Techno Animal "Re-Entry" (1995)

Today marks the beginning of a new era! I will no longer own my records... Finally I've got with the times and made the migration to Spotify. In doing so I haphazardly stumbled onto this record I couldn't find anywhere after listening to Ghosts back at the beginning of this blog. Techno Animal is an experimental side project manned by Justin Broadrick of Godflesh and Kevin Martin of God, two musicians deep in the early Industrial Metal scene but exploring a very different breed of sinister music here.

Re-Entry isn't as dark as I remember Ghosts being. It does however lean heavily into unease, tension and dread as its droning soundscapes venture on psychedelic depravity. Its a mental trip of looping sound design, organically unfolding with incremental changes that can transform a song over mostly lengthy outings. Its two CD format boasts halves of six tracks each, often clocking in well over the ten minute mark. The result is oddly meditative and soothing in an adventurous way. Dreamy music for setting atmosphere and tone to let the mind focus on other demands.

These compositions are near density, every instrument seemingly tuned for that slow meandering shift that occurs over its lengthy duration. Subdued percussive drums keep pace as Elctro-Industrial synth tones layer in a little zap and bleep tone texture, seemingly at odds with the music but melding in. Its best experiments seem to come on Flight Of The Hermaphrodite and Demodex Invasion. The first using Middle Eastern sounds and instruments to visualize a drug trip in Arabian deserts. The later morphs its drum loop through dizzying distant tonalities that wash in and out of focus.

Though in its worse, the remarkable chemistry of these tracks feels underdeveloped and neglected. Most of these songs are lumped in the second half, Catatonia and Red Sea are examples of experiments that didn't quite come together and lack direction. The twenty minute Cape Canaveral feels even weaker as a dull Black Ambient drone piece. The closing Resuscitator too is a lone drone of eeriness and without that lavish layering of odd noise and drums, it becomes unremarkable in comparison.

Its really just a handful of songs that shine here. Even then some feel stunted by a lack of progression. Moments to break the mold and give these songs a sense of arrival or event would really elevate it. There is however fascinating chemistry and visceral trips to be explored. With less filler and more focus this could of been something great but for the context of times, this experimental Avant-Guard release is quite unique and remarkable. How they got signed to Virgin Records, even more so!

Rating: 5/10

Kero Kero Bonito "Civilisation II" (2021)

 
Kero Kero Bonito are a London based trio led by singer Sarah Perry, who's half Japanese status has a clear cultural influence on the Electronic group. With warm shades of J-Pop and K-Pop influencing the audios character, this short three track EP Civilisation II was an excellent entry point for me. The feel good uplift and structural sensibility of Pop music finds itself in the arms of deep grooving electronic styles that drift in a direction I am far more familiar and comfortable with.

It kicks off with The Princess And The Clock, the chirpiest track speared on by driving percussive kicks that dial up the energy of a youthful, dancey, daydreaming song. Perry resonates warmly, her lyrics mirroring this slightly dreamy aesthetic has she sings a fairy tale of a royal prophecy fulfilled. 21/04/20 mellows out in a direction reminiscent of Anime theme music as its sparkly lead melody blossoms out of a glossy toned song. Perry's lyrics embellish normality with a sunny pleasantry as she words out the details of what might be a mundane day into something much prettier.

The third and longest cut at seven minutes is my favorite. Well Rested swiftly drops into an easy breezy groove of deep soothing bass and steady percussion. Its reminiscent to me of my favorites songs in the realms of Downtempo and Ambient electronic music. The mood is rustled up along the way with Perry making commanding remarks on a cadence fit for an activism rally. It arrives alongside jolty, slightly frenetic electronic leads that usher the second half of the jam into a livelier version of its own first half.

All of this wonderful songwriting is channeled through a wonderful productions that musters a fair helping of glossy reverb and timely echo to embellish that dreamier tone. All the while its many electronic instruments stay crystal clear and chirpy, dense in texture and color. The percussion too is imaginative with a great selection of both samples and pattern arrangements. All in all this brief fourteen minute outing is absolutely solid and has me very excited to discover more from this dynamic trio.

Rating: 5/10

Cranes "Self-Non-Self" (1989)

 

It would appear that once again I've been roped into another musical journey, spurred on by a spontaneous shuffle discovery. These always seem to be the best ways in. A captured curiosity is better than a forced one and turning back to this debuting, self released mini album, the intrigue has certainly grown. When reading up on this band, to my surprise the Industrial genre is rarely mentioned... How odd?

Perhaps it is my frame of reference at play here but the drive of jolted mechanical percussive rhythms and the cold pounding baseline noise give me strong Industrial feels. At this point Cranes also seem closer to Post-Punk, a pivotal musical period that would act as an umbrella term for many musical directions that sprung from it. Much like Wings Of Joy, Self-Non-Self toys with darkened atmospheres, journeyed by Shaw's innocent voice which on this occasion feels a little more mischievous.

 The songs are baron and bare. Its opening instrumental One From The Slum has a more upbeat pace with cheeky trumpet strikes chiming in. Swiftly tho the music crawls to the bleak with Beach Mover painting a hellish setting with mechanical whip cracks and deep metallic strikes of noise. Its a despairing soundscape from which the following music livens up in comparison. Cranes have their own niche of despair.

The darkness they explore is almost Gothic at times yet their approach currently reels them into their own space. The live recording of Reach is a highlight as the inclusion of shrill tremolo picked guitar leads over a lunging two power chord shift adds a mesmerizing quality to the atmosphere. Without it, the music would probably fit in a little more with the earlier tracks. So far I have enjoyed these songs but I am not sure it has much staying power in this form. I am however very curious to see where it all goes with that Dream Pop label hanging curiously overhead.

Rating: 5/10

Devin Townsend "Snuggles" (2021)

Having followed along with the Devin Townsend Podcasts during the pandemic, the unfolding story of this particular record has loosened in my mind after several release delays. I remember its counterpart, The Puzzle, as a project revolving around distant creative collaborations in which Devin has to figure out how the pieces fit together. This additional, shorter companion piece, locks in thirty eight minutes of ambient indulgences which feel like a refractive lens cast over the last twelve years.

It starts with a shift in tone that began with The Devin Townsend Project. The various inflections of ambience and a gentler still side of his craft emerging, this endowed some of those albums with soft flushes and swells of a calmer, serine energy. Much of that is explored here again as echos of acoustic guitars, pan flutes and electronic leads are engulfed in a wash of dense reverberations that play to his thick wall of sound production style. Even in such a mellow, soothing setting does Devin conjure a dense mist of cloudy ambiguous sound for us, the listeners, to fall into. Its a welcoming wash of warm colors and dazzling sparkles, continuously moving without intent. A gushing of easy tonality with no hint of anything remotely negative. 

It serves mostly as a background experience with all its moments seemingly falling in and out of each other, structure and direction left a miss. Its purpose too feels somewhat vague too as its aesthetic crown seems more like a veil of sound design than song writing with a point. As a result the whole thing drifts by like a care-free dream. A pleasant experience but one thats a little shapeless and without a proper focus on closer inspection. The one recurring theme I picked up on were the words "Its thee ocean" which seem to drift in and out of consciousness on occasion as Snuggles drones its way through its definitely snugly and fuzzy atmosphere.

Rating: 5/10

Gelure "The Candlelight Tomes" (2021)

This record found me in my lowest point of recent years. Sick with double ear infections, a lot of music was discernible and difficult to digest, even if I knew it already! Just as more frequencies were slowly returning, this soft, warm and airy set of songs crossed my path at the perfect time. My initial wonderment was heightened by the days of ill health prior. Since its charm has waned but their is no doubt The Candlelight Tomes has a flavor distinct from the norms of decrepit Dungeon Synth.

Reminiscent of Lord Lovidicus's melodic evolution, Gelure moves to the light, seeking light and warmth through its perpetual haze of angelic choral chants that uplift the tone at every turn. It does so while retaining a classic sense of nostalgia and ancient mystery. Its beautiful pallet of wondrous synth instruments are mixed well with enough fogginess to disguise the mechanical performance of its likely VSTs.

Initially the aesthetic is preformed with a meandering direction. Mood setting and atmosphere the initial result. The Bygone Hall Of The Tower Of Wailing Moons introduced medieval melody akin to Fief and some bombast with deep percussive tom drums. Its a direction that doesn't yield anything special. Frostcrown Of The Ice Meadow on the other hand uses its drums to crawl at a dreary pace. Its chilling, icy synths and lonely meandering melodies remind me of Lycia's Darkwave classic Cold.

The following songs exchange between these two derivatives without a sense of something unique. The point I am trying to land, is the promise of its initial two songs. They had quite the chemistry, simple in composition with the potential to manifest into something larger, instead the following songs felt all to similar for a seasoned Dungeon Synth explorer. I love this genre but the common theme of late seems to be initial excitement that dissipates into a familiarity. Some freshness Is what I seek.

Rating: 5/10

Bæst "Necro Sapiens" (2021)

 

Released in March of this year, this attempted behemoth of Death Metal disgust, Necro Sapiens, managed to slip under my radar! In previous efforts I've described Bæst as the Danish Bloodbath for similarities musically but more notably for the dense guttural roars of Simon Olsen which mirror that of legend Mikael Åkerfeldt from Opeth.

At forty four minutes this third record has felt like a meaty affair on every occasion. Its search of grandeur ever-present as grueling themes play out with an unrelenting intensity. Reaching for the epic, its march of brutality is a grinding one. The music gasps for breaths of air while strangulated by the demonic roars of Olsen who drowns out any melodic refrains to lighten the tone. That intensity seemingly holding it back.

As so often a Death Metal record does, an arsenal of riffs is lined up for assault. Necro Sapiens deploys all forms, from evil melodic inflections to slamming pummels of chugging palm mutes with all in between. The bad news is the lack of originality or freshness. At this point in a stagnant genre, the ideas have all been heard before and the arrangements in search of greatness seemed to fall ill of its own medicine.

I can hear the vision, a careful composition of riffs exchanging brutality and dramatic themes with its unruly lyrics peering into wretched biblical filth of angels and demons and the scourge of humanity. Its all to be expected however it just doesn't click! I'm left with nowhere to point for an excuse, the performance and execution is excellent, the record sounds wonderfully rich and powerful yet with every listen these songs fail to muster that adrenaline charged excitement. I'm left wondering is it me or the music?

Rating: 5/10

Cult Of The Damned "The Church Of" (2021)

 

UK Hip Hop collective Cult Of The Damned return for a beef seventy one minute sophomore record of straight rhymes and beats. The Church Of is stylistically stagnant with their formula unchanged. 90s beats and a production style leaning to the dark, gritty, sombre tones suiting the obnoxious, braggadocios and often self depreciating rhyme schemes. The group deploy their words with a scarcity of hook and chorus, putting a lot of pressure on their verses to carry the album. The backing instrumentals trend towards a subtler roll of tone setting and atmosphere building as opposed to rocking banging beats which it does with a handful of tracks.

With such a large set of tracks the cracks emerge after just a few listens as the quality of rhymes appear to diverge. The mostly Wu-Tang free association style gives the Cult a lot of creative room for pages of clever, witty and pun ridden rhymes. The issue is this record is a book and quickly do the best bits feel sparse between mediocrity as the beats loose keenness in repetition. Sticking to their exaggerated, unhinged, sleaze embracing personas the lyrical creativity feels stale with familiarity. Individuals cadences and tone of voices don't move a budge. Still fun and expressive but drawn out over this duration it gets a little dull with the overall temperament unable to shift.

Pushing off the criticism, there is greatness to be found here. All the beats are solid, however it always seems to be the stronger cuts that house my preferred verses. Norman's Theme, Gung Foo, Step, Good News and the dark and gristly nine minute epic Henry Shots, all have great chemistry. Once again Bill Shanks and Tony Broke are on great form with the better lines. It would I've been nice to hear more of Broke who is absent on too many of these tracks. To wrap it up, The Church Of doesn't move the needle stylistically or thematically in any direction, so there are no surprises from a group who's style doesn't always embody the highest standards.

Rating: 5/10

Izioq "Kyokan" (2021)

 

Three years on from Hey Listen! The return of Izioq comes with a big shift in style as this supposed game soundtrack ushers in moody atmospheres and a restful pace in the wake of its often upbeat, energetic and wondrous childlike playfulness. I say supposed because I can find no information on what game this is for, however it might simply be a creative exercise in writing music to compliment a particular vision.

  Having played the short twenty minute record often while playing Minecraft, I've found its composition to be minimally apt for conjuring a setting. Each track finds its flavor with the bare bones of instruments and percussion required, often leaning into the power of the space between sounds. Tonally they can be quite different acoustic guitar tones offering a contrast to the synth keys and snappy drums heard.

The album art suits its emotional resonance. A setting sun, the end of a day, finality, conclusion. Kyokan feels lightly sombre and melancholy. With no fear, dread or darkness, the music still comes from a place of warmth and safety but its odd poise suggests a sadness that sometimes visits at the end of something beautiful, hence a setting sun, bringing to end a day filled with joyous memories.

Rating: 5/10

Between The Buried And Me "Colors II" (2021)

 

Once a fresh and exciting band on the rise in my youth, Between The Buried And Me now have two decades to name. To my ears, their identity settled around the landmark record Colors. Since then its been a string of familiar and fun romps, blasting a Progressive Metal brandished by their particular flavor. With a recent personal desire to branch out I wanted to skip this one by, feeling that Between had become a little predictable with ambitious by design music. Then again, this is the sequel to the album with Prequel To The Sequel! Colors II! Surely something special is at play?

Either by exhaustion, saturation or my mood, sadly my enjoyment cannot say this is worthy of the title. Beyond that, the music has played out like a sporadic array of twisting aggression, sudden pivots and crowded complications has the instruments often cramming in a lot of unnecessary texture and notation that its songs end up like disorienting river rapids. Some arrangements, riffs and moments have power, intrigue and excitement but mostly it drones on as its mammoth eighty minutes grind away.

 I can't help but feel that Tommy's harsh, snarling shouts added to this grinding feeling. The album is interspersed with beautiful clean singing and non metallic instrumentation which often amounted to my favorite moments when the unrelenting subsides. That's when themes flourish and melodies lead the way but some of them too get a little to self indulged too. Progressive music like this is a tightrope to walk. In this case I felt as if it came of with more thought than feeling. Too much of the record is unnecessarily complicated and overloaded, amounting to an overly busy set of songs with some moments of fun and grooves sprinkled throughout.

Rating: 5/10

Erang "Prisonnier Du Rêve" (2021)

 

Its album number nineteen for Erang! A release that arrives with a drastic stylistic shift, the first to truly shed the Dungeon Synth and Fantasy origins. Heading for a new adventure in the realms of electronic nostalgia, the pallet of instruments migrates to buzz saws, sine waves and all manor of oscillating synths to house a familiar sense of composition and melody. Initially starting out with a chirpy and upbeat vibes of childhood wonder, Machine Humanoïde reels the mood in towards familiar darkly Synthwave vibes of Anti Future and Songs Of Scars for just a few tracks. Its presentation and promotion, all conducted in native French, plays into the albums narration, a mischievous voice narrating the twists and turns that come about with each song. Of course as linguistic illiterate, this is just my interpretation.

With a more familiar middle, its start and end sections jostle melodies in such a predictable way that I almost want to abstain from opinion. The shift in pallet doesn't drift far enough for a surprise. Being this deep into the French musicians discography, there is little that of the chord progressions, arpeggios and general notation that feels fresh or unexpected. The production style also leaves little out of focus. With all its instruments and percussion crisp and clear, the textures of big bustling old-school synth waves overpower the focus and rather quickly does it overstay its welcome. Its a nostalgic affair for old school synth and early electronic music with spacey overtones. It doesn't always click when dealing with and aesthetic heard many times before.

That being said, Erang always has vision and intent. Emotion is ripe and present as one feels the realm they carve out for themselves. For me, C'était Demain and Demain Les Mondes ride the basics a little to hard on bare bones compositions where as L'avenir Et La Mer and Passage land the ending well scenic and soundscape alike compositions weaving between the melody led strides. Ultimately I've enjoyed Prisonnier Du Rêve for being what I like about this musician but the artistic stride for something new and different feels only knee deep this time around.

Rating: 5/10

C418 "Cookie Clicker" (2021)

 

A return to always be welcome with open arms is that of C418! Creator of wonders such as 148 and the timeless Minecraft soundtracks, excitement always blooms with news of fresh music. Three years on from Excursions, Daniel gives us a short twenty two minute release most alike that of his signature Minecraft sound. These new songs compliment that niche well, as I have learned, binging Cookie Clicker on repeat while residing within the blocky virtual realm. Its five songs connect like a single thread, carrying its main musical theme and melody from start to end.

It's a typically dreamy, whirling affair of progressive arpeggios bustling on with the ebb and flow of surging synths that rise and fall to briefly fly alongside it. Initially percussion is bare bones, building intensity and design with its steady pace as the music moves through several sudden shifts, eventually finding a burst of light for its crescendo. The mood is one of ethereal beauty, lost in a passing day dream.

With Grandmapocalypse that all changes as deep baselines and brooding waveform synths muster a little night life Synthwave flavor to lure us into a lean and dark corridor for the charming main melody to navigate. Danger lurks but one is always safe. Ascend then deforms much of the music into clusters of ambience and soundscape design, passing by before Click Forever brings back the arpeggio for one last swing.

The freshness of this music is exciting but ultimately it is one main musical theme fleshed out and thoroughly explored in its twenty minutes. On an album it could be but one single track. With more repetition I wouldn't be surprised if its magic dulled a little but thoughts aside its just nice to hear this musician again! His sound is still his own.

Rating: 5/10

KSI "All Over The Place" (2021)

 

Taking action on ambition and following his dreams, I've got nothing but respect for KSI choosing to step out of one lane and maneuver into another. Little of what I'd heard before lured me in but the Holiday song was the soundtrack to my own summer vacation and since then I've mulled over this one a fair few times, waiting for something to click. Sadly, I haven't escaped what's most obvious, Olajide is currently more budget than talent. Although he brings expression, thoughts and passion to the fold, he is constantly outpaced by production that is as its titled, all over the place!

The records sixteen songs fracture into a lot of interesting vibes. Strongly inspired by the British music scene, one can hear the classic stylings of the 90s electronic, 00s Garage and R&B with a sprinkling of Grime. The project is mostly packaged with modern aesthetics, taking a predictable yet occasional path into Trap beats wedged between mostly warm, uplifting instrumentals with some colorful Caribbean flavor too.

With KSI revealing how his features are paid for, it adds a sad note as his guests pretty much outshine him at every corner. I'd always figured features were a friendly affair, artists working with friends for the art but it seems in the Rap scene this can be purely business too... or somewhere in between as things are never black and white!

Holiday is still the albums best track. In fact its the one song where KSI shines, getting everything just right. For the most part he does sound like someone attempting to find their voice on the rest of the cuts. Ironically its the more candid and plainly spoken Sleeping With The Enemy that is most endearing. Although his flow is plain jane, the words really hit home, an authentic expression. My conclusion here? I'm really not sure, this record essentially sounds like what it is on paper, someone with a big budget giving a shot at the music game.

Rating: 5/10

Old Sorcery "War Of The Old Kingdom" (2021)

 

It is my guess that the recent Hand Of Merlin soundtrack left the Finnish musician with inspiration and ideas that have spilled over to this wondrous three track EP. They are somewhat disconnected from one another yet equally fantastical, the thematic moods and drama of the OST had Old Sorcery reaching into new territory. Now clawing it back into the Old Sorcery cannon, a familiar esoteric, foreign and cryptic voice narrates these three adventures, giving them a loosely unifying through line.

Council Of The Battle Sorcerers is an eight minute epic of distant tensions, epics yet to be told in a fantasy realm of gleaming beauty and natural magics. It steadily journeys through majestic scenery, the discernible words of a shadowy, ancient voice ushers in moments of creeping darkness that never outpaces the warm embrace of this lush soundscape. Its adventurous melodies, through many phases, continuously usher in a magical warmness fit for a world of fantastical beings devoid of technology.

Triumphant Eyes ramps up the intensity in a sudden change of direction. The drums of war beckon, tense strings heed the call of battle and a sense of coming destruction broods. Its an animated number of moving parts and scenic magnitude fit for a big screen epic. The drama is flushed aside as our cryptic narrator returns over the sounds of sword and shield clattering on the battlefield. From there though, things steadily unwind and fizzle out for echos of the voice to call again from the ashes.

Echoes In The Stillness is perhaps a crossroads between the two. War drums drive the track forward as its melodies linger between the fantastical and illusive mysterious of this fantasy realm. As the drums pull out it meanders its direction to that recurring voice again, this time a little less potent in direction and theme. Overall this is an impressive release bringing new ideas into the fold but aside its one unifying element, seems a bit disjointed track to track. It is all immensely enjoyable though.

Rating: 5/10

Fear Factory "Aggression Continuum" (2021)

 

Having been on somewhat of a Fear Factory binge recently, It would of been nice to have first written about some of their classic albums as the Los Angeles band have stuck rigidly to their formula over the years. So unsurprisingly, this new collection of ten songs offers little more than a rehashing of ideas that were once a breath of fresh air. That being said, Aggression Continuum is hard not to enjoy. Fear Factory tighten up the mechanical pummeling machinery with crisp and clicky drums, tightly chugged low end grooves and punchy synths to amp up a spacey component to their sound.

With an anger fueled theme of anti establishment dystopia, the tracks move through predictable motions. Swaying from the tight, cold mechanical channeled aggression of their syncopated rhythmic assault, to the warm uplifts led by Burton Bell's enigmatic clean vocals. They swoop in with a swooning power that pulls the metallic beast towards the heavens above. Between them, there is always room for a Groove or Thrash riff to bust out and please the crowd with the mosh riff but on this album those break out moments didn't carry the impact like they've had in the past.

A couple good songs in the opening get things off to a good start but as the music stretches on the song structures dissipates into mediocrity as to much hinges on the singular ideas. Its symphonic component could of been an interesting avenue to be explored as its underwhelming yet gleaming strings offer a little more humanity that the Industrial leaning synth tones one might expect. This "cleaner" tone sounds nice but the chemistry rarely feels more than the sum of its parts.

With Fear Factory being a band of intentness pummeling of tightly syncopated grooves, much of the record becomes a drone as track after track does little to splay aesthetics or formula. Its more interesting riffs and moments gets spaced out to far between this monotony and thus with each listen the excitement wore of quickly. Ive been trying to make an effort to avoid predictable records like this. Given its been six years I was really hoping the absence would yield something special on return.

Rating: 5/10

Foreign Objects "The Undiscovered Numbers & Colors" (1995)

 

Excited to dive into an extra helping of recently revived magics enjoyed years back, this five track EP was sadly not at the level of the lively Universal Culture Shock released nine years later. In that time between the duo had formed and toured with CKY, undoubtedly becoming better musicians in the process. Whats remarkable is how keen the music by these two young high school teenagers actually is.

The Undiscovered Numbers & Colors is again a Progressive Death Metal project, inspired by the evolving scene of the decade and smothered with melody. They have forged quite the upbeat, vibrant sound, jostling with technical feats and discordant creativity, the music flows through a web of intricacies weighted by the rough throaty shouts of Deron Miller and Jess Margera's dexterous percussive might.

The core of the music resides in the guitars and drums. Its fun, lively, chained by aggression and lifted by its color. Along for the ride an ambiguous synth section aligns the music with a thin string backing, odd noises and the occasional drones of noise that sounds like audio feedback. Strangely I like its presence in this form, slightly alien and unsightly. Delve opens up another strand with a gorgeous keyboard intro on a bright luscious piano. Its darkly majesty quite the shift in tone but its enjoyable.

Ultimately I'm left with a familiar feeling that comes from exploring old records I missed out on at the time. It will be cliche but I would of bonded with this one much more in my youth. As I final remark I'd say for a supposed demo the production quality is impressive. The instruments are punchy, vibrant and distinct, something other extreme bands where just figuring out around this era in time. Impressive.

Rating: 5/10

Carpe Tenebrum "Majestic Nothingness" (1997)

 

Following up on Mirrored Hate Painting I decided to checkout Astennu's debut under the same moniker. On Majestic Nothingness he is the lone musician handling all aspects of the music. Sadly the magic of his enigmatic lead guitar voice that lured me to this project is yet to blossom. It can be briefly heard in an infantile stage but what the record offers in tone is rather different given the lack of influence that his future band mates Dimmu Borgir would endow him with.

As a Symphonic Black Metal project from the other side of the globe, Carpe Tenebrum is a very competent record for the times. It sets out to achieve its vision of a darkly realm through song writing and the atypical shifts in momentum that draw charm from the emergence of complimenting synths. The aesthetic is a little dim and stiff with dainty distortion guitars and its reasonably disguised drum machine that pounds out blast beats without too much mechanical intrusion.

 The most detracting element is Astennu's vocals. His scowling shouts and groans are laid bare leaving him thin, naked and without oomph or power. Essentially its an underwhelming presence, brittle and raspy. His texture doesn't packing enough punch for power or darkness. When stepping into the "clean" territory of burly singing its a little off note to be charming but nothing truly terrible. With more bass and some reverb this could of easily been a few shades better.

When its on, one adjusts to its aesthetics, capable yet lacking in vibrancy. The album goes through the motions, with all the tropes, shifts in pace, alternations of blast beats and half placings that I love. Its a typical record of the genre but doesn't leave an impression with any of its moments sticking. I don't think the record ever plays itself up with much bombast as the framework is generic and the guitars all to muzzled to dazzle. If I had found this in my youth however... I could of possible devoured it alive! Its just like that, I have heard everything on offer here before already.

Rating: 5/10

Wampyric Solitude "Carpathian Melancholy" (2020)

 

Intrigued by the despairing loneliness found among the deeper carvings on Lost Ages of Darkness, I set my sights on finding another record. Operating under a variety of other monikers, this anonymous musician's other incarnations where all to brash and obvious for my taste. The hazardous machinations of militant percussion and Dungeon Synth failing to evoke the magic its intentions clearly strode for under an awkward and bumbling aesthetic. So I returned to the aptly named Wampyric Solitude to find a different approach to a familiar feeling with a melancholic title all to fitting.

Pivoting from the contained variety of shorter tracks, Carpathian Melancholy lurches into the lengthy as its five tracks, averaging ten minutes each, births its inspiration through long, yearning passageways of brooding unease and distant tension. Minimal in nature, its groaning synths steadily build atmospheres that are ripe in the background, meditative as they sink into the subconscious of a distracted mind. Its opening number, The Night And The Sorrow, can't help but carry a subtle uplift in cloudy gloom that fondly reminds me Brian Eno's An Ending (Ascent). Its starlit astral synth tone, cutting through the reclusive lingering doom.

Each track pivots and this This Sanguine Affliction steers us to the smoky Noir Jazz vibes again as its haunting hi hat plucks at ones sanity with its grounded tempo. The song musters a rise in its conclusion as the eeriness gathers gusto but mostly it is a slow, drawn out affair of mood setting. The title track is the one song to offset this template of slow, methodical brooding. Its sorrowful opening strings suddenly pivot past the mid point, erupting with a startling piano, passive drum beat and grave vocals. They wretch in pain, smothered in a predictable reverb, howling despairing lyrics. Eventually some hazy distortion guitar is ushered in. Its tone intriguing but the song is locked into its depressive state, paralyzed in repetition.

I don't feel too strongly about it. Maybe it comes shy of something grander but overall this stretching out of duration made the music serve mood and atmosphere more so than its own spectacle. The softness and subtlety I once praised feels lost in its lengthy nature but still this record has offered another flavor of background music, for focus on other tasks, that I may return to on occasion if inclined.

Rating: 5/10

The Kovenant "In Times Before The Light" (2002)

 

Its interesting how a legal battle incurred not only a name change but also a shift in sound and identity for this Norwegian duo. Nexus Polaris would suggest this transformation was possible but it was Animatronic that solidified it, the first album released under The Kovenant name. A few years on from that record the pair decided to re-record their debut full length In Time Before The Light. Under their new moniker, the approach was to re-write the songs in their new Industrial infused aesthetic and the results are mixed.

Staying faithful to the original song structures, it is mainly the instrumentation that gets an update to match the fantastical dystopian sound. Without the measured pace of Industrial Metal guitars churning out choppy palm muted chords the original riffs rub up against its now lavish synth sounds. So to do the blast beats, when the atypical plunges into Black Metal darkness come, its a point the music is at its weakest.

Much of the original lone and linear synth lines feel stripped out, replaced with Industrial noises and re-worked textural tones for the new electronic enhanced aesthetic. Over top of them reigns a lavish dance of illustrious pianos, blazing through rapturous melodies, outpacing the music with its hasty notation. Along for the ride come the retro spooky and carnival keys too, they often sound a little suspect in presence.

 The better songs beforehand tend to hold up here but overall, its hard to enjoy this one being able to hear how these songs were converted. Sticking so rigidly to the original track design creates an odd contrast, where the musicality excels individually against outdated songs structures. In other words this wondrous sound the duo fell into moved with their songwriting too. Ultimately it leaves a stale taste but has me curious what I would think had I gotten to know these re-recordings first?

Rating: 5/10

Anna Von Hausswolff "Ceremony" (2013)

 

Stepping backwards in time, we arrive upon Swedish songwriter and Organist, Anna Von Hausswolff's sophomore record. As The Miraculous hinted, the engulfing esoteric gloom and might of her burdensome terror had yet to emerge. Ceremony feels rather undefined in its direction, closer to musical traditions stemming back to the 70s with songwriting, moods and templates that are yet to diverge from common and folksy sounds. Darkness is the flavor she brings but in this outing its just a shadow of the witchery yet to be discovered, more of a still and sombre grayness gently cast.

Interchanging her operatic voice with pipe organs and an array of string instruments, these calmed song temperaments gracefully cruise by. The second song Deathbed is the one track indicating her future direction. Its bludgeoning Doom Metal drone and grating guitar chords spell horror between her voice and colorful organs giving pause for light. The record then meanders into a string of bare and minimal musings, before traditional elements emerge towards the end, tethered to her subtle gloom.

I could get deeper into the particulars, her voice and instrumentation echoing strong feelings from many a musical style and artist heard before but that alone was the key take away. Rather than striding into new territory with something to shock and awe, at this stage Anna was still finding her feet, writing wonderful songs that have been enjoyable and even moving on its better tracks like Ocean. Ultimately though, its all a bit infantile in the shadow that her future self will cast.

Rating: 5/10

Dysmorphik "Everything Else" (2005)

 

Everything Else is no official release but an amalgamation of experiments, unfinished works and remixes from my personal collection of MP3s, scraped from websites long gone. Dysmorphik has been a personal gem for many years. With my recent covering of ...And To The Republic and Tick, Screech And Halt, I also decided to upload all the music to Bandcamp for others to enjoy. I cannot express how much fun and strange emotional experiences this unique sound has brought me. This post serves as a reminder to check out the aforementioned albums, both in my words and on the Bandcamp page as you can now hear them and this assortment of additional songs.

Kicking off with Nubile, we get the formation of ideas which fail to spark into a bigger picture, it serves well as an intro track being a minute long. Fractures of melody give way to the thumping cascade of obnoxious drum kicks and weakened sirens. The later extended version gives insight to the layering of fuzzy static noise and expansion of the song into a Gabber nightmare of dirty bass pummeling and gritty stacks of mechanical interference. The noise aspect of this sound is expanded on Effects, likely a jam track of experimentation that gives insight into how much of this madness is derived from experimentation. Meat N Static bridges that motif, blossoming with structure and concept as an abrasiveness set of sounds are driven forth with bombastic intensity. The noisescape twists and shifts intermittently, finding sporadic bursts of striking groove between its uncomfortable respites.

The five minute song Penetrate Your Pain comes in two forms with the superior second iteration revealing the craft and care involved. With this electronic music being spat out by the computer, one can hear the identical notes, drum patterns and even spurious noises from the VSTs having their knobs and dials tweaked in pursuit of perfection. Its been a favorite of mine but always felt like a human voice was missing. The remixes have other musicians hands over Dysmorphik's music and consequently doesn't yield much of my interest. If your curious in anyway about this mad, dystopian, alien hybrid of Noise and Industrial then these extras are worth a bit of your time.

Rating: 5/10