sounding, and very ritualistic piece.

The third track gets even weirder! Some Asian shaman guy chants the demons away, while a technoid techno-house rhythm is being added to raise the tension. I know it sounds kind of off, but for some reason, it actually sounds cool. Excellent rhythm with some added noise here and there, chopped up and all that... strangely catchy. 

From here we jump straight into the first Cyan track VI. Further into the surreal landscape of Japanese ghost tales. Monotone organ synths and chanting vocals with lots of cool echoes. Some extra soundscapes layers are in there as well. Another track with a slightly dungeon-synth vibe, or am I thinking funeral-synth vibe here? It sounds very good and has a cool atmosphere and everything.

The next track Cyan VII starts as a complete mess of surreal noisescapes and rhythmic noise being mixed together. After some seconds you are starting to realize that the chaos is actually pretty well organized, and then comes the cool disturbed (screaming) vocals. Some of this stuff could actually remind me of stuff like early Dive and Synapscape. 

Cyan VIII the next track, is a more... minimalistic sort of a track. Thumping and primitive electronic-based barbaric rhythms with some really cool noisy sounds follow the rhythm quite nicely. Some intense (extra) layers are added later on, with a more screaming sort of effect. Hard to describe this simple track and the effect it is having on me, give it a listen and expect your jaw to drop! 

I am just gonna reveal to you that all the other tracks which I have not reviewed are also very good tracks! An untraditional thing in the world of industrial and power electronics. Lots of elements/styles on this album, and I love the variation incredibly much. Not really power electronics, but closer to primal and raw industrial. You could compare it to the early recordings by MZ.412 (Malfeitor) and Dissecting Table as well. But then again, you also have those interesting synth melodies in there as well... which makes the release quite unique and interesting. It´s Japanese, but not Japanoise. It´s Grim, one of a kind! 

Bandcamp(label):

https://steinklangindustries.bandcamp.com/album/grim-magnolias-dream-2022 

Discogs (band):

https://www.discogs.com/artist/208262-Grim

      

  

 Madrelarva - Sol Interior

Sol Interior by Madrelarva from Marbre Negre. A Spanish experimental industrial/techno project which was started back in 2015. Highly productive act with lots of releases on different underground labels, the artist himself Julio Tornero has also recorded and released albums under his own name as well. Believe it or not, but this limited cassette is actually his 21st album released! It was released on the 10th of April 2022, with 3 tracks and almost 40 minutes long in total.

Interesting and eye-catching sort of artwork, with a strange and archaic-looking print/image. Black print on a purple background, very nice. The album title is translated as Inner Sun and the act's name is translated as Motherlarva. Not actually sure what the image is showing, I can see two females and some characters in the background with a kind of skull-like visage. The first female is laying down on something, while a blad-clad female is dragging her on some sort of cart (I think). If it has anything to do with an Inner Sun, then I guess that there is only one way to find out!

The first track Mecánica Celeste (Celestial Mechanics) starts on the spot. Surreal and rhythmic technoid industrial drums kick in, with some eerie warbling drones and sound effects adding extra to the otherworldly retro sci-fi experience. Very similar to early Deutch Nepal if you ask me, which is a VERY good thing! Absolutely love the strange rhythmic thumping going on, very addictive material here so far! The more focused you are, the more likely you´ll get completely hypnotized! The bass thumps stop and some distorted low-bit sounds are added while some ritualistic beatings continue the track. Almost a kind of storytelling approach here. There is a hi-hat kind of rhythm that has been with us from the start, a kind of bossa-nova feel over it. A very cool, mechanic, and technoid mood start after the ritualistic beatings. Coil with a techno feel? A perfect hypnotic track that u can listen to over and over again, excellent aesthetic rhythms and moods here... very excellent! 

We continue with the second track on the B-side. Called Bajo Superfecie (Under Surface). At the very start, I am already aware that we are dealing with the best track on this album! Mechanical tribal rhythms and mysterious esoteric vibes move the body and mind. Should attract listeners of Esplendor Geometrico, Muslimgauze, and even The Orbital here! It´s just done absolutely right, love the organic feel of both the rhythms and sounds here, everything just melts right into your mind. Not even halfway through yet! All the cool monotonously just continues (and thank god for that!) with excellent subtle changes. The whole mechanical process/rhythm then glitches and turns into a machine going haywire, but your head keeps on thumping after the addictive rhythms! Another rhythm section gets into the hardwired mess and succeeds in hacking a rhythm into it, at that point, there is no return for the listener! I mean wow!

Sadly, we get to the last track of the album called Extension Inabarcable De Materia Muerta (Endless Expanse of Dead Matter). Obviously, we are in some kind of subway, with the sound of something rhythmic happening further down the sub. Kind of a track that works as a sort of, chilling down after the other two tracks. Looped and monotonous track, that ends the album in total perfection!

A strange, unique technoid industrial being with a lot of eerie moods. An act (Which I think in my humble opinion) could need some attention. Underrated? Yes, it is... Why?... Because I have not heard about this act before! Be quick and buy the physical copy from Marbre Negre, you will not regret it!

Bandcamp (label):

https://marbrenegre.bandcamp.com/album/sol-interior

Bandcamp (band):

https://madrelarva.bandcamp.com/

 

        

 Icanus - Long Gone Leisures

A new solo project by David López Saludes (Barrera, Soma) on the Polish label Antenna Non Grata. A limited cassette release, how many?... I cannot tell though. A nice looking transparent tape, with a very greenish looking cover-artwork. Showcasing some wild vegetation of some sort. 

There are also some detailed written words about this project as well, here goes : 

Incanus is David López Salude’s (Soma, Barrera, Asylum Symphonies, etc.) Experimental/Noise/Drone project born in 2021 in the Mutan Monkey Lab in Barcelona. The project found its origins in an improvised recording session with gear that the artist never used before.

Incanus serves as the counterpart of Soma focusing on 100% improvised sets without further edition or mastering, but treating personal themes and thoughts in a more contemplative way and avoiding aggressiveness, unlike Soma.

And so it seems. Already the first track El Cant De La Tempesta (The Song of the Storm) starts with some vintage analog drone sounds. Much closer to the electronic sounds of early Tangerine Dream than the Rita! Cosmic surreal sounds set the mood, while additional high-pitched squeaks puncture the density of the soundscape. Sounds like the making of a lifeform, or could be used as a soundtrack for something similar. If you already have heard Asylym Symphonies, then there are similar vintage sounds that can be recognized here. Just has more of a Berlin-School vibe, than an industrial one. Very adventurous and inspiring sort of journey through the body kind of soundscape, almost 30 minutes long! Very intense and long experience, but well worth it if you give the track some patience. 

We flip the cassette and continue on the B-side with the second track called Eolo (Aeolus). See Greek mythology, the island kingdom of Aeolus, ruler of the winds. Very kind of windy-themed conception here! More of an ANW-inspired moment in the beginning, with similar analog vintage sounds in the background. There is also a very high-pitched sound in there as well, which works as a kind of ear opener if you ask me. Fans of early power electronics (and proto) might approve of this, kind of takes me back to early minimal Whitehouse and NON. Not hard and noisy, but very chilled-out psychedelic noise.

The third and last track on the album Timor Surgers, is a lot more of a mystery track than the former two tracks. Heavily distorted bass drones with the sound of multi-layered strings (of some sort) being heavily manipulated, through various reverbed sound effects. Interesting looped orchestral sounds here as well give the track a nifty ritualistic and esoteric feeling. Sudden eruptions of high-pitched harsh noise wake the listener up from a pleasant slumber, and then it ends while the monotonous soundscape rolls on. Really love the combination of noise acoustic strings and looped orchestral sounds. Working like pure sound alchemy.

A windy-themed esoteric concept called Long Gone Leisures does create a couple of questions. And the answers can be found within the recordings. Regarding the greenish wild growth of vegetation on the cover artwork, I am not sure. But, you are still having one heck of an album. All are made on the spot, 100% improvised through not-used equipment. Good evidence that David knows what he is doing, both subconsciously and consciously as well! Heavy chill-out noise for fans of early kraut-rock and industrial!

Bandcamp (label):

https://antennanongrata.bandcamp.com/album/incanus-long-gone-leisures

                   

 

 Depression Embrace / Vladkon - The Distance

Not a release from E.C.T Recordings but a release from a sub-label of E.C.T. Simply called S.E.C.T. An act called Depression Embrace and an act called Vladkon, with their album called The Distance. Each act delivers its ideas and visions of how depression and bleakness can be expressed through 21 minutes, which means that the entire split is about 42 minutes long. The beautiful physical release comes as a double 3"mini CDR, with cute and small jewel cases all bound into a cool-looking sleeve (and plastic bag as well). Second time I have come across a double 3"mini CDR release with small jewel cases, they are just soo damn adorable!  

But let us not get too sentimental about the cute jewel cases. Nothing cute and adorable here! The first thing I am getting into here will be the track by Depression Embrace called Сенке Праскозорја, which means Shadows of a Breaking Dawn. It starts with a cold and deep humming drone, the sort of sound one might expect to hear (or feel) in that dark forest that the cover artwork shows. There is the sound of something dripping here, and there is also the sound of a storm... brewing outside. There is something distant in the background, voices, and noises. I am not sure. Cannot help thinking about that flick called The Road with Viggo Mortensen or John Carpenter's The Thing, there is something about this recording that get´s you under the skin. Like walking through a forest in springtime, and there isn't the sound of birds or wildlife, or you just know all about the upcoming day of judgment. That kind of feeling, and for some strange reason... it´s actually incredibly enjoyable to listen to. I don´t know if that was the artist's intent, but hell... I like depressive and cold stuff, makes me happy! Excellent recording and excellent dark ambient here, totally raw, minimal, and heavy.

The next mini CD-R with Vladkon has an interesting (and rather esoteric-looking) kind of... Blair Witch project symbol. Kind of fits nicely if you again will consider the artwork. The track by Vladkon is called Bleakness Of Hope, which means that there is no hope. But is there hope in the recording itself? The whole starts as a synth-driven atmospheric soundtrack. Again with a nod or two to classic background music to the X-Files (or even Boards of Canada!). Cool and repetitive retro-synths with some distant screaming in the background don't sound like much... do give it a shot! Kind of slow-moving classical music being performed on a synth. With the cool retro synths and the tortured screams in the background, it basically sounds like someone in need of some kind of deliverance. A cool and horrific piece of retro-atmospheric and soundtrack-based ambient!

I absolutely love this double CD-R mini-release. Love the artwork and love the sounds within. It delivers what you see and feel, and doesn´t disappoint you at all. Raw dark ambient stuff without sounding like the boring (and polished) stuff! It´s absolutely magnificent! And again, either S.E.C.T or E.C.T doesn´t have a Bandcamp page, just read my review and then buy it (links below). 

Discogs (S.E.C.T):

https://www.discogs.com/label/1536361-SECT

Discogs (E.C.T):

https://www.discogs.com/label/1264202-ECT

Facebook (E.C.T):

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

 Asylym Symphonies - Mental Disturbances

As some of you might have noticed (Via Facebook), we have a new label to do reviews from. A true underground label from Athens, Greece. E.C.T. stands for Electro Convulsive Therapy and has been in action as a label since 2017, and as a distributor since 2019. The first one we are going to review from E.C.T. is actually a copy I received from the Spanish label Mabre Negre. And why is that you might ask? It´s simply because this act Asylym Symphonies contains members who more or less have strong ties to Marbre Negre. First of we have the founder and owner of Margre Negre, who also is responsible for such acts as Gyakusatsu and Urge To Kill. And then we have the guy behind the fierce HNW-act Barrera and Soma, who also have had several releases out on Marbre Negre. I don´t know who the last member though, a good friend maybe. Nevertheless, we´re talking a 3-men group! 

This release is their debut. A live recording during a rehearsal session. No master, no mixing, and no post-production. The release has come out as a cassette and as a CD-R edition. Each physical format has come out in 50 copies. The album contains 3 long tracks, 57 minutes in total! Each track is simply named Mental Disturbance I, II, and III. 

The first track Mental Disturbance I welcomes the listener into some kind of huge machine room. Echoed, screaming industrial noise and drones submerge the listener straight into it. Excellent multi-layered industrial with tons of psychedelic reverbed mood. Sort of like a mix between harsh noise and early Italian industrial (MB, Mauthausen Orchestra) if you ask me. I dig it, totally! Atmospheric intense recording, lots of stuff and action going on so far. Hard for me to describe all the sounds and stuff going on, but I'm trying my best! Already with this first track, you get that live-recording feeling. These guys improvise something together (not planned), and it actually ends up with something that sounds great!   

Track two and track three continue the same route. But again, with ALOT of sound dynamics and variation. Moving from moods being calm to truly aggressive noisy ideas! It´s not a head-on noise thing like Japanoise but works more as a kind of subtle industrial background noise for your local mental asylum. Look at the cover artwork for SPKs Information Overload Unit while listening to this, it actually does makes sense!

Another thing that I really like about this release is that you can feel (and sense) how these 3 people manage to connect and create a new language of sound on the spot. It´s a purely magickal moment of creativity, which (luckily) was recorded! 

Last thing kids. E.C.T. is a strictly obscure underground label. Wanna buy the album? Get in touch with them via the links below, no Bandcamp here folks!

Facebook (label):

https://www.facebook.com/ectrecs

Discogs (band):

https://www.discogs.com/artist/11252651-Asylum-Symphonies

    

Deprivation - Keep My Grave Open 

Deprivation hails from Italy, and behind this project hides a Mauro Sciaccaluga. An industrial/noise veteran who has been responsible for several projects (Saturnik Sektor, Shiver, Spasmo), as well as running his own label Diazepam. This project seems to be his main project since it has the most releases compared to his other projects. Started in 2012 with several releases from his own label and other labels as well (check the Discogs link below). A cool-looking jewel-case CD containing 6 tracks, about 40 minutes in total.

So what is Deprivation and how can u describe the sound within (just to give a quick introduction). I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff, classic Italian death-industrial! Namedrop the likes of Atrax Morgue, Morder Machine, Today I´m Dead, and proto stuff like Mauthausen Orchestra and MB of course. Looking forward to hearing this album!

The first track They Don´t Have To Know starts with the iconic Whitehouse sound, monotonous high-pitched feedback with a hypnotic texture attached to it. Joined up with a kind of morbid mood with clinical echoed sound effects, almost giving the listener an impression of being buried alive. Additional atmospheric sounds give the track some extra layers, and some really great (and horrific) distorted vocal screams from the world of the dead! I really love this, fans of Lille Roger and early BDN will understand!

The second track Everything On This Earth contains some kind of heavily distorted guitar sounds (I think) with some intriguing samples in the background. Very old-school 90s sound here, not that far away from Deathpile (If you remember). A very simple and highly atmospheric piece, offering brutal, brooding, complex, and intense psychedelic noise-scapes. 

The third track Hatefuck starts with a high-pitched electronic looped sound, another thumping rhythmic sound gives the track a kind of ... hospital feel ( Hamburger Lady?). Eerie distorted sounds with some fantastic Genocide Organ kind of vocals as well. 

The fourth track In The Folds Of The Flesh is a moody and nasty piece of flesh scraping harsh noise. Really love the primitive sort of bass sounds here, and I love how the layers of noise bury the listener like bricks. It does sound kind of chaotic, but there is a kind of structure here. 

The fifth track Cold At The Touch enters the-soundtrack kind of territory. Expressive guitar-based distortions with that classic and ominous humming bass sound, an excellent sample from some kind of catholic rite/hymn in the background give the track an extra paranormal edge. A real field recording between some guy and a paramedic, discussing the find of some dead girl (Overdose?)... Who is (As you can guess)... Cold At The Touch. A track with a paranormal almost spiritual ritualistic touch, an absolutely beautiful track.

The sixth track (and last) track The Shape Of Fear is something else. A thumping electronic rhythm and thick layers of primal harsh noise. Probably the most maniacal piece on the album, unpredictable and less structured. A nice way of ending the album. 

A truly bad-ass slice of retro 90s industrial-noise sound here. Great (and lovely) to hear that there are some still pursuing a sound that time almost has forgotten. Every track here is a good track, and every track on this album has a story to tell. Kind of like, bruising through some hard-boiled detective scrapbook (if you please). Need your power-electronics, death-industrial fix then check this one out!     

Bandcamp (label):

https://nekrogoatheresyproductions.bandcamp.com/album/keep-my-grave-open

Discogs (artist):

https://www.discogs.com/artist/1166807-Mauro-Sciaccaluga