Here are the reviews that appeared in issue 7 of Witch Kunt. So many good releases back then, my collector nerd status was at an all time high. See you on discogs for the inevitable bidding wars. Cheers. Sympto Bizmo.
warmth
/ medroxy progesterone acetate. 'split'. 7inch + 3inch. phage tapes / small
doses.
what
a fantastic package this is. 7inch in sleeve with 3inch attached to the back
flap. fuckin beautiful. on the 7 you get a track from each artist. warmth
unloads a fairly heavy drone that just builds and builds in intensity and
volume the further along you go. it starts off really light but definitely gets
thicker and meatier as it goes. the medroxy progesterone acetate side is a bit
more on the experimental side than warmth who maintain a more controlled nature
over their work. m.p.a. plays with tapes and manipulates them to alter their
meaning and intent all while emitting an undercurrent of high frequency
whistles and a deeper more breathy cloud of sound in the distance. this is the
kind of stuff you hear when they are gassing you up for an operation. both
projects manage to create very special works on their respective sides.
teeth
collection. 'oddities'. c-60. factotum tapes.
a
collection of presumably unreleased works from ohio noiser teeth collection.
recorded over a 2 year period so one could presume that there will probably be
some changes in style and approach. kicks off with some very breathy and trance
inducing ambient movements that are steady and free to roam in a very large
space. definitely nightmare sounding for certain.
migrations
in rust 'seasons cast in pearl'. c-20. ekhein.
desolate
yet similarly beautiful soundscapes and acoustic drones. this to me is when
experimental music ceases to dwell within the confines of noise and becomes
something new and engaging in its own right. this exudes power and emotional
impact. if you enjoy the sounds of such drone specialists as concern then this
will make a perfect companion piece. a genre defying work of incredible depth
and care.
sean
mccann. 'lower decks'. c-29. ekhein.
hypnotic
atmospheric and constructed much like a cathedral: with time and and an eye for
the majestic. this was recorded in 05-06 but finally seeing the light of day in
2010 and what im wondering is what took so long? not that im complaining
because this tape is a true work of sheer emotional glory. lonely tones and
whisperings that really put you in the mood to take pills. the 5 tracks on here
really go in alot of interesting directions all while staying tethered to the
faceless monolithic power drones. incredible dreamlike soundtracks that are
perfect for long drives to nowhere. ekhein continues to deliver and this one is
a must hear.
earn.
'away'. c-20. ekhein.
earn
is an intriguing and unique project in experimental music circles and this
cassette will bear that out. centered around the more musical aspects rather
than straight ahead drones and atmospheric tonality although this sort of sonic
play is in abundance. it is earn's use of instruments that seems to be a bit
more pronounced in comparison to other artists who dwell in the same genre.
earn uses instruments to craft mournful pieces that speak to you directly
rather than behind a thick veil of fog. piano and guitar are the ones used in
their most literal and intended sense. still it is done in such a manner as to
set a mood. definitely one of the leaders of what i percieve to be a new and
ever growing movement of artists who are now seeking to blur the lines of song
craft and audio sorcery.
infinite
body. 'from now on we're weightless here'. c-14. ekhein.
kicks
off with a very heavy droner that seems broken and much more crackly and dense
than the usual slow jam specialists who deliver very even tones. sounds like
it's from hundreds of years ago. i am completely in awe of the perfect mix of
filth and beauty. side a keeps things crumbly while side b settles into a very
emotional let the credits roll sort of thing. to me it is this sort of artistry
that deserves to accompany a film or movie. this takes things to a whole other
level that i dont think many artists can attain.
work
/ death. 'go and be gone'. c-35. ekhein.
a
blizzard of depression that never lets up and simply continues to bury whatever
lingering hints of beauty may happen to lie beneath. brutal and cold hearted.
if you enjoy getting drug through the dirt like a piece of garbage then this
will do the trick for you. a very deliberate piece of hatred.
cloaked
light. 'a passing through'. c-30. ekhein.
this
one starts off with a drone that is so low in tone that it makes the back of my
skull tingle. total plumeting gloom and density that you can feel. cloaked
light seems to take the approach of keeping things down in the doldrums and
giving the listener a slow build. you are in limbo and it's exactly what you
deserve. blessed intoxication via opiates.
1958-2009.
'II'. c-32. ekhein.
a
tribute to the king of pop. this cassette is the finest example of ambient
drone that i have yet to hear. stunning in its simplicity and its sublimity.
the tracks contained within are all laid out with perfect care in terms of
striking the perfect balance between songwriting and mood setting. patient
drones that float like air over each other creating a vast panorama that will
take you on a lengthy trip. this would definitely be a perfect soundtrack for
when you are abusing anesthetics. ethereal and mind altering. put on your
headphones and let doctor murray dose you up proper.
endless
time. 'coasting'. c-20. monorail trespassing.
very
ominous ocean themed tape that really reinforces my belief that people who go
to the beach alone during seasons other than spring or summer are going there
to die. the sky is dark. the air is damp. the waves keep coming in ever closer.
the some dense drones that are seriously heavy in mood accompany the sounds of
a very lonely beach at dusk or early dawn. really bad trip this one. get droned
out to sea. great stuff.
head
molt. 'mass mind overscum'. c-10. heavy psych.
this
tape is way too quiet. quite frankly that's a huge irritant to me. the sort of
primitive throbbing hate that head molt are getting up to would be so brutal if
it was gouging out my ear drums rather than gingerly passing by like a stranger
in the night. unfortunately it isn't and i wonder if this is the artist's
intent. if so then it's a horrible idea because this needs to be loud as fuck.
very p/e inspired with the horrendous pounding rudimentary beats and the
blackened vokills and crusty noise garbage littered throughout. i would highly
recommend seeking out other stuff from head molt but this wouldn't be it. the
quietness of the proceedings is making this a huge turn off. again if this
could be reissued and remixed to be skull raping volume then this would
definitely rank far higher on my
favorites list.
bruant
des marais. 'crippled'. c-60. heavy psych.
what
you get here is pure ugly fragmented brutality. sounds as if it was recorded
inside a coffin buried 6 feet under while a tornado rages on the cemetary
above. some seriously gloomy claustrophobic passages entangled with blown out
devastation. this is heartless stuff whether it's creeping around in the quiet
and near silent or exploding with bleak agony. you will get smothered and
erased. knuckle dragging hatred from the bad part of town. your collection won't
suffer without this tape but it could sure benefit from bruant des marais's
special dose of true kult abuse.
various
artists. 'untitled'. 2 x c30. phage tapes.
4
pulverizing artists 1 hour of fucking full on searing hatred for you harsh
noise fiends. paranoid time, human teratogen, baculum, and taskmaster come
together to beat the grease out of you. each artist is bringing the brutality.
i liken this to being trapped in a carboard box while you get hot coals dumped
on you. there are no breaks or breathing room. plus as an added bonus
taskmaster brings the rita and rusalka along to make things extra miserable for
you. for my money no one is doing it better than phage tapes. if you are
familiar with any of these artists [which you fucking should be you idiot] then
you know you need this collection.
lngtche.
'recordings for osip mandelstam I-IX. cdr. phage tapes.
this
is my first taste of this project and i am really impressed. very bleak
soundscapes and lonely textures. each of the tracks goes somewhere else but
still manages to maintain the empty vibes and morose feeling. soundtrack for a
spaceship going nowhere with no one at the controls. very cool.
karst.
'no prose'. cdr. phage tapes.
you
want total lifeless windswept doomscapes then look no further than karst. an
hour of total unfeeling nothingness that is an ideal soundtrack for when you
have a need to eat pills. rarely deviating off course and only showing traces
of feeling towards the end of the track. however this is not for the weak. true
kvlt cemetary breeze blowing through brittle skin. a cold whiff of oblivion
awaits.
swamphorse.
'perpetual drip'. 3inch. husk.
an
interesting mix of stuff on this 2 track disc. from rusty layered drones to
some knuckledragging sludge action this is a sweaty morass of depression. in
spite of the musty damp basement vibe this disc gives off there is a very
damaged sense of beauty to be had. part of me wants to say this disc may suffer
from going in too many directions for such a short format but it is all done so
well that it's really hard to complain. swamphorse is always an intriguing
listen no matter what direction they go in.
white
torture. 'braindead'. 3inch. phage tapes.
this
one really raced by me and im not sure if that's a good thing or not. while
this has moments of sheer crumbly arson and overheated rage it has a few spots
of dorkiness that i just can't get past. while it is my belief that people
should be able to do whatever the fuck they want im also of the opinion that if
you are gonna unload the crumble then you should just unload the fucking
crumble and forget about the goofiness. i don't think white torture was trying
to be goofy but there are some spots on this that seem really out of place.
however there are some segments of true damaged hatred that will please the
harsh heads out there. not essential but worth a spin while sucking down some
knife hits.
foul.
'naturan demanto'. 3inch. phage tapes.
samples
are a touchy thing for me. sometimes i hate them but in this instance it's the
perfect setup for the ensuing HNW attack that will run over you and keep on
going. no frills. no bullshit. just full on wall worship. for serious wall
fiends only. brutal.
nocturnal
life. 'the ocean'. 3inch. phage tapes.
very
low key and non-descript. little to no variation in tonality or mood. there is
a picture of the moon on the disc which seems to fit perfectly with the mood of
the piece. lonely and darkened. play this one before bedtime.
mattias
gustafsson. 'dod metall'. 3inch. husk.
synths
and field recordings coming together with an eye for artistic detail and
setting a mood. first track takes you out to the foggy coastline to watch the
day go by while dealing with yourself. birds. waves. wind and total outdoorsy
atmosphere done to grim effect. the remaining tracks however really show off a
very different side to gustafsson as the sounds had me feeling very anxious and
somewhat nervous. there were sounds both near and far as everything seemed to
surround me. gustafsson uses a wide array of instrumentation on this disc and
while the list seems long everything is mixed so nicely that it doesn't even
matter what he used. in my opinion the level of craftsmanship on this release
is indicative of the high level of quality that makes both artist and label so
great. yet another solid release from the husk kult.
the
haters. 'in the shade of fire'. cd. hanson.
the
basic theme is breaking glass and fire both of which haters main man
gx-jupitter larsen likes a great deal. a nice long journey into a tornado of
glass fragments and shit burning up. personally i dont know how the haters
assemble these pieces but suffice it to say it's a bit beyond just simple
loops. there is so much going on in the various tracks that it makes for
interesting listening. while the main theme is glass and fire there are other
tracks that seem to go in a more understated direction. sounds of a gas heater
or perhaps a stove and other parts that sound like paper being cut. while these
bits take you out of the maelstrom they are no less intriguing to the ear. as
will all the material from the haters you will find moments of total
devastation or moments of patience trying experimentation. this disc is a great
example of how brilliant the haters can be and why they are one of the greatest
institutions in noise. that's no bullshit.
the
slasher is a sex maniac. 'the babysitter just sits and laughs'. cd. phage
tapes.
more
of that sweet texas wall worshipping violence courtesy of richard ramirez. a
hot sleazy blast of piss right to your fucking face. there's more to this disc
than just HNW but some textures and layers that all manage to help in the
slicing of someone's goddamned throat. harsh. brutal. evil. another gem in the
crown of one of the sport's finest. for the true kultists out there.
josh
lay. 'true mask'. cd. small doses.
first
things first i am an avid follower of josh lay's work. he never ceases to
astound with the depth that he exhibits. this go around finds him trapped
within a coffin that is steadily filling up with blackened phlegm. the vokills
that he unleashes are of the lo-fi basement black metal variety full of venom
and disgust. underneath the vitriol is a steady current of hums and buzzes that
indicate to me that something bad can happen at any minute. the one thing that
struck me as being out of place was the guitar work on one of the tracks. while
not horrible by any stretch it just seemed ill timed and didn't add to the
proceedings all that much. by the discs conclusion you have been pummeled and
locked up and will await your execution. the machine looms ever closer. its
rusted jaws will become greased with your blood. josh lay is a devilish inn keeper
and his inn is your fucking coffin. another box of ammo for this kentucky
warlord's war chest.
knife
attack. 'watching you from afar'. 2 x cdr. phage tapes.
a
searing dose of extended torture from this vicious ear rapist. no track titles
to guide you through this hopeless chase through the park. your panties get
yanked. you get dry fucked into oblivion. you get stabbed a bunch. total
heartless hatred and emotionless violence. another guttural assault that's
custom made for the serious wall worshippers.
vomit
pit / ecoute la merde 'vomit la merde' cd. FxIxMxL records.
fucking half assed low budget garbage from ecoute la merde. so bad in fact
that i don't see much point in listening to vomit pit's portion of this split.
ecoute la merde's 4 tracks are so dumb i can't stand it. amazingly enough i did
make it to vomit pit. goregrind with waterlogged pig vokills and crumbly
farting bass. noisy but not very good. if i were forced to choose a favorite on
this disc id go with vomit pit simply because ecoute la merde's material is so
utterly shitty. however let's not confuse things: this sucks. avoid at all
costs.
napalm
noise / mental hygiene terrorism orchestra 'split' cdr. FxIxMxL records.
what
the fuck? the napalm noise portion of this split is allegedly 5689 songs. while
i am not going to try and verify this particular claim i will say that here is
some poorly played noisy grindcore. actually i shouldn't say poorly played i
should just be honest and say this is pure fucking garbage. i can't believe
someone thought this was fit to release. just sounds like someone goofing around in his bedroom. if anyone mentions napalm noise in ten years in any sort
of reverent tones i'll put a gun in my mouth and eat lead. now i got mental
hygiene terrorism orchestra cranking out some really obnoxious yet forceful
grind. vocals are the more agitated and yelling type. there are some pretty
thick moments of ball crushing grind noise in amongst a few funny samples and
some goofy jazz piss takes. while this is far superior to the water brained
attempts by napalm noise this really isn't anything that a million other noise
grind bands haven't done before. thumbs up for m.h.t.o. for keeping the
tradition alive. noisy grind will never die.
pottersville
'binary' cdr. no label listed.
while
i did say i'll review pretty much anything i really wasn't expecting this. punk
rock in the vein of social distortion and early gg allin before he wrote songs
about pissing and shitting on kids. upbeat country tinged punk ballads about
the good old days, drinking, and coming out on top. bunch of swaggering guitar
solos that will make your truck nuts swing. i'd bet some serious dough that the
girls that go to their shows all have hickeys and do meth. ill give this disc
to jeff brookhart he'll fucking love it.
aleph
naught. 'the dreams in the witch house' 3inch. small doses.
epic
drone. ghostly nightmare fog. count backwards from ten and sleep. while there
are many artists out there right now doing this type of meditative new agey
atmospheric stuff, aleph naught is a cut above the crowd. masterful balancing
of texture and weight. the notes linger for perfect durations and connect to
one another without sounding forced or too methodical. everything sounds
exactly as it should: natural and real. this is definitely a game elevating
release and should serve notice to all the other droners and atmospheric
technicians.
various
artists. 'FxIxMxL comp #1' cassette. FxIxMxL.
i
think im starting to understand what this label is all about. they seem to be
hell bent on collecting the noisiest sloppiest crappiest noise / grind /
experimental music they can find. they are seeking out all the more
uncompromising anti musicians in an effort to destroy music. while the other
releases i have heard from this label aren't as good as i would want or expect,
this comp is thus far showing some promise. 17 artists spread out across this
tape. the only names on this comp i was remotely familiar with were audiocum,
ecoute la merde, and mental hygiene terrorism orchestra. the rest are unknown
and untested. let me once again take one for the team and try my best to keep
up. ultimately this label is either doing things right or doing it all wrong
and ill just leave that up to you consumers.
darksmith.
'urgency / agony'. tape. chondritic sound.
the
sort of thing that darksmith does is the exact sort of thing i like in noise.
very unsettling with methods and approaches unknown. stone on steel sliding
about. unseen figures moving throughout the basement. just enough grit and
lo-fi flavoring to keep this in your cassette player for many a listen just to
try and figure it all out. a quality listen from start to finish.
david
russel. 's/t'. tape. chondritic sound.
i
have been thinking about this for a while and i have come to the realization
that even the best labels don't always crank out winners. this here isn't a
winner. is it horrible? no but it isn't that great neither. side one had me for
a minute but then i lost track of what was happening. basically this is an
artist who in this particular instance chose to loop the fuck out of
everything. this was pretty goddamned boring. from here on out for as long as i
review stuff in this zine i will not sugarcoat anything. people aren't going to
just get a pass for showing up. good for background sounds but little else. i
want to get sucked in. this just sucked.
pax
titania. 'live in phlorida' tape. chondritic sound.
some
live sounds from this primitive synth techno project. this is what techno
should be or what would be lumped into the techno catagory before they
cluttered everything with beats. synthy movements and some tonal excursions.
the crowd seem to really enjoy this stuff alot. i find it interesting when
someone can go outside of the noise genre and make something different i also
applaud the label for looking outside the box as well. not just another run of
the mill noise project. just some interesting screen test sounds for the be-bop
set. smoke a cig and start mingling. party tones.
speculum
fight. 'lost live 2'. tape. hanson.
old
school dronery from the archives of the drone legend damion romero. this has a
very gutteral vibe as the crumbling and knuckle dragging increases and swarms
the buzzing tones beneath. some very half dead moans and feeds hover in the
cold operating room. i however hold the opinion that romero has since risen far
beyond the rather one dimensional approach on display here. this is a grimy
glimpse into the past of one of noise's true master experimentalists. a pretty
cold and heartless listen to be sure. i will state that this tape is for the
true romero devotees out there and not for the casual listener. if you are
wanting to check out his work i wouldn't start here. i'd save this for the more
advanced fan geeks.
machinegun
warfare. 's/t'. tape. hanson.
total
skull scouring hate. a thoroughly degrading sandblasting of searing disdain.
vocal taunts cutting through the shitstorm at inopportune moments. side two
exhibits a more subdued side as a brittle tone starts to rise to the surface
yet still held back by crackling asshole arc weldings. if you like it harsh and
rough then this one might be something for you to track down. nothing overly
essential but still a nice thrashing for you and your fucking worthless ears.
various
artists. 'fake sound routine' 2x tape. i just live here.
double
cassette compilation of artists doing the ironic techno thing. a few of the
artists you may be familiar with such as leslie keffer, lazy magnet and
work/death, the large majority perhaps not. when i ordered this i really wasn't
sure what i was going to get other than what i actually got. beats, blips,
pops, grooves and other rhythmic noodlings. i guess i wanted something with a
little more depth as this was fairly devoid of personality on the whole. while
many of you more cultured underground mustachioed hipster types will eat this
sort of thing up, i was left feeling a little bit cold. but if you like to
fancy yourself as a dj or some shit and want to see what the cool kids are up
to then swoop down on this comp. perfect for ass fucking and bong hits with your
girlfriend or cruising the strip in your honda. jack in the box parking lot
conversational rave with crystal and menthol cigs. tramp stamps are no longer
an option you fat assed slut.
sensible
nectar / spermwhale. 'split'. c-62. rainbow bridge.
6
tracks from sensible nectar and 1 long b-side from spermwhale. much like his
release on my label, sensible nectar dabbles in alot of different areas.
however i would venture to say that he covered alot more ground on his tracks
here. personally i think sensible nectar is still finding his way to where he
truly belongs, his experiments are still very interesting. from the harsh
pseudo PE stylings to lush dronescapes and odd crankings in between. while some
may say that it's a bit too much i say more power to sensible nectar for seeing
the possibilities and exploring them all. spermwhale really lets the listener
go for an extended journey through the mists of a dying weekend with a single
30 minute track of dreamy drones and tonal sweeps. this is a decent split and a
nice introduction to both artists who are still new to me. i say check this one
out. my only complaint was that this tape seemed just a bit too long but don't
let that stop you from checking out some new artists. recommended.
sissisters
/ hirsute & fur. 'split' c-25. christian pop records.
the
a side of this tape finds sissisters crumbling up signals and letting them fall
on the coffin lid. seriously mangled frequencies of the lowest order getting
dished out nonchalantly as possible. some fairly mean spirited filth to be had.
hirsute & fir's side takes a few mins to even start but once it does you
get an earful of mid level frequency coming straight out of the shed. by the
track's collection a foggy conversation of a somewhat angry mob surrounds you.
there will be no talking your way out of shit this time. killer tape.
graham
young. 'one/another'. c-25. christian pop records.
holy
fuck. some ear gutting anxiety straight from the bedroom of a diseased
sociopath. the tracks on here are seething, shrill, and severely caustic. this
is angry blackened zoned out hatred. catatonic tantrums custom made for self
abusers and cutters. watch the bitch wither away as she begs for vanity.
primitive audio catastrophes pushed over the fucking edge. monstrously grim
clutter. essential.
wether.
's/t'. tape. catholic tapes.
remember
the old contact commercials from the 70s where they would open one of the pills
and the little balls of cold medicine would fall out in slow motion? this
starts off like that commercial. open the pill and the little inocous balls
fall onto the sterile countertop. rising up from the distance is the screeching
rust of xmas past right into the forefront and passing right on by like a ghost
in the night. the b side just takes off where the a side left off with a
rapidly fading sandy pulse back into the moods and sounds of side a with some
variations. i'm of the opinion that this was a single piece that was spread out
over two sides with side a getting the edge. all in all this is a good listen
and if you're a wether fan you'll enjoy this one.
climax
denial. 'her skin remembers'. tape. after death records.
a
listless loop of pure resignation accompanied by enraged hate speak. the anger
and anxiety ripping through the speakers and right into you. however side two
is where the action is with two tracks of pure nightmare scenarios: eyes blood
shot and vacant. ski mask drenched in sweat. boner ripping through the zipper.
victim trying to flee and being insulted all the while. quality stuff right
here from an underground favorite.
dotabata
/ torba 'split'. c-31. hair on my food.
grim
as fuck. graveyard dirt dumped down the stairs into the basement where ghosts
starve to a second death. torba is the sound of crud and rot. dotabata is one
of my personal favorites and this piece sets new lows in total hopeless
oblivion. pop some pills and fucking die.
grain
belt 's/t'. c-10. phage tapes.
another
crumbled hateful mess from phage tapes. grain belt is a new name on the scene
and the name alone had me hooked. deadly assaults full of steel on steel
feedback squalls and schizophrenic wall abuse. unpredictable earthquake like
assault that will kick you in the chest, dick, and face. crank this one up
fucking loud and break every piece of furniture in your house. phage tapes is
the new leader in the noise underground and here is yet another reason why.
total pummeling humiliation.
rob
michalchuk. 'total eclipse'. c-18. poor little music.
one
of the more interesting artists out there right now. everything i've heard by
rob has been nothing but interesting. this tape starts off with 'total eclipse'
a morose piano piece that fades away slowly as a gloomy lo-fi loop takes its
place. another shift as things give way to an even more depressive stringed
keyboard interlude that seems to fade away into an unthinkable oblivion. side
two 'antarctic basement' is a continuation of the themes addressed on the
previous side with more ambience. it seems as if rob michalchuk is at an
interesting point in his creative jaunt and his work will be going in alot of
intriguing directions. this particular tape is a great stop on that journey
especially if you enjoy artists such as marble sky or concern.
kwea
/ bruta. 'split'. c-30. military radio.
some
basement crust and face pounding audio scouring from some unknowns. blasting
sonic crud right into your grill. side two is a little more controlled with
some radio broadcast struggling to stay ahead of the beefy stabs of filth.
simple yet effective gutter noise. some deep underground stuff for you
kultists. watch as your mustache melts off.
lynchgate
/ mistress. 'the witches knight'. c-40. after death records.
a
live aktion that took place december of 2008 in denton texas featuring
lynchgate and mistress. this is of upper level bootleg quality as you can hear
the audience at certain points which really puts you right in the midst of the
action. lynchgate starts off with some ominous throbs which are merely the
prelude to some real nefarious gutter ambience. texas burns while angels watch
on from a safe distance. the harshness just seems to pile on itself. guaranteed
this was a fucking bulldozer of a loud show. mistress starts off with a looped
sample and straight into some p.e. styled devastation. scorching hiss over the
top of throbbing buttfucking beats while feedback heavy vokills insult and
taunt the audience. broken sounds. louder than shit. the crowd is super stoked
all the way through both sets. dude is sounding pissed. guaranteed
motherfuckers went home with tinnitus. excellent pairing of two different yet
intense styles of hatred. seek this one out immediately.
EE
/ louis sterrett. 'split'. c-30. tusco embassy.
ohio
mainstay EE delivers a doomy layer of kult fog that simply puts you in a
trance. the variations are incredibly slow to the point of non existence yet
grim enough to hold you fast until his piece ends. louis sterrett's deep
periodic tones are so down in the mouth that there is almost no pulse
whatsoever. graveyard tones give way to acoustic ambient experimentation. there
is no light in this vacuum hell only lifelessness. a split completely devoid of
commercial potential as it should be. truly comatose dronings and musings as i
have never heard them before. quality gloom.
various
artists. 'grind madness at the bbc.' 3 x cd. earache.
holy
fucking fuck. i'm not going to do anything other than tell you who's on this
beautiful set: napalm death, extreme noise terror, carcass, bolt thrower,
godflesh, unseen terror, heresy, and intense degree. classic peel sessions from
some of the genre's best. you like grind? you'll love this.
bloody
phoenix. 'death to everyone'. cd. 625 records.
featuring
former excruciating terror guitarist jerry flores, bloody phoenix is a brutal
los angeles grind / hardcore cadre hellbent on bringing harsh realities and
throwing them like a chopped up corpse on your doorstep. these guys are not
fucking around at all. they've stripped away some of their earlier full on
grind leanings and have upped the ante in the songwriting department. the tunes
are direct and to the point expressions of disgust for today's fucked up world.
urgent and totally apocalyptic crust. get on board or get the fuck out of the
way asshole.
magrudergrind.
's/t'. cd. six weeks records.
these
guys are doing grindcore better than anyone currently in the game and that's no
bullshit. they kick down total furious blasts that are of deadly efficiency.
while some may tout the skills of such luminaries as pig destroyer i am of the
opinion that no one is kicking it down like magrudergrind. they don't horse
around with noodly guitar bits and tricky parts it's all set to kill. no weak maneuvers here. don't settle on weak emo grind. crank this motherfucker and get
dealt on like you deserve. album of the year no doubt about it.
nunslaughter.
'demoslaughter'. 2 x cd. hells headbangers.
satanic
black thrash hurling insults at jesus is what these longtime metal fiends have
been doing for well over 20 years. this set digs deep into the distant past and
dredges up classic demos full of cruddy sounding basement metal. early god
hating neck snappers abound on this amazing set. comes with a great booklet
with liner notes and info straight from main man don of the dead. for the
serious nunslaughter fans and those into mid 80s garage thrash.
vestigial
limb. 'gangrenous'. c-31. after death recordings.
one
of my personal favorites in the noise underground bar fucking none. there are
very few artists out there who come racing out of the gate with a fully formed
vision of where they want to be but ray shinn is one of those who has. always
harsh as fuck. rarely taking backsteps. crumbly oppression and deadly morbid
fascination abounds here. after death records and vestigial limb are an
excellent team up. jump into the grave motherfucker. jump into the grave.
vestigial
limb. 'now, voyager'. c-30. monorail tresspassing.
more
grim kult wanderings from one of the more original artists in noise today. this
one has a much more live sound to it as the dull rumble wanders hand in hand
with scratchy vinyl dialogue and ambient hiss. vestigial limb manages to
combine record player based manipulations with scrambled cassette ruinings to
create a tapestry of truly ugly yet amazing sounds. always on the crispy and
crumbly side with natural ambience always trying and consistently failing to
stay above the grime. everything is mixed together with a great ear for
combination. always a sick listen when vestigial limb is in my stereo. unsafe
environment to be had.
vestigial
limb. 'velo-dog dissuader'. c-40. 2:00 am tapes.
pure
haunted torture. gritty lo-fi excursions into a seriously fucked up swampy
hell. this is one of the more unique releases i've heard vestigial limb do. i
can't help but think there are some animals are either starving to death or
being tortured to death. either way it's seriously disturbing and makes for yet
another gruesome listen. it really seems to me like vestigial limb has settled
into a very efficient working groove where everything is carefully planned but
doesn't come across as such. very natural black noise that will satisfy your
need for totally stoned out filthy death. epic.
dawn
of wolves. 'darkness as black as evil'. c-13. husk records.
black
thrash done with precision. alot of tight guitar playing over the top of old
school one two drums with some double bass thrown in. typically black metal
style garglings tying this super tight release together. there are some
keyboard bits here and there but nothing too annoying or overbearing. these
fuckers keep the thrash coming at you but throw in the sweet breakdowns and mid
tempo sections so you can take bong hits, swig some lager and give your neck a
little rest. if you like kreator or sodom mixed in with the usual black metal
style then this will be a welcome addition to your metal collection. it will go
on the shelf right next to your copy of possessed 'seven churches'.
fukte
/ i dream of her beautiful tentacles. 'stays liquid'. tape. black and purple.
chris
gierig's black and purple label is one of my personal favorites simply due to
the fact that he is consistently finding the most filthy low budget graveyard
crumbling artists in the world. totally unknown names yet always downright
gutteral in approach. italy's fukte kicks out the corpse dragging neanderthal
schizo jams. primitive buzz and crackle meeting perfect levels of rusty
feedback. someone left the radio next to the baseboard heater. i.d.o.h.b.t.
from denmark unleashes a mudslide that will bury you alive and insult your
intelligence. the second track is a cut and paste deal with various samples
including charles manson [which is always a plus with me]. cut from the same
soiled cloth as fukte but dare i say a bit more elementary. this is another killer
slice of audio mulch from the black and purple label diy kult. support the
true.
earth
incubator. 'relax session'. tape. black and purple.
russia's
earth incubator is yet another example of black and purple's efforts to seek
out new and obscure sounds from other countries. rather than mine from the same
pool of u.s. based artists as most labels are wont to do, chris digs around for
the new names and he is gracious enough to put in the time and effort to
present them all to the listening public. earth incubator seems to operate at
several different levels yet all of it seems to converge to the same grimy
drain. digital trash and basement styled moscow ghetto remixes. there is a very
discernable layer of gutter dust on all the pieces which gives this an
authentically ruined taste. this is how you get down in the crackhouses of
chernobyl. commie gangsta rave with vodka and resin hits.
buddha
mind big band. 'in time'. cd. nekorekords.
soundtrack
oriented free form sounds from this finnish trio. very sound based in their use
of items such as singing bowls, gongs, cymbals, and various horn and flute type
instruments. a sort of lynchian free jazz thing that is both equally ambient,
jazzy, and beautifully unsettling. smooth and evenly paced. im not sure if any
of the 8 tracks on this disc were the product of planning or simply high
quality jams done by true pros. whatever the case the pieces are all so
pefectly laid out with equal time given to percussion, horns, tapes, and other
instruments that it makes for a fantastic listening session. this disc remains
at a very slow and deliberate pace all throughout and maintains a very
ritualistic vibe from start to finish. essentially, if you take what smegma
does, minus the campy stuff and throw in a little sun ra spiked with some acid,
then you will be on the right track in knowing what this unit is all about.
totally amazing yet creepy work that is definitely worth your time in tracking
down.
umpio.
'muelas'. cd. freak animal.
alright
goddamnit you know the deal with freak animal. one of the major global players
in terms of bringing the harsh p.e. action. here is one from umpio and what a
skull scouring trip it is. loud face beating rage teamed up with sandblasted
audio filth blown like a full load of coke up your ass. one of the more
merciless noise releases that i have heard in a long long time. from crash and
burn segments of full on blast to nearly lifeless crumble to flesh peeling
schizo screechings, umpio does it all. one important thing to note is that
umpio is only putting the most crushing tracks on this disc. 7 tracks of
torture and not a single substandard track in the bunch. the vibe is constant
throughout. cold and efficient. you want harsh no nonsense kult finnish noise
violence then this is one that you shouldn't miss out on. total sperm shooting
surgery, rape, and dismemberment.
umpio.
'junk electronix vol. I' cd. nekorekords. ahky records.
more
finnish gutter rage from umpio. great packaging as this comes in a 7inch
sleeve. this one exhibits all the same gritty trademarks as the 'muelas' cd but
with just a bit more electronic experiments. this one has more emphasis on
beats although some of them are damaged beyond the point of resurrection. still
has plenty of face ripping noise though. althought not as set on kill as
'muelas' this is a great dose of glitchy pelvic eroding hate. fucked with and
reassembled for your listening displeasure. another banger from umpio.
doroga.
's/t'. cd. nekorekords.
very
kultish ritualistic drone / electro / jazz wanderings. very eerily subdued in a
way that isn't unlike the same sort of stuff that sunn0))) does. distant tribal
thumpings along with whispery cymbals intermingling with sparse horn work. the
3 tracks on this disc are set up in such a way that there is some severe
breathing room between all the instruments. this to me is totally genre defying
music. get doomed to oblivion.
rj
myato 'utopia or apocalypse'. cdr. no nazi noise.
this
right here is some quality p/e meets power violence. short snappy blasts of
pissed off skull bouncing rage. one of my biggest gripes is when p/e artists go
off and then proceed to go on and on. what you get here is short blasts and the
lyrics are fucking killer. this one comes in a dvd case with lyric booklet.
total d.i.y. quality. don't miss out on the chance to get your neck broken.
awesome stuff.
rj
myato 'what time is it, what day is it, where am i?'. cdr. no nazi noise.
damn
this one was kind of a let down. after getting totally slayed off of his
'utopia or apocalypse' disc. this one is a 2 tracker with one of them being a
live track and the other one a studio track. the live thing sort of just blew
by me and didn't really grab me at all. the other track didn't really tug at me
neither. unfortunately this one isn't up to the standards set by 'utopia or
apocalypse' but how could it. the bar was set super high on that one. this one
may come to be known as one for the completists in a few years. for now i say
pass on this one and get 'utopia or apocalypse'. yes it is that damn good.
josh
lay / teeth collection 'split'. 2 x c32. factotum.
this
is a killer set. one side from josh lay. one side from teeth collection. plus 2
complete sides of these two forces collaborating. total bleak purity that
commands your immediate attention. incrediblly grim.
peter
j. woods. 'fairweather mask'. cd. autumn wind productions.
one
of the most versatile artists in the game today. crossing many different
subgenres without coming across as contrived or forced. one of wood's best
assets is his vocals which are urgent and authoritative and manage to
compliment whatever sounds he's blasting at you. from quiet ambient bits to
full on harsh noise there is nothing this dude can't do. total dedication to
the scene and total dedication to his craft pays off in a big way with this
disc.
POTR.
'self titled'. 2x c10. phage tapes.
gruesome
harshness that will whip your sorry buttocks with a leather strap. from the
high toned crisp ear wax melters to disdainful crackle and blast. it's all here
in a dismembered piece of doom. one of tracks features some mournful vokills
that are disturbing as well as engaging. total harshness that crosses the
borders and fucks with your mind. comes in a killer box. phage tapes wins again
motherfuckers.
the
blackmoor strangler. 'the mark of m'. c30. hair on my food tapes and records.
the
trend continues with yet another artist hurling out vicious harsh wall purity.
no way is this a reinvention of the wheel however this is as it should be. side
2 is a real crispy burner. totally heartless. i hate pink. i really fucking do.
teeth
collection. 'putridity and liquescence'. c60. black horizons.
holy
shit. this is some really scary soundling blackened ambient fog. custom made
for a horror film. some really creepy withered tones get issued forth from the
tombs of despair and disease. personally speaking this is teeth collection at
his absolute best. with every release i have heard i get the feeling that this
is an artist who is resolute in his quest for setting a truly unsettling mood.
this is a close the the vision as he has gotten thus far. the space is epic and
filled to the perfect degree with whispery graveyard tones and crumbly toxic
emissions. usually the term 'overplaying' was reserved for traditional music
but here is a premiere example of someone who doesn't overplay. perfect pacing
and perfect textures. the only other act that i can think of that operates on
this level is blue sabbath black cheer. everything on this tape is perfection
from sounds to packaging which is incredibly original. teeth collection has set
a new standard in noise that the rest of you johnny come latelys have to
contend with. good luck on that by the way.
your
drugs my money. 'self titled'. 3inch. elyk records.
total
low end crumble and hustle. two man operation where they spent time recording
organ and moog. they bounced the shit around and toyed with some other gadgets
to give you this moaning groaning anguished mess of audio debris. i like the
fact that the artists described their process and the devices used. personally
i think the scene could use a little more of that sort of thing. while the
first track has a somewhat of a one track thought process and didn't really
grab me. the second track on the other hand is a great piece of work that has a
nice evoloving motif. nothing earth shattering but a good listen nonetheless.
koufar.
'the purity of the cedars'. cd. topheth.
total
rage filled power electronics in honor of the middle eastern state of lebanon.
this is an absoute ripper that has a very distinct middle eastern flavor and a
very political slant. koufar kicks it down harsh and heavy and rarely gives you
a break. the track 'forced unity' and 'cowards' are seriously angry with a very
'by any means necessary' vibe. i wouldn't be an expert on middle easter affairs
so for me i don't have a good sense of what lebanon's situation is politically
but suffice it to say that based on the dedication and urgency of this release
koufar is wanting change. a real true blue gut ripper of a release. koufar is a
name that is rapidly making waves and if you like p/e then this is a crown
jewel right here.
various
artists. 'the horror'. 12x c10. phage tapes.
this
here is like the hickory farms cheese and sausage set that your parents get at
xmas. 12 goddamned tapes full of pure audio horror. total grindage and hatred
from willful, white torture, and baculum. some gristly wall worship and
devastating crumble causing your bowels to loosen and shit to fill your
panties. you get 9 tapes worth of individual contributions and 3 more tapes of
collaborations with the participants. this isn't just the usual wall rage that
these dudes are known for, there are varying levels of burnt up / tore up /
raped up / sawed apart / harsh disertations. no color. no escape. you know the
artists. you know the label. you know this is the real deal. entrails get
stomped. assholes get raped. total slaughter.
'floaters.'
a short film by jared liebenau.
former
pacific northwest noiseician jared liebenau has spent the last few years
learning the art of film making. 'floaters' is his first presentation and i
must say that it is quite good. the basic premise is a story of an average guy
who is slowly being driven nuts by visions caused by eye floaters. his vision
is partially obsured and distorted to hallucinogenic levels, causing him a much
trouble in terms of being able to interact with others. the film is only 15
minutes long so you may not get the whole gist of the story. this is part of
the risk one runs when restricting their story telling efforts to such a short
framework. however, this is a visually stunning work and the acting is very
natural and realistic. im very happy to see that the former jm ginsberg is
finding new avenues of expression and getting great results from it. he is
already planning more films and i for one will be eager to see what he comes up
with next. personally i hope that he does a sequel to this film so that we can
get even deeper into the concept. congratulations jared.