I’ve been a fan of Altar of Plagues for a few years now, and have cheered them on as more and more people have begun to notice them and sing the praises of their emotional heft and swirling black alchemy. I wrote about their flawless 2009 full-length, White Tomb, for a few publications like Terrorizer and Noisecreep, and pouted over the fact that I hadn’t gotten a chance to see them play while I was living in England – a hop, skip, and a jump away from their home base in Ireland.

When I heard that they would be playing not once but twice at the 2010 edition of the mighty Roadburn Festival, and that they’d be playing White Tomb in its entirely, “stoked” doesn’t begin to describe my reaction. They played to packed crowds both nights and damn near moved mountains with their performances. While Altar of Plagues were onstage, we forgot about the looming shadow of volcanic ash that was to keep many of us stranded far from home, and simply drank it in. The boys and I hit it off and kept in touch. When they headed across the pond for their first ever US tour, alongside Velnias and Castevet, I decided to tag along for a week and document the madness.

. . .

TOUR REPORT: ALTAR OF PLAGUES
Through Peril Towards Atlantic Light

. . .

BALTIMORE, MD
THE HEXAGON

. . .

For those of you who haven’t been to Baltimore or have never seen The Wire, let me drop some knowledge on you: it is a SHITHOLE, and this is coming from someone who’s lived in West Philly for years. The irate cops and yellow caution tape in front of the building beside the Hexagon, a sorta-DIY art gallery/show space, drove this point home, as did the pools of blood (seriously) and blatant evidence of a struggle. Good ol’ Bodymore, Murderland. As I greeted Altar of Plagues with hugs and tried to reassure the Irishmen that, “No, really, this is the nice part of town!” they continued to look skeptical; I believe “aghast” is the appropriate term. The Velnias and Castevet crews were no less nonplussed, but all assumed that things would look up once the show started. Er, no. Tonight’s gig had been hastily thrown together, as was made apparent by the disappointing number of bodies in the audience.

All three bands gave it their all, though, and didn’t let the situation affect their performances. This was my first time seeing Velnias in several years, and, armed with a few new members (Twitch and Paul) and a brand new, twenty-minute epic of black doom gold, the Colorado mountain men proceeded to kill it dead. I couldn’t help but giggle when a crowd member entreated the band to “Play something rockin’!” and was met with a flat “No”. Castevet were impressive, as always, and seeing Altar of Plagues in such a stripped-down setting – with barely any light at all and bare feet on the floor – was an experience in and of itself.

The fourth face in the Altars gang was new to me. Guitarist J. Spillane had left the band since I’d last seen them, and Eric Netto of excellent California black metallers Lake of Blood had stepped in to help out on this tour. Vocalist/guitarist James Kelly explained,

“Jer moved to a different country and was no longer able to commit to the band. It is unfortunate, but people must do what they have to. [I] was first in contact with Eric a few years ago, as we shared a mutual interest in each other’s music, and we got along well. We later met when I was a roadie on a Thou/Leech tour. He was the first guy to come to mind when we needed to find a guitarist for the tour and, fortunately, he was immediately on board”.

Over the course of the tour, James was able to reunite with his Thou buddies for a string of shows down South as well as share performances with a number of killer bands (that I wish had made it to the East Coast!). The Altar of Plagues tour kicked off in Seattle and spanned nearly the entire country, which is impressive enough for any band’s first American tour. What made this one even more so, though, was that it was entirely self-booked!

Kelly explained, “It is how we have always done things, although we now have a booking agent in Europe, and that certainly takes some of the headaches out of touring. As for the US, we had a number of contacts ourselves and had little trouble booking shows, and we also had an agent over here offer some assistance, too. Rather than having to rely on a middleman, we just wanted to deal with everyone directly and control every facet of the tour. Although we booked it ourselves, it was far more of a venue tour than a DIY tour (i.e., the number of basement/house/squat shows was minimal, though we always like to have such shows)”.

. . .

“Atlantic Light (excerpt)” (from Tides EP)
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

. . .

Ironically enough, the gigs that the band members mentioned most favorably were house shows – save for the gig with Fauna in Portland, OR, which drummer Johnny King couldn’t stop talking about. Kelly told me, “It was one of my personal highlights, as I have been listening to their work for a long time. Fauna shares a ritual performance, and I have never seen a more real and honest performance in my entire life. It was a truly incredible experience”.

All four of them, as well as the Velnias crew, were eager to talk about their Salem, OR show with Plutocracy, Fell Voices, Galdr, Ash Borer, Mania, Hell, and Anadonius. “The highlight of the tour for me personally was a basement show in Salem, Oregon, at a place called the Burial Grounds”, Kelly told me. “I have never witnessed so much shared passion and energy at a performance in my life (I actually have been comparing it to a Lightning Bolt show in terms of energy). It was a one-of-a-kind show”.

Tonight’s show was definitely nowhere near as awesome as that one must have been, but at least they got a few stories out of it, especially after a very friendly gentleman pushing his little daughter in a stroller sauntered up and started talking drums with Andrew, Velnias’ drummer, and nonchalantly mentioned the furious gang activity that consumed the area. I also got to hear Dave [Condon, Altar of Plagues bassist/vocalist] sputter, “America is terrifying!” in his thick Cork accent for the first of many, many times.

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WASHINGTON, DC
THE BLACK CAT

. . .

Virginia doomhaulers (and Profound Lore labelmates) Salome were due to play with Altar of Plagues, Velnias, and Castevet at DC’s Black Cat. Before we even left for the venue, though, we got the absolutely terrible news that Rob Moore, Salome’s guitarist, had been beaten and robbed on his way home from work the previous night and would be unable to perform that evening, forcing the band to cancel. Poor guy! I got in touch with Aaron [Deal], the drummer, who assured us that Rob was OK, just a bit shaken up. With slightly lowered spirits, we went off to sightsee around the capital, splitting into two groups that managed to see more or less exactly the same thing, as often happens in massive, touristy, memorial-strewn areas (though Johnny and I totally got to see dinosaurs at the Smithsonian, and the other dudes missed out. Suckers!).

The show went pretty well despite some technical difficulties, much better than the previous night’s. There was an actual crowd this time, which was encouraging. Quite a lot of fans stuck around after Altar of Plagues’ set to chat with the bands (Paul from Velnias had brought a small distro of his various projects, and was surrounded by uber-kvlt black metal dudes all night). We also discovered the source of the incredibly loud Bollywood music that had been blaring through the walls backstage all night when one of the lads pulled open a door to reveal a huge dance party! We shimmied on in, executed a couple slick dance moves, then conga’d right back on out (fun is fun, but that stuff will suck the soul out of you)! After load out, a handful of the dudes went off to explore the “Exorcist Stairs” that had been used while filming the legendary creepfest, and came back with stories of, well, stairs (and one or two members’ daring escapades at the top of them). Spooky.

. . .

PHILADELPHIA, PA
KUNG FU NECKTIE

. . .

The short East Coast drives came as a welcome relief to the Altars lads, as they’d been dealing with nine (or more!) hours at a stretch out West and down South. “The drives can be a great deal longer than in Europe. In the US, we passed through hours of nothing, so there is no opportunity to fill long drives with shows. Such things are more rare in Europe. I also found it near impossible to eat well when touring in the US”, Kelly admitted.

Well, we may be violent, but at least you’ve only got to drive three hours before you’re in an entirely new graffiti-and-gun-plagued city out here!

Philly’s a rough town, but it’s got its charms – namely, cheesesteaks, which the lads were very interested in, despite their utter despair at the grease-laden American cuisine they’d encountered along the way. My buddies The Green Evening Requiem opened up the show with a thunderous amalgamation of black, death, and doom metal, and did a lovely job of waking up the still-sober punters who’d made it to the venue already. Kung Fu Necktie is one of Philly’s best venues, but has an infuriating habit of double-booking metal shows with DJ nights, thus requiring the longhairs to finish up by 10pm so the hipsters can start trickling in.

Tonight was no exception. Everyone played, everyone ruled, but the gig could have done with some more planning and at least another Altars of Plague song (I’m allowed to bitch ’cause I’ve put on early shows at that venue before). Philly’s a tough town for live music, but the bands sounded amazing, and the gig served as a nice warmup for the madness that tomorrow’s NYC show was sure to bring. Castevet headed home to NY after the gig, and I took Velnias and an Altar out to Chinatown for cheap eats, while the other Irishmen went off in search of cheesesteaks. Once I’d collected all the out-of-towners, both remaining bands and I squeezed into my buddy Shawn from Rumpelstiltskin Grinder’s place and slept off the MSG, booze, and residual road rage (maybe that was just me…).

. . .

NEW YORK CITY, NY
THE STUDIO AT WEBSTER HALL

. . .

Philly to New York City was the most eventful drive of the tour, as far as I was concerned. The traffic and asshole drivers were a given; what was not, however, was getting rear-ended by a giant SUV in the middle of bumper-to-bumper traffic and then being bought off by a frantic Long Island wise guy named Ronnie who was clearly terrified of having to deal with insurance, or worse, “fuckin’ cops”. Two hundred bucks for a scratch on a bumper and a moment of panic? Good deal.

We were a bit late getting to the venue, thanks to the accident and the unholy horror that is Manhattan traffic, but everything worked out well enough, and I was able to wriggle my way up to the very front in time to see my friends in Man’s Gin’s debut performance. Erik Wunder’s voice is simply haunting, in a husky, whiskey-drenched, late night regrets kind of way, and the other musicians he’d enlisted (Joshua Lazano of Jarboe/Inswarm, Fade Kainer of Jarboe/Batillus/Inswarm, and Scott Edward) brought his melancholy visions to raw, trembling life. Alt-country, folk, neo-grunge, and ballsy rock ‘n’ roll melded together into something quirky, inviting, and just a little dark. A wonderful performance, though one that made absolutely no sense next to Castevet’s jagged black progressions, Velnias’ ethereal black/doom, and Altar of Plagues’ atmospheric black conjurations. Ya can’t fault the promoters for putting together a Profound Lore All-Stars show, though!

This was the last stop of the tour for Castevet, who brought the fucking noise with pure fury and delivered their strongest performance of the week. The crowd didn’t quite seem to “get” Velnias, especially Twitch’s habit of crouching down and screaming his throat raw once the music had faded, but I thought they ruled. Altar of Plagues were amazing; they could clearly feel the energy in the room building as they launched into their set, and by the end, there wasn’t a body in the joint that wasn’t swaying, nodding, or screaming along. A truly impassioned performance, and one of the strongest I’ve seen from them to date. The New York show was a triumph, and I’m sure the packed house will be even fuller next time they roll through.

. . .

NEW YORK CITY
DAY OFF

. . .

My phone was dead, and the Altars guys had only one phone between them, so it’s a bloody miracle we all ended up in the same place at the end of a busy day filled with sightseeing and culinary delights. Andrew from Castevet came over and decided to show the boys a good time, and, well… What do you get when you take three Irishmen, a Californian, a Long Islander, and a South Jersey transplant, add whiskey, and set them loose on Manhattan’s Lower East Side? You’ll have to use your imaginations there – details withheld to protect the absolutely guilty!

. . .

BOSTON, MA
GREAT SCOTT

. . .

I hadn’t intended on going up for the Boston gig, but Andrew suggested a road trip and I was powerless to resist the thought of one more night of Altar of Plagues and Velnias awesomeness. The drive up to Boston sucked hard, but the city itself was pretty cool. Dave from Revocation came out to be a badass, and the show went really well. This was now my sixth time seeing Altars of Plagues, and I was still right up front losing my mind like it was the first time. They just do not get old.

That’s from a fan’s perspective, though; I’m not the one who’s got to play those riffs night after night. James Kelly is: “We have been performing material from White Tomb and Tides. In a way, we are somewhat looking forward to taking a rest away from the White Tomb material, as we have been performing it for some time now. We of course enjoy it, but I would hate for me to become tired of the music”.

We ended up with Boston filth kings Panzerbastard at some rock bar after the gig that wouldn’t let an ID-less Johnny, who is clearly over 21 (he’s 6′4″ with a beard) come in until one of the bouncers saw reason and stepped aside. A few beers and horrible drunk food ended that night for half of us, landing us back at Andrew’s place. A few ill-fated bottles of booze and some truly awful kung fu movies later, the motley crew passed out one by one, and the morning light started creeping in.

. . .

“Earth: As a Womb (excerpt)” (from White Tomb)
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

. . .

All in all, the lads seemed satisfied with their first foray onto North American shores, and it’s safe to assume that their fans were more than grateful for the chance to catch them in small, intimate settings. Even the Dirty South was kind to these tattooed, longhaired foreigners, and the boys have fond memories of New Orleans, in particular. (I wouldn’t be surprised if Johnny packed up his kit and moved on down to Bourbon Street.) “We received a very warm welcome everywhere that we went”, Kelly recalls. “Even in the South when a handful of people may have been initially hostile – I’m of course referring to people you meet in passing, not people at shows – they were filled with questions once they found out where we were from”.

They will be back soon enough. Kelly revealed that they plan to head back to the States sometime in 2011.

“For the meantime, we want to put our focus on writing and our own lives. We will record our second album in September, and after that, with the exception of an upcoming show in Paris, we will focus on our own endeavours for a while. We have committed a lot of energy towards touring over this past year, so we are happy to be getting back to our own lives. For me, it is important to keep balance and I love my home life as much as I love my life away from home”.

That balance contributes to the biting truth of Altar of Plagues’ music. Nothing is contrived, everything is heartfelt, and the art breathes and evolves on its own, without pressure or stress. The ends justify the means.

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. . .

When it comes to speedy, scathing, straightforward black metal, Denouncement Pyre hit all the sweet spots. They strive for a piece of Lucifer on World Cremation (Hells Headbangers, 2010), but they don’t need Latin song titles or occult ephemera. Their weapons are far more simple and direct. Guitars are chainsaws hurled into Sunday Mass; vocals drip with Bible-shredding bile.

World Cremation is as cold and black as the abyss on its cover. The ragged thrash that Australian bands excel at occasionally rears its head, but for the most part it’s all buzzing six-strings and nonexistent bass – more “thrashened” black metal than blackened thrash. Denouncement Pyre succeed as preservationists of both feral Australian metal and black metal as a whole.

“A Banner Drenched in Blood”
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Of course, all the blasphemy and blastbeats in the post-Transilvanian Hunger world cannot make compelling black metal on their own. If you don’t reinvent the wheel, you had better at least grease it with good songs. Denouncement Pyre know this. Strip away World Cremation’s avalanche of treble, and you’ve got good old-fashioned, kick-ass heavy metal. The band embraces black metal’s framework but not its monochromatic tendencies. Tracks are distinctive, rife with variation, dynamics, and hooks. Crushing power chords are as important as blistering, tremolo-picked lines. Riffs bang heads, raise fists and also beers; solos are of the chaotic King/Hanneman variety. Drums clatter away like distant thunder, setting the pace for a race with the devil.

Denouncement Pyre paint with a broad palette, but like the previously discussed Maax and Darkthrone, World Cremation is not about originality or innovation. It’s about a high level of craftsmanship within an established form.

“Coven of Diabolical Prophecies”
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

. . .

Amazon (CD)
Amazon (MP3)
MetalHit (MP3, $4.99)
Hells Headbangers (CD)
Hells Headbangers (Gatefold LP)
Hells Headbangers (LP + shirt combo)

Photo by Brandi Valenza

. . .

One month from today, Triptykon begin their first North American tour. (See dates below.) 1349 and Yakuza will support. Now is a good time to revisit 1349’s Demonoir. I listened to it a lot when it came out earlier this year, but it eluded easy judgment. Months later, it still does.

Demonoir (Prosthetic, 2010) is six proper songs, with seven interludes between and bookending them. The sequencing is unorthodox, but it works. For their first three records, 1349 conducted a war of attrition: blasting and tremolo picking the listener into submission. It was formidable as athletics but too easily became a blur. Last year’s Revelations of the Black Flame broke the mold with a disastrous mishmash of black metal and dark ambience.  Now the band has learned how to balance these elements.  The ambient tracks are now palate cleansers between songs. These interludes aren’t terribly exciting – there’s a little piano and a lot of whooshing sounds – but such moments of repose make the songs stand out. In this case, I’d rather hear six proper songs than 13.

So for the first time, I can tell songs apart on a 1349 record. Despite the band’s reputation for straight-up-the-middle black metal, these arrangements are bizarre. Riffs crawl, walk, and run, alternating among these modes seemingly randomly. The vocals are likewise almost arrhythmic, sort of floating above everything. The cumulative effect is one of instability. Rarely does the record settle into a groove; the ground beneath is always shifting. Deathspell Omega’s Kénôse comes to mind, though that record had a rounder low end that cradled its weirdness. In contrast, Demonoir’s ragged tones offer no comfort. It’s stop-and-go in a hot rod with a schizophrenic driver.

So 1349 will likely induce furrowed brows, not pumped fists on this upcoming tour. Tellingly, the record’s highlight for me is around two and a half minutes into “Atomic Chapel”. (Stream it below, and the whole album here.) The song settles down just long enough to let gorgeous piano dance over it. 49 minutes of black metal and dark ambience – and my main takeaway is piano. That’s characteristic of black metal’s struggle now to remain both black metal and interesting. Now that blastbeats and tremolo picking have been done to death, what more can the genre say? In recent years, black metal’s most salient narratives have been departures from it. Horns! (Funeral Mist) Piano! (1349) Slow songs! (Marduk) The kitchen sink! (Nachtmystium)  The mind hardly boggles.

These aren’t necessarily salient narratives for me. As the latest records by Urgehal and Valdur show, the traditional Norwegian sound still has legs. I’m a purist and believe in the primacy of guitars, drums, and voice. But it’s interesting to see a band that once harnessed such primacy now using the studio as an instrument. Half of the focus on Demonoir is on its production, which is quite good. The piano, whooshing sounds, and other effects all work. It’s the black metal that may or may not work. This upcoming tour will be a test of that.

. . .

1349 – OCTOBER NORTH AMERICAN TOUR 2010
w/ Triptykon, Yakuza

Oct. 06 – New York, NY @ Gramercy Theatre
Oct. 07 – Boston, MA @ The Middle East Downstairs
Oct. 08 – Baltimore, MD @ Otto Bar
Oct. 09 – Philadelphia, PA @ Polaris
Oct. 10 – Montreal, QC @ Les Foufunes Électriques
Oct. 11 – Toronto, ON @ Opera House
Oct. 13 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
Oct. 14 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theatre
Oct. 15 – Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre
Oct. 16 – Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
Oct. 17 – St. Paul, MN @ Station 4
Oct. 19 – Denver, CO @ The Marquis Theatre
Oct. 21 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
Oct. 22 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
Oct. 23 – San Francisco, CA @ Slims
Oct. 24 – Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre
Oct. 25 – Tucson, AZ @ The Rock
Oct. 27 – Tulsa, OK @ The Marquee
Oct. 28 – Fort Worth, TX @ Ridglea Theatre
Oct. 29 – Austin, TX @ Emo´s Outside
Oct. 30 – Houston, TX @ The Warsaw

. . .

Amazon (CD)
Amazon (MP3)
Amazon (MP3, expanded edition)
Prosthetic (CD, shirt, 2LP pic disc)
Amie St. (MP3, currently under $4)
Amie St. (MP3, expanded edition, currently under $5)

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. . .

“Conquer All”

. . .

Nergal of Behemoth has leukemia. (See story here and here.) It has progressed to a point where chemotherapy would be ineffective, and (he just finished his first round of chemo) he needs a bone marrow transplant. Bone marrow transplants, from what I gather, are uncertain things and depend on a number of factors for the right match. The more potential donors there are, the better the chances of a match. It’s unclear what kind of leukemia Nergal has, or if he’s found a match yet, but now is a good time to learn about bone marrow donation.

Be the Match is the world’s largest bone marrow registry. It has set out FAQs and Myths & Facts about the donation process, as well as information about the need for donors. (One big question answered: unlike typical blood donation, a marrow donor does not donate until the registry calls with a needed match.) An organization called Music Saves Lives provides information and logistical support for donations and marrow drives. Race and ethnicity matter for matches, so if you are of Polish descent, your marrow could help Nergal. If you are not, of course, your marrow will potentially help those whose genetics are close to yours.

A fitting accompaniment, perhaps, to all this is Behemoth’s “Conquer All”. (See video above.) This is my favorite Behemoth song. It has made me feel strong in times of weakness. Hopefully someone one out there can do the same for Nergal.

. . .

Many praised last year’s Drakonian Paradigm by Weapon, but I wasn’t feeling it. The intent – a polytheistic approach to black metal’s Satanism, but with the melody of thrash and traditional metal – was good. The execution was not. Some parts were frustratingly musically conservative, while the band felt too rickety to have any power.

However, new members are in the band, and the improvement is audible. Weapon have uploaded a new track, “Vortex-11724″ to their MySpace (you can stream it below). They sound like they have more backbone now, and given a higher production budget, the song could have come from Behemoth. (That higher budget wouldn’t necessarily be a good thing; despite some strong material, Behemoth’s last two albums have been too slick for me.) Drakonian Paradigm put Weapon on my “to watch” list. Now this song makes me excited for Weapon’s new album From the Devil’s Tomb, out November 1 on The AJNA Offensive and Agonia. In the meantime, check out some new shirt designs at Weapon’s webstore.

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One of the nastiest records of this year is now on LP. Seventh Rule has put Coffinworm’s When All Became None (reviewed here) into a gatefold package. Technical details: “a limited pressing of 500 copies and packaged in an old-school ‘Tip-On’ style jacket manufactured by Stoughton Printing, with vinyl mastering and manufacturing being handled by RTI”. Photos are above. Being analog-challenged, I haven’t heard the vinyl, but I bet it suits Sanford Parker’s dirtbath of a production just fine. This record has kicked my ass since the day it emerged kicking and screaming from the womb – “Blood Born Doom”, indeed. I’m glad it has new life on black gold. Ordering information is below for both the LP and CD. “Start Saving for Your Funeral”…

“Blood Born Doom”
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
“Start Saving for Your Funeral”
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Seventh Rule (LP)
Profound Lore (CD)

Valborg – “Wisdom from the Vortex”

. . .

Germany is where it’s at in black metal now. Labels like Zeitgeister (Valborg, Klabautamann, Woburn House) and Ván (The Ruins of Beverast, Vulvark, Verdunkeln) and bands like Bethlehem, Dark Fortress, Endstille, Secrets of the Moon, and Semen Datura are producing some of the freshest, most interesting black metal today. I wouldn’t call it a “scene,” as I’ve seen little evidence that these camps are in league. But I do see a thread running through many of these bands: “artsiness”. I don’t mean that as a pejorative. Whether through post-punk, doom, or other influences, a sense of elegance leavens the attack. American black metal has a good deal of artsiness, too, but the Germans tend to have more backbone and to do it better.

Valborg are my favorite band out of this crop. I learned of them last year through Tom G. Warrior’s blog. They’ve since become one of my favorite metal bands. They embody a rare combination of aesthetics: minimalism and atmosphere, but with power and rhythm. (Did anyone see them at Roadburn this year? If so, how was it?***) A huge Godflesh influence informs the guitars, with hints of Killing Joke and Celtic Frost – which makes sense, since those bands were big influences on Justin Broadrick. In Crown of Sorrow, which came out earlier this year, this plays out dramatically. The record has no tremolo picking that I could detect – notes ring out with Broadrickian singularity – but it is very much black metal. (Interestingly, Valborg identify themselves on MySpace as “Death Metal / Gothic / Rock”.) This refutes the perception that black metal is some formula of tremolo picking + blastbeats + corpsepaint. Valborg do use blastbeats and corpsepaint. But even their use of the latter is minimal. In the above video for “Wisdom from the Vortex”, they avoid “panda paint” and instead look like the Blue Man Group of the underworld.

. . .

. . .

Good luck trying to find Crown of Sorrow in North America, however. Aquarius Records is the only distributor for it here, and as of this afternoon, they had one copy left. (Order it here!) I asked Zeitgeister if some digital purchase option were available. The response: “I think I can rule out a digital option, since we’re all old school guys and we hate the sale of digital music. People have to buy physical copies from us, CD’s/vinyl including artwork, booklet, etc., or they have to steal the MP3’s from the Internet. We’re idealists”. So, no digital option and one CD left for purchase in North America. I’ve never seen a label less interested in distribution! You can buy from Zeitgeister directly here, and stream a sampler of their offerings, including selections from upcoming releases, here. I highly recommend checking out the sampler. It’s a good way to familiarize yourself with one of the most vital black metal labels today.

Crown of Sorrow is still doing my head in, but Valborg already have a new song called “Battlefield of Souls”, from an album called Barbarian out next year. You can stream it below. (The Justin Broadrick and Tom G. Warrior influences are very upfront.) Stream the rest of the songs, too. They’re some of the best metal out there right now.

. . .

*** Raw and powerful, evidently. You can stream Valborg’s set at Roadburn here.

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. . .

. . .

When I was a kid, Australia scared the hell out of me. The cliché-riddled pictures painted by movies and television depicted it as an island where Mother Nature had gone batshit crazy and was out for blood. Populated by crocodiles, poisonous snakes, and spiders, surrounded by an ocean teeming with man-eating sharks – this wasn’t a country, it was a fucking death trap. The Land Down Under was about as frightening and alien a place as could be to a boy growing up in Central Iowa.

In the early ’00s, I started digging into the Australian metal scene and was terrified all over again. Bands like Deströyer 666 and Fuck… I’m Dead were as brutal and violent as my childhood memories of Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. Australian bands were loud, chaotic, ugly, and savage: the very definition of violent extremity. From Hobbs’ Angel of Death to Sadistik Exekution to Vomitor, the country has established a metallic legacy characterized by a tenacious DIY work ethic and a desire to run over or through any obstacle that gets in the way.

But for all the time I spent listening to the music, the inner workings of the Australian scene were still a mystery to me. What factors caused it to develop in such a unique way? Is it everything it’s cracked up to be? Where did it come from, and where is it going? What difficulties do the musicians face, living and working in such an isolated country? The only way to truly learn about this largely unheralded scene was to contact a few of its luminaries and get answers straight from the crocodile’s maw.

. . .

THE PARTICIPANTS

Decaylust
guitar, vocals/Denouncement Pyre, vocals/Hunter’s Moon, live guitar/Nocturnal Graves

Marcus Hellkunt
drums/Vomitor, drums/Gospel of the Horns, ex-Bestial Warlust

Ian Belshaw
bass/Trench Hell, ex-Shackles

Ben Wrecker
drums/Hotel Wrecking City Traders, owner of Bro Fidelity Records

Glenn Destruktor
guitar, vocals/Destruktor

. . .

. . .

What characteristics make Australian metal unique?

Decaylust

Early on, I would say it was the ferocious and bestial styles that made bands appealing to the overseas maniacs. In recent years, I’m not really sure. There are a few quality bands, but also some I don’t really care for.

Marcus Hellkunt

Alcoholic fuelled heavy motherfucking satanik death metal rock filth!!!!!

Ian Belshaw

I don’t think Australian heavy metal in general is unique, but the war metal/black/thrash bands either grew up together or grew up watching each other play. The typical Australian culture (by no means predominant these days) of drinking beer, driving V8 cars, eating meat, listening to AC/DC, and watching sport breeds an uncompromising heavy metal individual who would rather listen to Sodom than Nightwish. These are the characters that drive the bands you refer to, and it’s this uncompromising attitude that may be seen to make their music unique.

Ben Wrecker

The DIY ethic runs very strong here, and also a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities that make up bands. This is a very diverse society, and the music reflects this. There are also very Australian sounding bands as well as bands that sound like they were from other countries, but for the most part the beauty is in the variety and the sort of “Aussie Battler” mentality that nothing’s supposed to be that easy.

Glenn Destruktor

The fact that most of our killer bands can not be pigeonholed as a particular style, and the fact that gothic/dramatic/image-based shit does not get any respect amongst most metalheads. These bands should stop playing with metal bands. They should fuck off to some theatre, and torture someone other than metalheads with their wimpy gothic fashion shit!!!

. . .

Sadistik Exekution

. . .

Who are the pioneering bands of Australian metal? What was it about them that inspired you?

Decaylust

Well, the history of the underground scene here is widely known. I guess some of the earlier bands that made a real mark beyond our shores include Sadistik Exekution, Corpse Molestation, Bestial Warlust, Mortal Sin, Armoured Angel, Hobbs Angel of Death, a few others also. Of course there were some death and thrash bands that pre-dated some of these, but they were known on a lesser scale and still some are very obscure.

I wouldn’t say any of these necessarily inspired us to play music, as our motivation comes from a source that is entirely different. Perhaps they opened the door for other Australian bands to gain a following outside of this country, which isn’t a bad thing.

Marcus Hellkunt

Slaughter Lord, Mass Confusion, Depression, Bestial Warlust, Deströyer 666, Armoured Angel. All brutal and heavy as fuck!!!

Ian Belshaw

Taipan, Hobbs’ Angel of Death, Slaughter Lord, Sadistik Exekution, Armoured Angel, Bestial Warlust, Disembowelment, to name a few. As a kid growing up, I was particularly inspired by Sadistik Exekution and Armoured Angel – Sadistik being the local maniacs who sounded like no one else and had a cult following throughout the world, Armoured because they had their own distinct style that was dark as sin and heavy metal to the bone. Both were at the forefront of the local scene when I was growing up.

Ben Wrecker

We grew up outside of Australia, so our contact with the early bands was little to none. However bands such as Abramelin and Thumlock stood out. Both very different sides of the spectrum, but each amazing in their own right.

Glenn Destruktor

Australia had a great hard rock scene with bands such as AC/DC, The Angels, Rose Tattoo, and so on. But as far as the extreme metal side of things is concerned, bands such as Sadistik Exekution, Mortal Sin, Hobbs Angel of Death and Slaughterlord led the way in the mid-late 80’s. The early 90’s saw bands such as Corpse Molestation/Bestial Warlust, Entasis, Armoured Angel, Anatomy, Cruciform, and Hecatomb rise before bands like Deströyer 666, Abyssic Hate, Spear of Longinus, Abominator, Gospel of the Horns, Nazxul, and others took things further.

I took no more inspiration from these bands than from elsewhere. I was isolated from the scene early on, and discovered my own path, which revolved around my appreciation of death, black and doom metal from different points of the globe. Maybe this is no different to other maniacs from Australia. The main similarity between a lot of the good Aussie bands is that they can not be pigeonholed as death, black or thrash metal, but somewhere between all of it. I had started the band before I had gotten very involved with the underground, and discovering it as I did was more an inspiration. It made the whole thing real to me, not this over-publicized, glamorized commercial shit, but real humans, creating the truest, purest forms of metal known to man.

. . .

Bestial Warlust – “Bestial Warlust”

Click here to view the embedded video.

. . .

Is there one predominant metal subgenre that epitomizes the scene?

Decaylust

Most seem to identify the scene by the ferocity of older bands like Sadistik Exekution and Bestial Warlust. The whole war metal tag that gets thrust upon most bands would be the most common reference. Many miss the mark by tagging every band since with the same label. It’s become such a generalization that I think it misrepresents most bands. Death Metal appears to be on the forefront at the moment. You can see now there are a few newer bands emerging that are delving into this down-tuned “obscure & twisted” sort of style that has become popular due to a few overseas bands leading the way. I don’t think there is one style that should sum it up though; every band should pursue their art regardless of what’s happening around them.

Marcus Hellkunt

The death/thrash metal scene in Australia, for sure, and the average metal head that’s into the classics…Slayer, Metallica, Priest, Maiden, Mötley Crüe, Motörhead, etc., etc.

Ian Belshaw

Of course people will associate Australia with war metal, or nowadays with “black/thrash”. If foreigners want to call this “the Australian sound”, then so be it. Just keep in mind that only a handful of bands in Australia ever played that sort of music, amongst hundreds of heavy, death, grind, black, and thrash metal acts, many of them clones of the latest European or American trend.

Ben Wrecker

Melbourne’s always had what seems to be called a “stoner” scene. Theres a very healthy and growing noise and experimental scene growing, as there is with the more traditional and black sides of metal. I think Australians are really supportive of homegrown bands, and it’s a good place to be if you are into playing lots of shows in lots of different places to different crowds.

Glenn Destruktor

As stated, part of our recognition of our scene is for the reason that most killer bands cannot be strictly described as thrash, doom, black, or death metal. Most bands would utilize some elements from two or three different subgenres. At on time, it was called “war metal”, but I don’t think there were enough chaotic, violent bands from Australia to really warrant a “war metal” scene. Fact is, a lot of the true maniacs in Australia are not restricted to being a pure death metal fan. Many accept black metal, thrash, doom, classic metal, and even some grind as great metal, regardless of “style”. It’s not as clear-cut as, say, the Tampa scene, which was clearly death metal, or Norway, or [Sweden]. There was no access to this shit but imports until 1990 or so, which meant a lot of us were a little more open-minded to extreme metal than some other scenes worldwide. With the Internet and shit, it is more diverse, and more crap is accessible, and more bands are popping up via bedroom recordings and shit. Eventually, there will be no particular scenes from everywhere, as everything will sound the fucking same. [Ed. note: That has already happened.]

. . .

Gospel of the Horns

. . .

Is your music at all influenced by your heritage and/or surroundings?

Decaylust

Not really. The main influence for creating this music is irrespective of our location. Music is influenced mainly by the energy and spirit that resides within its creator, which in our case does not have its basis in our everyday surroundings.

Marcus Hellkunt

Definitely in the death metal scene. It has its own fast, brutally aggressive style, which is recognized in Europe, South America, US, NZ, Asia etc.

Bestial Warlust termed it “war metal”. Vomitor is along that line, but more classic death metal, likened to Morbid Angel/Sodom. Gospel of the Horns have our own nasty brand of black thrash with a demonic, patriotic twist.

Ian Belshaw

Yes, it definitely was. Whether we liked it or not, Shackles was influenced by bands like Deströyer 666, Gospel of the Horns, and Grenade, who we watched live and associated with on a regular basis. Add to that the pioneering Australian bands mentioned earlier, who inspired by their great music rather than their pioneering nature. Australians have traditionally had a fairly staunch, uncompromising nature, and I think this has flowed into the way our music – right back to AC/DC, Buffalo, and Rose Tattoo – has been performed.

Ben Wrecker

Yeah, we (HWCT) have lived all over the place – Australia, Asia, the UK, the USA, Canada etc… So all of these cultures and cities, towns, villages, and metropolises that we’ve had the fortune of spending time in have shaped the way we see ourselves fitting in (or not). I don’t think the heritage of Australia has really played any great part in our sound. We are an instrumental band, so we rely on sounds and textures to get our moods and themes across.

Glenn Destruktor

No.

. . .

Trench Hell – “Southern Cross Ripper”

Click here to view the embedded video.

. . .

Do you think the Australian metal scene gets the recognition it deserves on an international level?

Decaylust

I think it does. There has always been a lot of interest in what Australian bands are doing, and from all impressions the Europeans especially really worship the old Australian bands. I think it’s fairly easy for a band to promote themselves overseas, get onto an international label, or to have their music distributed, and from there the interest just seems to grow.

Marcus Hellkunt

I think so, depending on what style of metal you like. The death metal, black metal, thrash metal scenes, [and] bands like Portal, Blood Duster, D666, Psycroptic, Naxzul, The Bezerker, Sadistik Exekution, amongst others, have all proven to be popular both at home and internationally. There are fucking tons of metal bands in Australia. Because there is a decent scene here, a lot of metal bands from around the globe come over to gig.

Ian Belshaw

Given our geographical isolation, which is always an impediment to touring, I think the Australian heavy metal scene does get the recognition it deserves internationally. It probably didn’t in the early ’90s, but these days many underground fans around the globe are aware of bands such as Trench Hell, Gospel of the Horns, Vomitor, Cauldron Black Ram, Nocturnal Graves, and more. If people are not familiar with them, it’s not for lack of opportunity or exposure.

Ben Wrecker

Yes and no. I think there are some amazing bands out here, and bands are increasingly more often going on tour overseas and playing in Europe, Asia, and the USA. I think the standards are fairly high here, and it makes the bands challenging and exciting to hear and see live.

Glenn Destruktor

I may be biased, but there are many good bands from Australia, and per capita, we crush most!! Our scene has had a reputation for many years, but it never realized its full potential. Gospel [of the Horns] reformed a little late, Bestial Warlust broke up, Deströyer 666 lessened the extremity, Sadistik Exekution became reclusive, bands broke up, and that was it. We continue to have a reputation, but it is not like it was back in the mid-’90s. The black metal explosion was dying, death metal was dead, people were looking for something more attacking, and Brazil delivered somewhat, but Australia just never quite got the same recognition. Maybe Australia was just a little too disconnected with the rest of the world. Fuck recognition, anyway, gay-arse bands get recognition for being technical wizards that play boring, wanky music. A great country does not make a great band!! Great metal comes from all parts of the globe.

. . .

Hotel Wrecking City Traders

. . .

From afar, your country appears to have tons of interesting bands. Is the scene really as amazing as it seems?

Decaylust

I can see how those from overseas have a great impression of metal from Australia, but I think when you live here, it’s a little different. Most of the killer bands do not play live, or only rarely when they do. I go to maybe 2-3 shows a year, and especially the last few years there has been very few active bands that have interested me. There are some good recordings coming out, though, and the flow seems to be fairly constant.

Marcus Hellkunt

Yes, there are always gigs on in Brisbane and Melbourne every weekend. Sydney’s OK. Adelaide, Perth, and Tassie are a little slower.

Ian Belshaw

To be honest, probably not. Definitely not these days. There are tons of un-interesting bands in Australia. The good thing is that only the interesting ones tend to become known to outsiders, as they are the ones doing something different to what can be heard from somewhere else. And despite the amount of killer bands lurking in the underground, very few of them play live on a regular basis (if at all) due to the small scene and large physical scale of this nation.

Ben Wrecker

Yes, it is. The sheer volume of bands per capita here is insane, especially in Melbourne where we live. Sometimes it can be a little too expansive, and you have to pick and choose what shows you are gonna see, and which ones you will have to miss out on. Same goes for playing shows. You can if you want to (and believe me we have) play every weekend in a multitude of venues. Pubs, clubs, house shows, warehouses, DIY art spaces, you name it, we have it here. Ultimately, it seems to increase the variety and diversity amongst all the bands in the city and around the rest of the country.

Glenn Destruktor

It is steady, but nothing spectacular. Gigs are regular, but killer lineups are not so frequent. As a social thing, I’m sure there is enough going on to keep them satisfied, but as far as quality gigs, they are not so common. It seems our scene is not as good as you imagine it, but it is by no means fucked! Fuck all distros, fuck all good promoters, fuck all zines, but still, the scene has been similar for the last few years, and will never be what it was during the late-80’s through to mid-90’s.

. . .

Denouncement Pyre – Album Teaser

Click here to view the embedded video.

. . .

Does your band get much support locally?

Decaylust

Actually, we receive little support or interest from Australia. I would still consider Denouncement Pyre to be a relatively unknown band within this country. Most of the interest and support comes from overseas – places like USA, Europe (France, Germany), Asia, and the UK. I was surprised during my travels through Europe last year how many people knew the band and were into it. Also, from the mail I receive, it seems to come from everywhere but Australia. Whether this will change in the future, I really don’t know, and to be honest, it isn’t very important.

Marcus Hellkunt

Yes. Both Gospel of the Horns and Vomitor get good crowds at most gigs.

Ian Belshaw

Shackles was quite well supported locally, keeping in mind that the amount of support a band receives is generally dependent on the amount of effort they put into pushing their product. We were content with being a force in the underground, rather than aiming for high profile international support slots or deals with more mainstream labels.

Ben Wrecker

We get a moderate level of support, I guess. It’s definitely grown since we started playing, and we are getting invited to open up for international touring bands a lot more now, which is always fun. I think bands can get lost in the sea of many, though, a lot of the time, too. There’s only so much room for coverage, and like anywhere, trends prevail and bands sometimes get awkwardly lumped together and talked about as some sort of micro-scene. But I very much enjoy being based in Melbourne, as there are shows on every night of the week, and you could live in far worse places, for sure.

Glenn Destruktor

There is some support, but not a lot. We rarely have shit turnouts to gigs, but as far as distribution is concerned, we have fuck all. We are in very few shops in Australia, and in essence, we are still buried deep in the underground. No endorsements, no management, no distribution license, just the support of some maniacs and others involved in the scene. We don’t get much support from promoters, though. Don’t get me wrong, though, we don’t really seek this stuff, and will leave that to those that get gratification from being the biggest band. We stand the test of time, we have our legions, which grows day by day. One day it may came to an end, and I can look back [and] say I’ve had some good times, I’ve stuck through the good and the bad, I’ve achieved some killer things, and become even less significant than I am now, knowing I did not bow to demands. We kept it real, honest, and satisfied the hunger of many a metalhead worldwide for at least a few minutes of their life. Maybe we will grow from here. Whatever, really. It is not good or bad, it just is.

. . .

. . .

Do you ever feel isolated from the rest of the international metal scene? How does this affect you/your band?

Decaylust

With the ease of technology now, the world has become a smaller place so it’s not hard to stay up to date with everything, if one chooses. The biggest problem with being this isolated is that is limits touring capabilities. It’s very expensive to get a 3 or 4 piece band to Europe or the States for tours, and there aren’t many major cities in Australian where a band can play. It also costs a lot to send releases and merch overseas. Postage is a real killer, but that seems to be fairly common in most countries.

Marcus Hellkunt

I definitely feel isolated when I have to be on a fucking plane for 20 god damned hours. This affects us as we all have to drink shitloads of piss and take heaps of drugs to tolerate each other for this long.

Ian Belshaw

The only isolation is in terms of live shows. Other than that, there is no impediment to promoting an Australian band in this day and age or getting signed to an overseas label. In fact, with people out there especially interested in what comes out of Australia, it can actually be an advantage to hail from here. The only other impact is higher postage costs when you are promoting your music internationally, though for many bands the Internet has made that easier these days, anyway.

Ben Wrecker

Touring overseas is an expensive proposition, and one that only a small amount of bands actually mange to pull off. We’ve been entertaining the prospect of touring Europe this year, and it looks like it’s gonna be put off ’til mid-next year due to financial restraints and our desire to put out another couple of records before we do. Running Bro Fidelity Records, mailorder prices seem expensive when people from the USA or Europe want to order our releases. I make the prices as cheap as I possibly can, but postage is usually around 60% extra [more] than the actual price of the records themselves. I think that is probably the biggest difficulty. But people still order, and we sell records all over the place. I think it’s just something you have to deal with purely down to the geographical side of things.

Glenn Destruktor

Surely these days I feel isolated. We should have toured Europe and other places by now, but playing this sort of music, and living as far away as we do certainly makes things harder than if I lived in the vicinity of Europe or North and South America. I guess it makes it more satisfying when we reach places such as those mentioned, but to do it live would certainly give me some satisfaction that can’t be obtained somehow else. It would be a special moment in my life to do these things. Hopefully this can be done in the next couple of years. I won’t regret many things in life, but I would regret it if I did not do something about doing something like a small European tour. I don’t think I could do a lot more with a band like Destruktor, than to play some successful shows in Europe! I think with a lot less distance between continents, we could have some more impact worldwide, but then again, we may have been seen as outdated and boring to all the modern metalheads worldwide. I guess I’ll never know.

. . .

Destruktor – “Violence Unseen”

Click here to view the embedded video.

. . .

Has technology/social networking/etc. made it easier for you to spread the word?

Decaylust

I guess it has made it easier for both bands and fans. From a band point of view, the best advantage is contact with the label surrounding a release and getting everything organized. The problem is it’s perhaps too easy, and every mongoloid with an instrument know has the ease of uploading their “music” and can use this platform to promote their rubbish. I don’t really care either way. You can still sort the false from the genuine. It’s as much a fashionable thing to use these sites as it is to be against them.

Marcus Hellkunt

Yes…hail the Internet!!! Hail MySpace!!!!

Ian Belshaw

Of course it has. Geographical distance is nothing when the Internet is concerned. We in Shackles were initially reluctant to get a MySpace page, but once we did, we found it to make things much easier. It is also much quicker to email labels/distros/zines or other bands than writing a letter and waiting for a reply. Society is very impatient these days – they want information immediately, put on a plate in front of them, or not at all. You can fight it all you want, but at the end of the day you’ll be limiting the scope of your band in the process.

Ben Wrecker

Yeah, the Internet’s been both a positive and a negative thing. Essentially now everyone’s got a level platform for making people aware of their band or label, and whilst that’s also a positive thing, it also really makes it hard to stand out amongst the crowd. Bro Fidelity is a very niche-based label. It isn’t meant to be a huge money earner. It’s done for the love of the music and the desire to expose it to a broader amount of people in other countries, and nowadays it’s all independently focused, and less physical records are being sold because of downloading, etc.

I think it’s great to be able to make a record with a guy like Gary Arce (Yawning Man/Ten East), which Hotel Wrecking City Traders recently have done. It started off when HWCT got to open up for Ten East in Melbourne, and then via the Internet we’ve recorded a record together in Melbourne [and] California, and I think that’s a really remarkable thing. Bands are doing split releases with bands from overseas more than ever, and it’s a cool way to expose bands to each other’s respective necks of the woods and make the connections between bands that may have never really had the opportunity to do so in the days of tape trading and limited run print zines.

On the flipside, I hold that era of discovering music very close to my heart because it was so much harder to discover bands, and when you did, it was like you’d uncovered something you could share with your friends, and it was a sort of nerdy club of music-obsessed people sharing their new discoveries. It’s no different these days, but people are sharing entire hard drives of MP3 formatted music files, and it’s become so much larger in scope. Good music is in the eye of the beholder, so it will always be there and different for everyone. That’s the best part of it.

Glenn Destruktor

I think a lot of our reputation and fan base was established from the mail I used to do many years ago. This shaped the band, no doubt, and everything since has just been an evolution. The Internet has made everything more accessible, but that also means that it is very easy for shitty bands with shitty recording with their shitty songs to spam themselves to make themselves popular, and start their shitty website to show how crap they are to every dickhead that bothers to gives it a listen. I’m proud that Destruktor was established from the old-school way whilst we were in an era of change to the digital, Internet, blah blah world. No doubt this is an easier way to promote the band, but that does not necessarily make it a good thing. It makes it too easy for jobless, trend jumping idiots to call themselves a metalhead, with no idea what the fuck they are on about, no dedication, no life.

. . .

Vomitor

. . .

Are there any obstacles/difficulties you face that you think are particular to your country?

Decaylust

As already mentioned, the biggest obstacle would be the distance from the rest of the world and the way this affects touring overseas.

Marcus Hellkunt

Definitely. Distance, funds, drugs, alcohol, and chicks are all obstacles.

Ian Belshaw

Not really. We all speak English, which is the global heavy metal language. We have a high standard of living, meaning that computer access and the purchasing of musical gear is no obstacle. We’re a lucky country in many ways.

Ben Wrecker

Mainly the size and distance. Bands in Europe can drive the same amount of miles as bands here and play in multiple countries. Australia is so big and the drives much longer, and you get far less venues, let alone countries, for the amount of miles you drive. That always surprises bands when they come from overseas – how long it takes to get around and do shows. But it is a fun country to tour, though, I always enjoy it.

Glenn Destruktor

The distance between here and everywhere else, regardless of [where] internationally. Look at a map of Australia. There are barely five cities in Australia that can consistently gather a semi-reasonable crowd to gigs. It is even shitty to play gigs in different parts of Australia because of the distance between the cities. That is a major reason why we do not play a lot of gigs. No point playing to the same people every fucking month! Lack of good distribution, a sparsely populated land, and distance from overseas would be the biggest issues, I guess. I don’t really think or worry about these things. I just do what I do, however I can, whenever I want, really.

. . .

Hunters Moon – “The Ravens Swoon”

Click here to view the embedded video.

. . .

What bands do you consider to be “the future” of the Australian scene?

Decaylust

I really don’t know. There will always be a handful of good bands and a horde of shit that doesn’t appeal to me on any level.

Marcus Hellkunt

Stormbane and Diabolical Demon Director from Melbourne. Check ‘em out.

Ian Belshaw

Apart from established bands such as Portal, Cauldron Black Ram, Nocturnal Graves, Trench Hell, and Raven Black Night, the likes of Innsmouth, Demons Gate, Hellbringer, Doomed Beast, and Mongrel’s Cross are some to keep an eye on. Not exactly revolutionary, but taking the torch into the future.

Ben Wrecker

Fire Witch, Spider Goat Canyon, Breathing Shrine, Agonhymn are all really exciting and diverse, and their live shows are always killer.

Glenn Destruktor

I don’t see it growing much. I think you will continue to hear of another band popping up that still invoke the spirit of old, and while bands continue to do it, some good bands should continue to arise over the years. I doubt there will be any explosion of Aussie metal, because the scene is more diverse and attracts different crowds. The future of Aussie metal I still like to think is us, along with bands such as Portal, Vomitor, Nocturnal Graves, Denouncement Pyre, Cemetery Urn, Ignivomous, and now a band called Stormbane are now showing some very positive signs. Other bands like Trench Hell, Cauldron Black Ram, and others also continue to fly the flag of the mighty underground.

. . .

. . .

. . .

First, I found out how to say, “Negură Bunget“. The Internet yielded this native Romanian speaker saying it.

How to say “Negură Bunget”
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

I still don’t think I’ll ever say it right.

Next, the band has released a “visual exploration” of the song “Dacia Hiperboreană” from its new album Vîrstele Pămîntului, which you can order here. The band takes pains to point out that it’s not an “actual video”, but it looks like an actual video to me. It’s by Romanian ambient musician Daniel Dorobantu, and it’s what might happen if Stephen Kasner paintings became a Windows Media Player visualization.  That sounds terrible, I know. But it works. Fire it up on full-screen, turn down the lights, and let the sounds and images wash over you.

Negură Bunget’s big story at the moment is the schism of the band, resulting in only one remaining original member on Vîrstele Pămîntului, with the others forming Dordeduh, which has a 7″ gatefold single coming out in September (pre-order here.) Also, earlier this year Negură Bunget’s original lineup released Măiestrit, a re-recording of 2000’s Măiastru Sfetnic. More on all this later – for the moment, enjoy this not-actual video.

. . .

The start of an album is important. It is what listeners of the album hear the most; most listens begin with the beginning, but few end with the end. Like the first sentence of a book, it signals intent and the worth of the experience ahead.

May the Curse Bind (Todestrieb, 2008; 2LP reissue by Flenser, 2010) has a beautiful start. It begins with a lonely squall of feedback, then heads straight into vocals, blastbeats, and guitars sawing away. No intro, no riffs to set the table – this film’s first shot reveals the listener strapped down to a song called “Crawl, Blighted and Afraid”.

The lyrics are indicative. Their first two lines are the setup

To the kindred lost of hope
I speak these words:

to a cruel joke. The kindred lost of hope won’t find any:

A war will come
And we will cry in pain.

The vocals gasp out these syllables, forcing them into a maelstrom rushing by. This is not an elegant, rhythmic delivery. It is ugly and desperate, and it fits.

“Crawl, Blighted and Afraid”
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Ugly and desperate only goes so far, though. Skill makes visions, including ugly and desperate ones, come alive. Here skill is not directed outwards (i.e., “look at me”), but inwards towards propelling an organism through unforgiving terrain. It races across plains, walks on roads, and climbs up many hills. Much of this record occurs at a doomy trudge, but without the finality typical of doom metal. Guitars do not wallow in heaviness; they are restless, searching, like hungry ghosts.

Spirits haunt this record. They do not come from Judeo-Christian notions of God and Satan, or the esoteric occult some resort to as a substitute. They come from the self, and, interestingly, they may or may not exist. “Hexed Under Moon” begins with the couplet “I have been drifting as a spirit / But I am still gripping to mankind”. Then it pleads, “Let me rise and leave this corpse”.

Contrast with “Evoke Spiritless Hell”, which is as unsentimental as it gets:

Show them that it will not be forgotten.
Make it tell in the eyes of every man and beast.
When they reach for the bread, let them taste the mould.
And when lips part, make them hear scorn.
May all that they smell be stale blood
And sweat as we bury our closest.

This is the war of life, set to hard, lean verse. No engineer has sanded off the edges. Feedback shrieks, drums thrum with the metal of cymbals, and guitars claw through dirt. They do so, even when lost of hope, because it’s all they know how to do. Only the letter “I” separates “terroir” from “terror”.

“Hexed Under Moon”
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

. . .

. . .

Relapse (USA) (CD, $5)
Streaks (DE) (2LP)
Todestrieb (UK) (CD)
Todestrieb (UK) (2LP)
Nuclear War Now! (USA) (2LP)
Hells Headbangers (USA) (2LP)
Flenser (USA) (2LP, splatter vinyl here only)