Fashionably late (As has become a reluctant tradition for me) please behold my 6 favourite records from 2018...
From The Bogs of Aughiska - Mineral Bearing Veins
Released: September 28th via Apocalyptic Witchcraft
Producer: Ronan Hayes
Bringing together the darkest reaches of folk, Black Metal, Dark Ambient and a sprinkling of Noise, this Irish Trio of lone wolves are intent on an individual approach to their art.
In the past the group have collaborated with a plethora of extreme metal stalwarts including Mories (Gnaw Their Tongues) and Chris Naughton (Winterfylleth) as well as acclaimed Irish storyteller Eddie Lenihen (who makes a re-appearance on this album).
Opening track ‘Scubatuinne’ is a peaceful, melodic harp prelude to this noir affair, which soon becomes apparent with the arrival of the follow up - ‘Poll An Eidhneain’ which is immersed in Dark Ambient flair. A field recording of water slowly trickling down a drain drips through the heart of the track, a synth line intertwined with flairs of feedback sets the scene before giving way to chunky chords and guitar harmonies - reminiscent of Mastodon’s early work - that build up to reveal a blasting, unstoppable force that threatens to break out of your speakers. When it cuts out, the track’s final seconds leave us with only the aforementioned field recording. It’s an awesome opening gambit, and only teases us of what’s to come.
You can watch a video for the track HERE
In ‘Wake of Buzzards’ the icy ambience looms ominously, while narration speaks of mythology, folklore and dark superstitions that only add to the overall eeriness. ‘Crataegus’ continues the previous track’s work, with the bird calls remaining audible we’re presented with a new narrator now speaking old Irish tongue. Blasting drums hail the arrival of heaviness, distorted vocals howl over a searing Black Metal passage.
Although this section does admittedly sound a little squashed, I personally feel it works in the band’s favour as it requires the listener to really prick up their ears if they are to gain anything from it at all.
But it’s ‘The One Whitethorn Bush’ that really is the album’s crowning glory, storyteller Eddie Lenihen warns of the danger of disrupting the abodes of fairies who dwell in common hawthorn bushes, meanwhile the group’s spine-tingling synths embellish the darkened soundscape. For me it harks back to my early adolescence, up late at night with my old battered cassette copy of Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘Tales of Mystery and Horror’ (narrated by Christopher Lee) whirring away in my walkman, wide eyed and far too terrified to sleep.
‘The Devil is an Irish Man’ leads us through wails of noise, droning chords, blasting drums and screaming guitars that pick up blazing speed and accelerate toward ‘An Speadaladoir’ where the final notes bleed into a layered vocalising of a traditional Irish folk tune.
Finally we are met with epilogue soundscape ‘Lios Duin Bhearna’ comprised of eerie synth choirs and severe blasts of noise, it’s an unforgettable closer to an unforgettable album.
The fact that this was all assembled on basic computer software just goes to show that the only limits creators place on themselves is their own creativity, not the amount of money available to splash out on pricey audio equipment. Lesser bands take note!
Inspirational, Cinematic and at just under 30 minutes, ‘Mineral Bearing Veins’ is over before you know it, but every step down it’s cold dark path is an incredible audio trip and fully destined to become a future cult classic.
photo by Nina Kristin
POLIVOKS - Origin of Species
Released: August 28th via Spider Baby
Producer(s): Death Tape Super Bass, Angel Marcloid, Dennis Jaymes and LessThanOne
“A man is like a computer. He is programmed by heredity and environment.”
Curated by Alex Steinmetz (Death Tape Super Bass) ‘Origin of Species’ features contributions from LessThan One, Angel Marcloid and Dennis Jaymes - as well as Alex’s own audio experiments - this 30 minute is a shining example of old school electronic industrial mixed with dark ambience swirled through a kaleidoscope of progressiveness while aptly commenting on humanity’s unstoppable downward spiral into automation.
On the opening and title track, a disembodied voice (sampled from an IBM advertisement) and a sputtering effect set the scene while warped field recordings are dialled up to screeching point before disappearing beneath a sea of static.
‘Id Machine’ drives home the point of automation with more voice samples, (who seem to be caught up in an argument) next, ice cold synth tinges on ‘Structure’ brush against a pulsating beat interspersed with spacey sound chimes.
‘Recorded Time’ is a whirr with bleeps and whirrs while short interlude ‘Surviving’ brings together an air-raid siren, clanging metal and some unidentifiable eastern percussion instrument at first beginning life as a soft soundscape but soon the atmosphere turns very threatening, with bombs dropping overhead making me recall groups such as Test Dept but on a more minimalist scale.…
Feedback invades the hearing space on ‘Dream Machine’ before warping into a buzzing drone noise wall, meanwhile ‘Cognitive Electronic’ features a manipulated recording of a piano, our bodiless narrator returns, his voice warped to a slow yet still decipherable jumble. Sound effects squeak away before quickening in pace, giving way to a warped synth pulse works it’s way through a series of filters before emitting short bursts of noise at random.
Closing soundscape ‘Integrated Lunacy’ is a ritualistic feast of dark ambient electronic, feedback looming in-between metallic banging, it’s reverberations bubbling against one’s eardrums make for an ethereal ending.
With a very vintage feel it’s a must listen for older electronic fans but there is plenty here to satisfy any newcomers and I look forward to seeing what the POLIVOKS team put their hands to next!
I briefly caught up with Alex Steinmetz to shed some light on the project as well as his work…
DMD: What was the catalyst in bringing all the different composers together for POLIVOKS?
Alex Steinmetz: My primary recording project and moniker DEATH TAPE SUPER BASS is a very solo-ish recording output. Sometimes I do a one off collaboration with other artists but not often enough. I wanted to create a project where I collaborate with others as kind of a band. Some of my best noise music I’ve made has also come out of collaborations and I wanted to come back to that.
Graham Williams (LessThanOne) and I had collaborated 50/50 on an album called “Eyes Without A Face” after I remixed one of his early albums. It turned out really well and I wanted to continue collaborating with him.
POLIVOKS started as just a collaboration between me and Graham, then I added some other tracks that I requested from my friends Angel and Dennis for the project but Graham and I did most of the recording.
DMD: Will there be another POLIVOKS release in the future? And if so, will it follow a similar concept to ‘Origin of Species’?
AS: Yes! Graham and I are working on a new album. Things are still kinda coming together and in their early stages, but speech synthesis/computer voice and radiophonic sounds are playing a big role in this album. The concept is definitely technology, more about computer sentience and the history of computer voice than anything. If anyone dug the last one they should dig this more.
DMD: Where there any particular releases from 2018 that you enjoyed and would like to elaborate on?
AS: The new Firetoolz album was dope. I also really enjoyed Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe’s “Kulthan”. Aaron Dilloway’s “Gag File” came out in 2017 but it’s still in regular rotation as well as all new Wolf Eyes and Wolf Eyes side projects. Also always blasting this years new Oh Sees/OCS releases at my graveyard shift job.
DMD: What does the name POLIVOKS mean?
AS: Polivoks means ‘mutli-voice' in Russian. It’s also named after the Polivoks synthesizer that was developed in the Soviet Union. It was made under a lot of constraints and sounded very harsh and heavy and was a pretty unique instrument.
DMD: Finally, what does 2019 hold for you and Death Tape Super Bass?
AS: I make films as well as recording for Death Tape Super Bass. Weird experimental and messy animation. So hopefully more of that. I’m trying to do more fleshed out concepts with my sound recording output rather than “Oh shit this sounds rad”. I’m also hoping to score another short film that my girlfriend Gaby is doing. I’ll be relocating back to Chicago and I'm hoping to do more live shows.
Also Recommended: Death Tape Super Bass - Screamer
A short but intriguing sonic scrapbook made up of with dark synth ambient (‘Born Again’) musique concrete (‘Rubber and Wood’) and Harsh Noise Wall (‘Empty Room’).
A definite highlight for me is the longest and closing track ‘Creature Feature’ featuring garbled, looped vocals over a batch of audio wreckage that swiftly transforms into a sharp ‘ready-for-take-off’ power drone reminiscent of the old school THX Movie sound intro!
It’s jarring, schizophrenic, and over before you know it, but it’s still a fine showcase of Alex’s all encompassing dark, altered sound-verse.
The Wyndham Research Institute (LessThanOne with JG Sparkes) - Selected Notes Vol 3
A beautiful tape.
This is some finely tuned deep space ambient / drone that sounds like it’s just been uncovered from the bottom of the ocean and is - at regular intervals - being brought back up to the surface.
Best enjoyed while contemplating the universe and regretting every wrong turn you’ve ever taken.
Goshen - Self titled
Released: June 9th via From Corners Unknown
Producer: Erol "Rollie" Ulug
It’s always exciting to follow a band since their first release (+ 9,000 hipster points!) and seeing a band advance, morph and transform is always a pleasure to witness and Goshen are no exception. The West Coast quartet who mix together Grind, Mathcore, Noise and Metallic Hardcore influences into a hellish abyss of contorted sound have had my undivided attention since I reviewed their 2017 demo as part of the DMD Discovery Channel...
This self titled release marks their sophomore recording, with the 4 piece upping their game but keeping their output as synapse-boiling as the California heat they’re no doubt forced to endure while rehearsing in their sweltering garage.
Opener ‘G.A.B’ starts as a glitch-ridden mass of noise then repulsive riffs twisted into dissonant stabs force their way through the ether before transitioning into a quieter, more forgiving sounding passage.
Not keen to stay in this limbo too long, the group slowly rebuild the monster, upping the tempo in every whistle-stop section until finally navigating their way into a Thrashing Mathcore tirade before they jump to a blistering speed bringing the track to a pummelling end with all the subtlety of a beer bottle thrown at your face.
‘Sabateur’ sounds built for the mosh pit without resorting to predictability (often a rare occurrence these days) it’s vicious grooves mesh furiously with the ever present time changes while not sounding forced.
On ‘Cave’ (the first of two revved up re-visits to the demo) the chaos feels unleashed tenfold and amplifies the tension in the bridge section. Although I admittedly can’t shake the soft spot I hold for it’s first incarnation, this new edition of ‘Cave’ gives the track a whole new lease of festering life.
‘Man of Gauze’ is a force of nature in itself, a dizzying mathy display married with primal breakdowns that transitions well into Terminal’ (another re-recorded track from the demo) but this is a much dirtier affair than it’s ancestor, engulfed in an indescribable darkness that compliments the clarity (for lack of a better term) of the original track heard on the demo.
Closer ‘Cities’ is a Doom-laden riff-scape that soon becomes flooded with abstract noise and booming detonations of bass and cymbal hits. As the band make a swift exit we’re left with vocalist Kyle Ferguson’s possessed screams that are enough to make the hairs on your neck fall off. Judging by his panting you’ll be damn sure he means every word that falls from his lips.
As a release, ‘Goshen’ is yet another display of brilliance from the group that was well worth the wait, to me it’s slightly longer material offers a deeper gaze into the abyss, not to mention a better chance to indulge in the group’s more complex and brutal patterns.
At 13 minutes long, (only 5 minutes longer than the demo!) it’s a hell of a ride that threatens to derail any second. This is 103 degree garage Hardcore searing at it’s finest!
***Thankfully ‘Goshen’ was picked up by Ryan Knapp at From Corners Unknown (Link) who released it as a beautiful tape which you can purchase here
You can also listen to an excellent interview Ryan conducted with GOSHEN HERE:
Also Recommended...
More Fine 2018 offerings available From Corners Unknown...
Tired Lord (Black Metal)
Barren of Shape (Jazzy Grindcore)
Hacksaw (Old School Death Metal)
Dylan Carlson - Conquistador
Released: April 27th via Sargent House
Producer: Kurt Ballou
For decades we’ve been blessed with many a classic album from solo guitarists such as Steve Vai, John McLaughlin and in recent times Guthrie Govan who channel their inner voice through the medium of their trusty six string they bought at the five and dime.
But as far as guitar records go, Dylan Carlslan’s ‘Conquistador’ is much more of a steady ode to the universe than a showboating note salad full of bends, sweeps, taps and whammy bar squeals.
The third solo album from the Seattle based Earth-ling doesn’t wander too far from from his usual stripped down blueprint of warm, haze ridden, luring guitar-scales except this time around he’s reined in any excess jamming, resulting in a reduced running time comprising of only the truly necessary ingredients.
From the hypnotic, Spaghetti Westernesque tones of the opening title track to the evocative ender ‘Reaching The Gulf’ it’s an inspirational experience, Carlson picks his way through misty pentatonics (‘When The Horses Were Shorn Of Their Hooves’) behind canvases of dazed, bluesy melodic drone with sparingly used noise and sinister, ritualistic percussion (‘With Scorpions In Their Mouths’ / ‘And Then The Crows Descended’) and thus paints a wonderfully layered, blissful exhibition.
Wiegedood - De Doden Hebben Het Goed III
Released: April 20th via Century Media
Producer: Christophe Dexters
I wouldn’t have disagreed with anyone who claimed Atmospheric Black metal had grown a little stale in recent years, that is until I discovered East Flanders based Black Metallers Wiegedood (‘Death in the Cradle’).
Together since 2014, the trio boast members of Post-Black Metal act Oathbreaker and the Post Metal titans Amenra.
‘III’ marks another in a series of 4 track albums under the same title of ‘De Doden Hebben Het Goed’ - which roughly translates to ‘The Dead Have it Good’ - this third instalment cuts right to the core, utilising forward thinking yet straight up arrangements laced with many twists and turns that are undeniably infectious.
‘Prowl’ opens with a hair-raising scream and brutalising guitars kept in check with razor sharp drumming is a fist pumping call to arms stuffed with memorable guitar leads, chin stroking arpeggiated sections and red-eyed, sharpened thrashy breaks.
Up next, ‘Doodskalm’ races into action, it’s shining moment lying in the fantastic midsection which features some truly harrowing clean guitars until all comes crashing down into a slow, distorted section that is nothing short of heavenly.
Just when I thought they couldn’t outdo themselves, the band counter with the dynamic and primitive-yet-progressive title track, the video for which can be viewed here:
Finally the closing track ‘Parool’ scratches itself into being, and it’s a dizzyingly fast array of musicianship, tense riffing embedded against a tornado of drums.
Even it’s slightly slower sections that allow the band to gather their burning speed once again still feel like they are in danger of catching fire rapidly making it’s way toward a frenzied climax.
The song’s visual accompaniment brilliantly captures the degradation of the Downtown Belgian Red Light District and the waste it creates.
Watch the Video for ‘Parool’ Here: (SEIZURE WARNING)
While many of the usual Black Metal elements are at play here (treble soaked riffs, screeching vocals, pounding blast beats) their use is coldly calculated, carefully sidestepping any cliche and no seconds are wasted.
In closing, DDHDGiii is a magnificent masterclass in modern Black Metal, and well worth your time. You can stream or purchase the album here, but if you like it then you should buy a physical copy. You cheapskates!!!
YOB - Our Raw Heart
Released: June 8th via Relapse Records
Producer: Billy Barnett
Shaking the trappings and breaking the boundaries of Doom Metal by employing the use of more psychedelic and progressive qualities, Oregon’s YOB have been on the cutting edge of the genre for nearly a quarter of a century.
‘Our Raw Heart’ the group’s 8th album was marred by singer, guitarist and YOB founder Mike Sheidt’s well documented brush with deathbed (caused by a nasty staph infection amongst other misfortunes) resulted in the vocalist penning many of the lyrics from a hospital bed.
While it is a record wrapped in a sweet, dreamy sludge aesthetic, it doesn’t fall short on crushing heaviness (‘Ablaze’) clashing dissonance (‘In Reverie’) soaring vocal melodies (‘The Screen’) cavernous ambience (Lungs Reach) or intense emotional outpour (‘Original Face).
One of the many high points here is the ever expanding, winding peaks and valleys of the mammoth ‘Beauty In Falling Leaves’ that hits all the right spots, while the epic, I-never-want-this-to-end jam of ‘Our Raw Heart’ that cues the credits to roll on this breath-taking listening affair.
Whilst many (myself included) were in agreement that YOB’s last effort - 2014’s ‘Clearing The Path To Ascend’ (Neurot Recordings) - was the band at their creative pinnacle, ‘Our Raw Heart’ sees the group surpass all expectations, embodying the ultimate form of triumph over tragedy and a reminder to us all to never take life for granted.
Thank you for reading
Wishing you all a prosperous 2019
LOA
xxx
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