Live Report: Northwest Terror Fest (Days 2 & 3)
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I stand at the edge of a painted line. It’s 3 AM and our Lyft driver has just pulled off the road. Just moments ago, seconds before we arrived on the scene, two cars collided. One of them is flipped over, it’s front bender indented on the side of the highway. Further down the road the second car sits with a chunk taken out of its backside. Our driver and my fellow passengers have rushed out to help, joining two other good samaritans. I lag behind. I’ve never been the type to run towards danger, and the mix of shock and exhaustion isn’t doing me any favors. As we walk towards the first car, a man crawls out of the driver seat window. The dashboard lights are still on inside, cold blue glittering like the Seattle skyline in the distance. Shards of glass crunch under our feet. The driver of the second car stumbles outside. Both survivors are visibly unscathed save for a look of comprehensive disbelief. They may have said something out loud, but it’s hard to hear over the cars whirring past us.
Once we’ve made sure that everyone is ok we let the ambulance that’s just arrived handle the situation. The three of us, dressed in black shirts embroidered with all manner of skulls and morbid imagery, and our Lyft driver, dressed in shorts with a hawaiian pattern, climb back into the car and drive away. There’s a half hearted attempt to return to our conversation about how the horror movie “It Follows” captures the sense that death could strike at any moment, but it no longer feels appropriate. As metalheads we spend a lot of time pantomiming about our mortality, poking the devil with a stick while pissing into the void. But after looking into the eyes of two people who were nearly pulverized between metal and concrete I’m having a hard time playing along.
Day 2: Rise & Grind
I arrived in Seattle’s Capitol Hill district roughly twelve hours earlier, right as the second day of the inaugural Northwest Terror Fest was about to begin. Capitol Hill, decked out in the full colors of Pride, is crawling with a mix of gutter punks, smiling tech types with adorable dogs, and a battalion of metal fans. While the Pacific Northwest has a reputation for the slow and sludgy, Day 2 of Northwest Terror Fest focused on the more mosh friendly sounds of grindcore and powerviolence, all organized around a headlining set from Denver’s Cephalic Carnage. Northwest Terror Fest treated the evening’s final act as a center of gravity, and let the fans and other acts orbit around that center.
The day started with the one-two punch of Recluse and Fucked And Bound, both ‘meat & potatoes’ hardcore leaning grind bands. The two did an excellent job shaking off the rust by proving that like Mexican cuisine, a variety of heavy metal songs can be made out of a small number of ingredients. Both switched between a small cycle of riffs, before Fucked And Bound, who share members with He Whose Ox Is Gored, finished up the day’s opening salvo with a return to browbeating slow tempos.
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Aeviterne Toil Over New Grounds (Interview)
Crossing the path of Garett Bussanick, Eric Rizk, Samuel Smith, and Ian Jacyszyn with their respective projects or with the innovative death metal band Aeviterne has so far been a rare event in concert halls—yet it seems that winds are changing.
After a series of successful U.S. shows in support of debut record The Ailing Facade, Aeviterne played for the first time in Europe on September 24 at Amplifest Festival in Portugal. Ahead of that event and over a call, Ian Jacyszyn (drums, production) discussed Aeviterne's intense creative process and the fun challenges in bringing their fervent brand of extremity to a live audience.
–Anne Laure / eluluphoto
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The music, the lyrics, and the artwork of The Ailing Facade all make it a very immersive and cohesive ensemble. Where do you draw your inspiration?
Lyrically, we’ve shared an appreciation for philosophy, e.g. Kant, Schopenhauer, etc. However, I’m not writing the lyrics myself; Garett is, so I don't want to speak about them on his behalf. I can say, though, that songwriting is all about context for me, and it’s important that the emotion I feel in Garett’s riffs be highlighted and given greater meaning in the finished songs. Often this emotion may be a feeling of loneliness or some sort of existential crisis, which relates back to the lyrical themes and inspirations.
Film is something I'm also personally inspired by, and I enjoy watching movies. I hesitate to say there’s a cinematic quality to Aeviterne's sound, but there's definitely a storytelling component in how the songs are structured. There’s usually an emotional arc, not unlike a film.
Regarding the art: Mark McCoy, who did the album artwork, is one of my good friends, and movies are one of the things we connect over. I feel lucky to have witnessed the evolution of his style and working methods these last 15 years. I find what he is making now to be incredibly cinematic. I couldn't imagine anybody else working on the album, since he has such a gift when it comes to translating the mood of a song into an image.
Visually, I think Aeviterne’s music has a lot of shadows and dark hues in it, and you’re usually not seeing what you think you should be seeing, which is perfectly represented in the cover image Mark made.
You mentioned the songwriting; what comes first in your creative process?
The riff usually comes first. Maybe I'm a traditionalist in this regard, but I believe heavy metal is about the riff—It’s the most important component. A good riff is what excites me most when listening to metal. That said, Garett will initiate the creative process by assembling a rough riff structure and from there we will collaborate and demo extensively.
What’s your approach to drum composition at that stage?
From the outset of each song, there’s usually some sort of agreed upon idea as to what the rhythmic feel will be. Since our genre framework is death metal, this is usually a blast beat of sorts. However, when it comes to composing the final drum parts, blast beats can be boring: there's not a lot of musical excitement there, aside from the intensity and the aggression. And most of the time, when I hear how most modern bands use them, they don’t even feel intense to me anymore; they’re too obvious. That feeling you get from an early Morbid Angel record—When those blasts hit, you feel them—I don’t find, as often now. They’ve become too much of a staple in the genre and they’re taken for granted.
I try to write drum parts that are melodic. A lot of the drummers that I gravitate towards, in terms of influence, write drum parts as if they are writing riffs on a guitar. You could sing the parts. I think that's what makes the classic metal drummers of the world, like Dave Lombardo or others, so special and iconic; you want to hear their melodies.
I also like to consider the drum composition in terms of texture. Drums are about more than just rhythm to me; they’re also about the sounds themselves. If you visualize from floor to ceiling, from a bass drum up to the cymbals, you're dealing with the low end to the top end of the frequency spectrum. So, a drum idea could be more than just the sound of a kick drum or a cymbal; it could be another element entirely, and this is where processed sounds and synths are factoring into the composition.
How do you layer these instrumental and more experimental sounds then?
Usually, those ideas start off with traditional instruments, like guitar or drums. We may take a certain idea and sonically process it to bring a new texture into a song. There have even been instances where I have had two drum ideas that I really like, but couldn't physically play simultaneously, so one becomes a processed overdub.
Some of Garett's riffs might see similar experimentation by use of heavy reverb/delay, different distortions, recording techniques, etc. For example, there’s an instrumental track on the album that concludes with this heavily processed acoustic guitar. None of the recorded guitar sounds are direct; it's all ambient sound captured at different distances—like, Garrett played his guitar at one end of a hallway in my apartment, and I recorded the sound at the opposite end of the hall. We then multi-tracked this, each time trying a different distance in mic placement. Once finished recording, we layered those tracks and processed from there. This may seem excessive, but it is done deliberately to create textures that we find more unique and interesting.
We all love early Swans, and what I find so profound about them, especially on those pre-Jarboe records, is that they're using traditional instruments in a way to make sounds that can be difficult to rationalize or replicate. I struggle making sense of how some of those sounds were made, especially as a quintet, quartet, or whatever the group size was at the time.
An anecdotal question about this very specific song, “The Ailing Facade” - how does a ‘death metal’ band come to drop such a 7-min instrumental song on their record?
Very simple: Metallica. They always had an instrumental on their albums. I didn’t grow up listening to Metallica, but Garett did, and it can be hard to shake the influence a band like that has on you as a kid.
And when experimenting with the sequencing of the songs on the album, it felt right having an instrumental, followed by a long closer, during the second half. This might be contrary to what people might have expected from us, but I think the patience found on the B-side of the album is a nice contrast to the anxiety of the A-side.
How does all the compositional and experimental work come together as a record?
This is an interesting question. For me, an album is best conceptualized by hearing the various ideas in different spaces: hearing it in a rehearsal room, hearing it behind a computer in demo form, playing it back in your head, etc. A lot of our creative process is not confined to one specific working method. Conceiving a musical idea in your mind is a very different experience to hearing it in a new and unfamiliar space. So, when we are writing, I might listen to our demos in a variety of spaces, like on the subway or on a walk, a million times in a row, just to kind of get a better sense of what's happening with the raw material.
Once the material sounds redundant to me, I’ll either know that it is finished, or I’ll start hearing new nuances in the music that I didn’t before. This new information usually informs me where to go next, like going back to the rehearsal room to experiment more. It’s a very laborious process creating an entire album this way, and it's not for everyone, but it works for us. Jamming to write songs might work for some bands, but with what we're going for, it's not enough.
You also mixed the record - were you preempting and anticipating that stage during the creation process, did that influence it somehow?
This is another interesting question because, yes, I think there was an anticipation, but it was more of a subconscious one than it was conscious. It only became conscious through the process of mixing the record.
Since I was so involved in the songwriting and demoing process, it felt important to give myself some distance from the material, so as not to limit its potential. We agreed as a band that I would record the album, but we’d then outsource the mix to another engineer. The hope was that by bringing somebody else in, it’d prevent me, or anyone else in the band, from getting in the way. Having an external voice for the mix could also help fully realize the album into something that maybe we didn't anticipate ourselves.
What we failed to see in this decision is that, despite our best intentions, our vision had become too specific. Trying to bring a third party in at that point was like picking up a novel and reading it from the halfway point. You've missed all these pages before; you only know the hundredth page, and now you're trying to make sense of the information you missed by coming in halfway through.
We worked with a great mix engineer and did multiple drafts, but it did not work out. Clearly we had an anticipation of how the record was supposed to sound and more importantly, how it was supposed to make us feel. That feeling was missing—It was there in the performances but somehow lost in the mix. That's when the mix became an in-house project. It was a frustrating decision to make at the time, but in hindsight a very necessary one.
What is laborious in Aeviterne’s terms: Are we talking months… years?
We had worked on The Ailing Facade for a few years, and a few of the songs were already in the process of being written when we released our first EP, which came out late 2018.
Some of the songs just went through many, many revisions. For example: “The Gaunt Sky,” the fifth track on the record, initially had a completely different ending, one that never quite worked, and it took a lot of revision to get to its final version. Or another example would be “Stilled The Hollows’ Way,” the second track of the record. There's this whole kind of dark ambient section with drums, but this was originally composed with high gain guitars. The more we worked to develop the song, the more it felt like these guitars were getting in our way, so through experimentation, we ended up removing them completely. This decision created an open space in the song that excited us and ultimately helped us finish it.
This is again to reinforce that what Aeviterne does is not the kind of thing you can just get in a rehearsal room and bash out. Everything must work in conjunction with everything else. It takes jamming in a room, demoing, writing ideas down as staff notation, etc. It can be obsessive, but it’s how my brain functions when it comes to songwriting; I get tunnel vision and can only focus on that. I would not be surprised if the next record takes another couple of years to get done.
Reflecting on creation, now that these songs have a life of their own, what’s the song you’re the most proud of, and why?
I would pick two songs for opposite reasons. First would be the second track of the record, “Stilled The Hollows’ Sway”, which I referred to earlier. I'm really proud of that track because that was one of the songs that required the most deliberation. That song went through a lot of experimentation, and a lot of toil and frustration on everybody's part. But when I listen to the finished song, what I was referring to before, that emotional landscape, that impact, it all comes through. It might not sound toiled from your perspective as a listener, but behind the scenes, we know how much went into it, and yet the song still lands with me on an emotional level.
Regarding the structure of that song: It’s very linear, which is a quality that I usually don’t really gravitate towards in my own listening. I love repetition in songwriting. I love a lot of 60s rock and roll, and that stuff is super repetitive. Yet, “Stilled The Hollows’ Sway,” despite being fairly linear in composition, still manages to resonate with me.
On the flip side, my second pick would be the third song on the record, “Penitent.” I mention this song because it was probably one of the easiest songs to write. It was the exact opposite experience to “Stilled The Hollows’ Sway”; it came together naturally but still has no shortage of impact for me.
So is “Still The Hollows’ Sway” the one song you’d recommend to someone that doesn't know your music yet?
I'd say yes because it covers a lot of ground. If you really wanted an idea of what the band was about, that song gives a pretty good overview. There's a lot of what the band is in that song.
After sharing all this about your songwriting, recording and mixing—Would you describe yourselves as perfectionists?
I wouldn't say I, or Garrett, or anybody else in the band, are perfectionists when it comes to the technical side of things. We have more of a gut-feeling approach: When things feel good enough, we move on. We didn’t spend hundreds of hours recording our performances for the album, for example.
It's more in the emotional impact of the music that I tend to become more of a perfectionist, I think, and maybe the rest of the band, too. The best metal, for me, can express something ineffable, something deep. It’s hard to put that into words. It could be in the composition, in the mix, in the way it's visually presented, etc. The performances are important, but there tends not to be a lot of depth in terms of the dynamics of what we're actually playing—It’s all high intensity stuff, so from that perspective it’s pretty easy for the music to be read as an expression of rage. But there is more to convey, and I want the music to have a deeper impact than just anger, and if that takes years of effort to do, then so be it.
The song structure sounds different between the LP and the 2018 Sireless EP; is it because of this laborious creation process or a different approach with your output between the two records?
I think this speaks more to how I view the separate formats. We already had quite a lot of material prepared when we first started playing live, including the two songs found on Sireless, and felt that it was important to release something, like a demo, to introduce ourselves to the world. Since both songs are very self-contained compositionally and complete unto themselves, releasing them as an EP made sense. Those song structures, to me, suit the physical limitations of the EP format best. And honestly, if we were going to write another EP, it would probably be something akin to Sireless again.
I suppose it is not a common move for bands like us to release seven inches nowadays, so that could speak to what you're talking about regarding the different songwriting approaches. With the The Ailing Facade, since it is a long-playing format, we could expand upon things and work with longer compositions.
Talking about impact, you’ve all had extensive careers in music so far. How has the audience reception been to Aeviterne, and is it different from your past bands?
To be quite honest with you, we're still trying to figure this out. The critical reception to the record was great, but the nature of what we're doing, in terms of our stylistic approach to death metal, makes it difficult to understand exactly who our audience is. I don’t want to give the impression that there's a deliberate attempt to be different or unique; that’s not the intention of the band, and none of us would ever argue that what we're doing is particularly original. But we are very lucky that the band has gone as far as it has, since our music doesn’t fit neatly into one box.
Music has always been an integral part of my life, even in the early stages. It provided me with a connection that I didn’t get elsewhere, so it’s important for me that other people connect with our music, but I wouldn't say that I, Garett, Eric or Sam are making music for other people. We do it because we enjoy the creative process. Where that ends up landing, in terms of an audience, is out of our control.
All this ties into what Amplifest represents to me as a festival, with its considered focus on curation. It’s for the rabid music fan, like myself. The people that I’m noticing gravitating towards Aeviterne are people like that… I hate to use this term, but ‘music nerds’—people who know a lot about music. They can usually see all the through-lines, the thematic connections, between all the disparaging influences. I imagine our appeal as a band will always be kind of niche, simply because such music listeners are the minority.
What kind of exposure did you get so far, which could help you maybe break the silos?
We're fortunate that Chris Bruni, who runs Profound Lore records, wanted to take the chance on the record. That exposure has certainly helped. There's not exactly a huge line of people trying to help expose the band—I guess that this is just the nature of what the band is and the fact, to your point, that we don't neatly fit into the death metal genre descriptor.
I think most labels or promoters might not really know how to frame what we are doing. It becomes this conundrum for people involved on the business side, how to sell it. But for us it’s still worth pursuing and trying to make happen because there are like-minded people out there; they're just in the shadows from what I can tell. It’s not what the metal scene seems to be focused on now, I feel. At least here in the US: raw black metal, war metal or old school death metal shows seem to be generally well attended. I don’t think a band who is a bit more experimental, like Aeviterne, has the same appeal. It feels to me that, right now, the culture is more interested in things that are more direct, musically speaking.
It looks like you have all got your bands touring a bit more in recent years. Has something changed with regards to touring or are you approaching things differently?
My experience with touring is unique in that even though I've been playing music for a long time, I have not toured that much. I’ve done more live performing in the past two years than I’ve done in the past ten years of my life. When I was younger, all I wanted to do was make records. I suppose it’s the record nerd mentality in me: it isn’t real until you make a record. I never really felt the obligation to play live as a result.
Approaching all this now is different because my view of performing live has evolved. I enjoy it a lot more now than I ever used to. It’s interesting manifesting something into a physical space, where people can immediately interact with it. And you are with them in that moment, which obviously has greater meaning after the isolation period of COVID.
Bringing Aeviterne to the stage, reproducing it live, has been an interesting challenge. With so many components involved in our music, it can be high-stakes and difficult to replicate in a live setting, but I am having a lot of fun trying to do so.
Honestly, I’m surprised to have seen Aeviterne going on tour. Was it in your plans when you created the band?
When we started the band, there was no intention of doing it live; it was conceived as a studio project. We also had physical distance between us back then since we were not living in the same city. The desire to make music together was still there, though, despite the distance; we each had a mutual respect for each other's past bands, and we really liked spending time together, so making music together made sense. However, as we kind of got deeper and deeper into the process of creating, our plans evolved, and we agreed to try to turn it into a live band.
I wouldn't say you'll ever hear the entirety of The Ailing Facade performed live because not all of it was written for a live set-up, although I'm sure we could figure out a way to make it work. But we also don't want to turn into a band with eight members—which would be the reality of replicating everything that's on the record live. Therefore, we must be very deliberate in what we choose to play, how it's presented, etc. Translating the album to the live setting has proven challenging, and we’ve gone to painful lengths to try and make it work, but it’s a challenge that I personally enjoy.
You are bringing your live set to Amplifest as a first show in Europe and later this fall, embarking on a longer U.S. tour with Thantifaxath; how do you translate your record into a set for live shows, and how do you prepare for touring?
Again, we have to be choosy in terms of what gets replicated live. A lot of these songs have so many textures and layers that we must decide what gets performed, what gets sampled and what gets omitted, and how to omit it without feeling an absence. When we're performing live, there are only five components: two guitars, a bass, drums, and a sampler. That's all we have at our disposal, and trying to make it all work requires creativity. A lot of experimentation goes into the live orchestration, which might take weeks, if not months. When you see the band live, it's deliberately structured and very considered, not unlike how the record is.
Drumming wise, it takes a good couple of months of preparation for me to get ready for shows. The drum parts I’ve written don’t feel natural in a lot of ways and they’re not easy to play. I need to practice a lot, at least for a month or two, to build the chops and get the parts into my muscle memory.
As you have now gained experience with the Aeviterne live set-up, do you have more plans for touring?
Aeviterne will be doing some shows with our friends in Thantifaxath and Sunless in October. After that, nothing is planned, so we’ll go back to writing. So far, I’d say we have the genesis of half an album, and we've already begun demoing those ideas. I would not be surprised if, when do we play more shows, people hear new Aeviterne material in the set. Performing songs that are still in progress, in a live setting, is also another component to our writing process, and I like the idea that people could hear working material at gigs. It creates a unique experience for the audience. There’s something there that you may never see again, you know?
I'd love for Aeviterne to tour Europe, but the demand will determine when and where. We saw many people in Europe complimenting the album online, but it wasn’t until recently that we had the right infrastructure to play there. We were recently added to the Cruel Machine roster for Europe and Andrea (who also plays in Devoid of Thought) will be helping us do some booking over there. We’d love to get something happening in Europe next year, but it’s still all very much in the early stages of development.
Wishing you the best in your European endeavors, then! You’ll be in the audience at Amplifest? Any shows you have highlighted on the running order?
Yeah definitely. We are flying out a few days early so that we have enough time to rest before our show on Sunday afternoon. I hope to see Sir Richard Bishop and Hexvessel, as they don’t perform often where I live.
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The Ailing Facade released March 18th, 2022 via Profound Lore.
Upcoming Metal Releases: 10/1/2023-10/14/2023
New Releases 10/1-10/7
Carnifex -- Necromanteum | Nuclear Blast | Deathcore | United States (California) Ninth record from the deathcore misanthropes. Here, the San Diego quintet bake into their sound the atmospheric and symphonic experimentation of their last three records, probably because all the kool deathcore kidz are doin’ it now. Thankfully, Carnifex are smart enough to splice groove metal riffage into their songs to at least try sounding a bit different—perhaps thanks to former DevilDriver guitarist Neal Tiemann joining officially. Fear not, though, longtime fans: the majestically spastic leads are still here, as are the br00tal breakdownz. (In fact, “Crowned in Everblack” and “Bleed More” break down so much, they have clean guitar.) It’s likely Carnifex won’t ever really change or evolve. Indeed, the ain’t-broke mentality has worked for Black Dahlia for two decades, so why not. In other words: deathcore gonna deathcore.--Steve Lampiris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsqNooo-2UU...
Restless Spirit -- Afterimage | Magnetic Eye Records | Doom Metal + Heavy Metal | United States (New York) Third and best album from the Long Island stoner/doom trio composed of vocalist and guitarist Paul Aloisio, bassist Marc Morello, and drummer Jon Gusman. Imagine the middle ground between The Sword and Pallbearer, and you’re close. This time, the compositions have been trimmed and streamlined compared to 2021’s Blood of the Old Gods, resulting in sharper and more immediate songs. Thankfully, the shit-hot leadwork and concrete-splitting riffage remain. Ditto for the burly yet agile rhythm section and Aloiso’s soaring, neurotic wail. Afterimage is crushingly heavy and strikingly melodic and deeply satisfying—which is to say, really fuckin’ good.--Steve Lampiris
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Dopelord -- Songs for Satan | Blues Funeral Recordings | Stoner + Doom Metal | Poland Here's a quick litmus test for something being Truly Dank Doom Metal: does it have a song later in the album referencing an earlier one? See: "Night of the Witch" / "Return to the Night of the Witch". And yes, Dopelord is certainly TDDM, an acronym for a term I'll never use again, fusing mind-numbingly plodding riffs with echoing, mystical vocals -- and where lesser bands play those cards to middling results, there's a secret sorcery to the way that Dopelord does it that always hits home. It's a less-is-more philosophy, I think: behind the huge guitar tones and sonic battery lies smart songwriting and an ear for catchy, minimalist melody.--Ted Nubel
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Spider God -- Blackened: Pink | Independent | Black Metal | United Kingdom Spider God's willingness to engage with pop has been nothing but fruitful, arming him with the punchiness, immediacy, and hooks that could climb up the charts. Blackened: Pink isn't that much of a surprise then. It's the first in Spider God's series of female pop covers. While the tracklist isn't that impressive aside from Ariana Grande's "Problem," it's another piece of evidence that pop with a black metal palette, when performed like this, works much better than it theoretically should.--Colin Dempsey
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Auriferous Flame -- Ardor For Black Mastery | Independent | Black Metal | Greece Ayloss of Spectral Lore and Mystras fame has fashioned Auriferous Flame into his primal black metal side project, and it's glorious. His latest album Ardor For Black Mastery is a beautiful send-up to black metal's musical identity. It hones in on the toothy riffs, blast beats, and repugnant attitude that's characterized the best black metal--from Venom to Bathory to Darkthrone--for four decades.--Colin Dempsey
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Capra -- Errors | Metal Blade Records | Metallic Hardcore | United States (Louisiana) The latest from Capra takes their chaos and reigns it in a bit, creating something that is still heavy as hell, but brings in more nuanced elements. Definitely a great next step for the band.--Addison Herron-Wheeler
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The Keening -- Little Bird | Relapse Records | Dark Folk | United States (Utah) The debut solo album from Rebecca Vernon of Subrosa fame is as beautiful and strange as her previous band, and also a bit more personal. This is a record for issuing in the fall.--Addison Herron-Wheeler
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Heavy Load -- Riders of the Ancient Storm | No Remorse Records | Heavy + Power Metal | Sweden Who doesn't love a comeback album after 40 years? Let's all try not to think about how 1983 was 40 years ago, though. After dropping a few seminal albums in the early 1980s, Heavy Load was seemingly a done deal, but they've returned in fairly classic form on Riders of the Ancient Storm. New single "Ride the Night" feels a lot more like classic 1980s metal than most revival bands can pull of, and certainly more 'true' than we can hope for from a reunion after so long. It's not fully available to stream yet, and vinyl is delayed, but nevertheless you can buy it over at No Remorse!--Ted Nubel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxH-628cHsU&ab_channel=HeavyLoad-Sweden...
Scrollkeeper -- Wetiko | Golden Core Records | Heavy Metal | United States (Houston, TX) Sinewy, aggressive riffs propel Scrollkeeper's latest album forward. Packed with evident bitterness and menace, it's retro heavy metal but with a cynical edge for some extra weight behind the swing of the blade.--Ted Nubel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz10YKk4GnI&ab_channel=zyxpoprock...
Crow Black Sky -- Sidereal Light - Volume Two | Independent | Atmospheric Black Metal | South Africa Cosmic' in the sense of being all-encompassing, the second volume of Crow Black Sky's epic Sidereal Light saga instills wonder from the very first moment that never goes away. Massive, world-shifting melodies blaze in the galactic storms the South African band conjures up.--Ted Nubel
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New Releases 10/8-10/14
Body Void -- Atrocity Machine | Prosthetic Records | Sludge + Drone + Doom Metal | United States In case you were getting a little too complacent maintaining a stable balance between internal thought and external stimuli, Body Void's new record uses scream-punctuating droning sludge as a vector to upset that balance. It's haunting and invasive, and yet the scouring incursion is cathartic in its own way. We've got more on this one coming later this week!--Ted Nubel
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Furia -- Huta Luna | Pagan Records | Experimental + Black Metal | Poland From Spencer Grady's full album premiere:Silesian scene veterans Furia mark their return with the release of Huta Luna, a typically enigmatic offering, liberated from the self-imposed limitations affecting more orthodox metal projects. Indeed, vocalist/guitarist Nihil, now shuns the ‘metal’ tag completely, seeing Furia instead as “an outgrowth of the genre, only using the tools of metal to an extent."https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFSZvza0inc&ab_channel=PaganRecords
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Laster -- Andermans Mijne | Prophecy Productions | Black Metal + Avant-Garde Metal | Netherlands--Cheryl Carter
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Catafalque -- Dybbuk | Aural Music | Drone Metal + Doom Metal + Noise | United Kingdom Catafalque make music that you may rarely listen to, if only because it suits an often-underreported mood. Scarcely throughout our lives do we feel so dismal that the UK band's scathing and pessimistic drone metal is fitting, but when those moments occur, you'll be lucky to have Dybbuk by your side.--Colin Dempsey
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Félonie -- De Sève et de Sang | Aural Music | Black Metal | Switzerland The Swiss Alps hold an average customer review score of 4.7 out of 5 stars on Google Reviews, with visitors praising the breathtaking views and amazing scenery. That's not the interpretation Félonie delivers on De Sève et de Sang about his homeland. The one-man black metal artist's dedication to his country's mythology is a gritty and chunky offering filled with morbid tales and quaint dungeon synth. It's far away from the typical atmospheric metal you'd expect from such an album.--Colin Dempsey
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Fortíð -- Narkissos | Lupus Lounge | Black Metal + Heavy Metal + Viking Metal | Iceland Fortíð's seventh full-length record Narkissos moves with the type of confidence one can only obtain from a 20-year legacy. It plays without a care for style or tonal consistency, instead being tied together by Fortíð's identity. The result is an epic (occasionally, only subtlely, while sometimes very much so) album that oscillates between varying degrees of Viking reverence.--Colin Dempsey
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Slidhr -- White Hart! | Debemur Morti Productions | Black Metal | Iceland Originally from Ireland and now based in Iceland, Slidhr take on many aspects of their current scene in order to propel their dynamic black metal forward. Slithering masses of guitar wrap around a vocal performance that is as powerful as it is varied, with Joseph Deegan's voice operating in the depths throughout. White Hart! is a fascinating look at the heart of darkness.--Cheryl Carter
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Arabrot -- Of Darkness and Light | Pelagic Records | Noise Rock | Norway The latest from these folk, rock, whatever weirdos is nothing short of uplifting—in the true religious music sense. Much like a solid hymn, the catchiness and authenticity of these songs will move you and make you want to listen again and again.--Addison Herron-Wheeler
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The Answer Lies In The Black Void -- Thou Shalt | Burning World Records | Doom Metal | International Comprised of Martina Horváth (Thy Catafalque) and Jason Köhnen (Celestial Season / ex-The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble), The Answer Lies In The Black Void play slow-burning, emotionally-taxing, and, occasionally, beautiful doom metal. The third aspect is all Horváth's doing, as she commands the tracks with her nigh-holy vocals. Compositionally, The Answer Lies In The Black Void aren't heavy in the traditional sense, but this works to their benefit. Their songs contain plenty of blank space and breathing room, granting Horváth the necessary freedom to flex her chops.--Colin Dempsey
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Morag Tong -- Grieve | Majestic Mountain Records | Stoner + Doom Metal | United Kingdom From Ted Nubel's track premiere of "At First Light":Although their songs are monumental, they’re built from the ground up from engaging melodies and carefully plotted escalation. On their new album Grieve, the band funnels their toke-worthy riffs into vast, striking scenery that paints their sonic dominance into a picturesque landscape.
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Stygian Ruin -- A World Past Hope and Fear | Independent | Black Metal + Ambient | Norway Stygian Ruin paints extremely vivid portraits with a theoretically limited palette: black metal and ambient music. Each album conjures up wild thoughts of fantastical alien worlds, and this latest one is maybe their darkest and richest yet.--Ted Nubel
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Torture Chain -- The Reign of Deimos | Hospital Productions | Black Metal | United States Torture Chain is the one-man black metal project of Brendan Radigan (Pagan Altar, Sumerlands, etc., etc.). It's been four years since the last record, but honestly that's impressively fast given everything else he's been doing. Not necessarily old-school but neither a modern, sharpened production, this new record explores twisting corridors of whirling guitar leads with gleeful recklessness and a slight hint of scorn. There's some haughty, imperious riffs here that pair nicely with Radigan's refined snarl-growls.--Ted Nubel
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Krieg -- Ruiner | Profound Lore Records | Black Metal | United States (New Jersey) Rejoice! The mighty Krieg is back, and their frontman Neill Jameson hasn't written for us in just long enough that I can write about this release without feeling like it's a conflict of interest. Ruiner is a record built from the bones up on sounding killer, particular scene sound-alikes and band name-drop comparisons be damned. The drums rip (that snare!), guitars and bass lock into abrasive harmony, and Jameson's vocals ride atop them into furious battle. I'm positive some of IO's writers could put this in more intelligent terms (but they're not pulling together a two-week special edition of UMR past midnight, are they?!), but simply put, when I think about what I want to hear from black metal, that's what Krieg delivers on Ruiner.--Ted Nubel
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Sadistic Force -- Midnight Assassin | Goat Throne Records | Black Metal + Speed Metal | United States (Texas) You can practically smell the vibes on Sadistic Force's second album from the cover alone. It's grimy and low-rent, much like their scorching speed metal, with a tight focus on violence. There's no blubber on Midnight Assassin--only riffs so lean you can see their veins.--Colin Dempsey
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Upcoming Metal Releases: 10/1/2023-10/14/2023
New Releases 10/1-10/7
Carnifex -- Necromanteum | Nuclear Blast | Deathcore | United States (California) Ninth record from the deathcore misanthropes. Here, the San Diego quintet bake into their sound the atmospheric and symphonic experimentation of their last three records, probably because all the kool deathcore kidz are doin’ it now. Thankfully, Carnifex are smart enough to splice groove metal riffage into their songs to at least try sounding a bit different—perhaps thanks to former DevilDriver guitarist Neal Tiemann joining officially. Fear not, though, longtime fans: the majestically spastic leads are still here, as are the br00tal breakdownz. (In fact, “Crowned in Everblack” and “Bleed More” break down so much, they have clean guitar.) It’s likely Carnifex won’t ever really change or evolve. Indeed, the ain’t-broke mentality has worked for Black Dahlia for two decades, so why not. In other words: deathcore gonna deathcore.--Steve Lampiris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsqNooo-2UU...
Restless Spirit -- Afterimage | Magnetic Eye Records | Doom Metal + Heavy Metal | United States (New York) Third and best album from the Long Island stoner/doom trio composed of vocalist and guitarist Paul Aloisio, bassist Marc Morello, and drummer Jon Gusman. Imagine the middle ground between The Sword and Pallbearer, and you’re close. This time, the compositions have been trimmed and streamlined compared to 2021’s Blood of the Old Gods, resulting in sharper and more immediate songs. Thankfully, the shit-hot leadwork and concrete-splitting riffage remain. Ditto for the burly yet agile rhythm section and Aloiso’s soaring, neurotic wail. Afterimage is crushingly heavy and strikingly melodic and deeply satisfying—which is to say, really fuckin’ good.--Steve Lampiris
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Dopelord -- Songs for Satan | Blues Funeral Recordings | Stoner + Doom Metal | Poland Here's a quick litmus test for something being Truly Dank Doom Metal: does it have a song later in the album referencing an earlier one? See: "Night of the Witch" / "Return to the Night of the Witch". And yes, Dopelord is certainly TDDM, an acronym for a term I'll never use again, fusing mind-numbingly plodding riffs with echoing, mystical vocals -- and where lesser bands play those cards to middling results, there's a secret sorcery to the way that Dopelord does it that always hits home. It's a less-is-more philosophy, I think: behind the huge guitar tones and sonic battery lies smart songwriting and an ear for catchy, minimalist melody.--Ted Nubel
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Spider God -- Blackened: Pink | Independent | Black Metal | United Kingdom Spider God's willingness to engage with pop has been nothing but fruitful, arming him with the punchiness, immediacy, and hooks that could climb up the charts. Blackened: Pink isn't that much of a surprise then. It's the first in Spider God's series of female pop covers. While the tracklist isn't that impressive aside from Ariana Grande's "Problem," it's another piece of evidence that pop with a black metal palette, when performed like this, works much better than it theoretically should.--Colin Dempsey
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Auriferous Flame -- Ardor For Black Mastery | Independent | Black Metal | Greece Ayloss of Spectral Lore and Mystras fame has fashioned Auriferous Flame into his primal black metal side project, and it's glorious. His latest album Ardor For Black Mastery is a beautiful send-up to black metal's musical identity. It hones in on the toothy riffs, blast beats, and repugnant attitude that's characterized the best black metal--from Venom to Bathory to Darkthrone--for four decades.--Colin Dempsey
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Capra -- Errors | Metal Blade Records | Metallic Hardcore | United States (Louisiana) The latest from Capra takes their chaos and reigns it in a bit, creating something that is still heavy as hell, but brings in more nuanced elements. Definitely a great next step for the band.--Addison Herron-Wheeler
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The Keening -- Little Bird | Relapse Records | Dark Folk | United States (Utah) The debut solo album from Rebecca Vernon of Subrosa fame is as beautiful and strange as her previous band, and also a bit more personal. This is a record for issuing in the fall.--Addison Herron-Wheeler
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Heavy Load -- Riders of the Ancient Storm | No Remorse Records | Heavy + Power Metal | Sweden Who doesn't love a comeback album after 40 years? Let's all try not to think about how 1983 was 40 years ago, though. After dropping a few seminal albums in the early 1980s, Heavy Load was seemingly a done deal, but they've returned in fairly classic form on Riders of the Ancient Storm. New single "Ride the Night" feels a lot more like classic 1980s metal than most revival bands can pull of, and certainly more 'true' than we can hope for from a reunion after so long. It's not fully available to stream yet, and vinyl is delayed, but nevertheless you can buy it over at No Remorse!--Ted Nubel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxH-628cHsU&ab_channel=HeavyLoad-Sweden...
Scrollkeeper -- Wetiko | Golden Core Records | Heavy Metal | United States (Houston, TX) Sinewy, aggressive riffs propel Scrollkeeper's latest album forward. Packed with evident bitterness and menace, it's retro heavy metal but with a cynical edge for some extra weight behind the swing of the blade.--Ted Nubel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz10YKk4GnI&ab_channel=zyxpoprock...
Crow Black Sky -- Sidereal Light - Volume Two | Independent | Atmospheric Black Metal | South Africa Cosmic' in the sense of being all-encompassing, the second volume of Crow Black Sky's epic Sidereal Light saga instills wonder from the very first moment that never goes away. Massive, world-shifting melodies blaze in the galactic storms the South African band conjures up.--Ted Nubel
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New Releases 10/8-10/14
Body Void -- Atrocity Machine | Prosthetic Records | Sludge + Drone + Doom Metal | United States In case you were getting a little too complacent maintaining a stable balance between internal thought and external stimuli, Body Void's new record uses scream-punctuating droning sludge as a vector to upset that balance. It's haunting and invasive, and yet the scouring incursion is cathartic in its own way. We've got more on this one coming later this week!--Ted Nubel
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Furia -- Huta Luna | Pagan Records | Experimental + Black Metal | Poland From Spencer Grady's full album premiere:Silesian scene veterans Furia mark their return with the release of Huta Luna, a typically enigmatic offering, liberated from the self-imposed limitations affecting more orthodox metal projects. Indeed, vocalist/guitarist Nihil, now shuns the ‘metal’ tag completely, seeing Furia instead as “an outgrowth of the genre, only using the tools of metal to an extent."https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFSZvza0inc&ab_channel=PaganRecords
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Laster -- Andermans Mijne | Prophecy Productions | Black Metal + Avant-Garde Metal | Netherlands--Cheryl Carter
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Catafalque -- Dybbuk | Aural Music | Drone Metal + Doom Metal + Noise | United Kingdom Catafalque make music that you may rarely listen to, if only because it suits an often-underreported mood. Scarcely throughout our lives do we feel so dismal that the UK band's scathing and pessimistic drone metal is fitting, but when those moments occur, you'll be lucky to have Dybbuk by your side.--Colin Dempsey
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Félonie -- De Sève et de Sang | Aural Music | Black Metal | Switzerland The Swiss Alps hold an average customer review score of 4.7 out of 5 stars on Google Reviews, with visitors praising the breathtaking views and amazing scenery. That's not the interpretation Félonie delivers on De Sève et de Sang about his homeland. The one-man black metal artist's dedication to his country's mythology is a gritty and chunky offering filled with morbid tales and quaint dungeon synth. It's far away from the typical atmospheric metal you'd expect from such an album.--Colin Dempsey
...
Fortíð -- Narkissos | Lupus Lounge | Black Metal + Heavy Metal + Viking Metal | Iceland Fortíð's seventh full-length record Narkissos moves with the type of confidence one can only obtain from a 20-year legacy. It plays without a care for style or tonal consistency, instead being tied together by Fortíð's identity. The result is an epic (occasionally, only subtlely, while sometimes very much so) album that oscillates between varying degrees of Viking reverence.--Colin Dempsey
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Slidhr -- White Hart! | Debemur Morti Productions | Black Metal | Iceland Originally from Ireland and now based in Iceland, Slidhr take on many aspects of their current scene in order to propel their dynamic black metal forward. Slithering masses of guitar wrap around a vocal performance that is as powerful as it is varied, with Joseph Deegan's voice operating in the depths throughout. White Hart! is a fascinating look at the heart of darkness.--Cheryl Carter
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Arabrot -- Of Darkness and Light | Pelagic Records | Noise Rock | Norway The latest from these folk, rock, whatever weirdos is nothing short of uplifting—in the true religious music sense. Much like a solid hymn, the catchiness and authenticity of these songs will move you and make you want to listen again and again.--Addison Herron-Wheeler
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The Answer Lies In The Black Void -- Thou Shalt | Burning World Records | Doom Metal | International Comprised of Martina Horváth (Thy Catafalque) and Jason Köhnen (Celestial Season / ex-The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble), The Answer Lies In The Black Void play slow-burning, emotionally-taxing, and, occasionally, beautiful doom metal. The third aspect is all Horváth's doing, as she commands the tracks with her nigh-holy vocals. Compositionally, The Answer Lies In The Black Void aren't heavy in the traditional sense, but this works to their benefit. Their songs contain plenty of blank space and breathing room, granting Horváth the necessary freedom to flex her chops.--Colin Dempsey
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Morag Tong -- Grieve | Majestic Mountain Records | Stoner + Doom Metal | United Kingdom From Ted Nubel's track premiere of "At First Light":Although their songs are monumental, they’re built from the ground up from engaging melodies and carefully plotted escalation. On their new album Grieve, the band funnels their toke-worthy riffs into vast, striking scenery that paints their sonic dominance into a picturesque landscape.
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Stygian Ruin -- A World Past Hope and Fear | Independent | Black Metal + Ambient | Norway Stygian Ruin paints extremely vivid portraits with a theoretically limited palette: black metal and ambient music. Each album conjures up wild thoughts of fantastical alien worlds, and this latest one is maybe their darkest and richest yet.--Ted Nubel
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Torture Chain -- The Reign of Deimos | Hospital Productions | Black Metal | United States Torture Chain is the one-man black metal project of Brendan Radigan (Pagan Altar, Sumerlands, etc., etc.). It's been four years since the last record, but honestly that's impressively fast given everything else he's been doing. Not necessarily old-school but neither a modern, sharpened production, this new record explores twisting corridors of whirling guitar leads with gleeful recklessness and a slight hint of scorn. There's some haughty, imperious riffs here that pair nicely with Radigan's refined snarl-growls.--Ted Nubel
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Krieg -- Ruiner | Profound Lore Records | Black Metal | United States (New Jersey) Rejoice! The mighty Krieg is back, and their frontman Neill Jameson hasn't written for us in just long enough that I can write about this release without feeling like it's a conflict of interest. Ruiner is a record built from the bones up on sounding killer, particular scene sound-alikes and band name-drop comparisons be damned. The drums rip (that snare!), guitars and bass lock into abrasive harmony, and Jameson's vocals ride atop them into furious battle. I'm positive some of IO's writers could put this in more intelligent terms (but they're not pulling together a two-week special edition of UMR past midnight, are they?!), but simply put, when I think about what I want to hear from black metal, that's what Krieg delivers on Ruiner.--Ted Nubel
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Sadistic Force -- Midnight Assassin | Goat Throne Records | Black Metal + Speed Metal | United States (Texas) You can practically smell the vibes on Sadistic Force's second album from the cover alone. It's grimy and low-rent, much like their scorching speed metal, with a tight focus on violence. There's no blubber on Midnight Assassin--only riffs so lean you can see their veins.--Colin Dempsey
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The Head Control System Story: A Retrospective (Interview)
[Editor's Note: the following is an extended version of what is being included as liner notes for the physical edition of Murder Nature. We thank KScope, Kris, and Daniel for allowing us to publish this here at Invisible Oranges.]
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To discuss Kristoffer Rygg and Daniel Cardoso's Head Control System project is to enter a time machine back to the mid-2000s, back when I was a teenager. A fledgling Ulver fan, having not even heard Cardoso's Sirius project at that point, I was obsessed with anything and everything Garm. Arcturus, (any) Ulver–you name it, I was sold. Head Control System was no different. A continuation of Cardoso's SinDRomE project, renamed by Rygg, Head Control System was a successful attempt at capturing the "rock" sound of its time, but with a greater experimental bent and distinctly European approach, setting it apart from American rock which dominated airwaves at the time.
Influenced by music like Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Queens of the Stone Age, but with Cardoso and Rygg's own plethora of influences backing this approach, Head Control System's sole album Murder Nature, released by The End Records (US) and Voices of Wonder/Jester Records (EUR) in 2006, was a departure for these two artists, both of whom at the time operated at separate ends of the musical spectrum (though both Rygg and Cardoso came from a black metal background). Smooth and rhythmic, Murder Nature took from Cardoso and Rygg's varied backgrounds and resulted in something wondrous, but also familiar and of its time. Touching on the then-dwindling nu-metal style in songs like "Masterpiece (of Art)", Cardoso and Rygg's own metal backgrounds sneak through in unsuspecting ways.
An international project, with Rygg operating from his home in Oslo, Norway, and Cardoso's studio then located in Braga, Portugal, Head Control System was tested by distance and internet collaboration. The result of Cardoso messaging Rygg on MySpace or by email (depending on which member you ask), Head Control System's humble early days as SinDRomE quickly exploded upon Rygg's eventual joining after hearing a handful of Cardoso's demos of what would eventually become Murder Nature.
Hot off the heels of recording Ulver's celebrated Blood Inside, Rygg and his family flew to Portugal for the Murder Nature vocal sessions. Spending punctuated days in the studio in order to keep his family entertained on what was essentially a "working vacation", Rygg would go so far as to keep his youngest in a BabyBjörn whilst recording. Using a similar (read as: extended) vocal range to Blood Inside, the harder, rock-inflicted edge Rygg imbued to his voice resulted in a heavier, more punchy performance than the UIver performances to which people had become accustomed in the band's tenure past their black metal Trilogie era.
Recorded and produced in his own studio, Cardoso doesn't remember much from the Head Control System days, though he insists the project is still mildly active, even after what amounts to nearly twenty years past Murder Nature's release. Having recorded a full second album's worth of material in the years since, it's been up to the ever-busy Rygg, who considers the project somewhere in the "dead-but-dreaming" realm, to finish this secret second record.
Personally, revisiting Murder Nature has been a delight, both nostalgically and from a measure of quality. Though alternative rock/metal wasn't what I expected from these artists, especially in retrospect as I become a more seasoned fan of both Cardoso and Rygg's works, Head Control System was (is?) one of those special bands which leaves a special mark on the music scene and is deserving of such a comprehensive edition. Go ahead and drop the needle (or set your CD player's dial) to your favorite track, be it "Baby Blue", "Masterpiece (of Art)", or any of the many infectious songs that comprise Murder Nature, and lose yourself in what is ultimately a fantastic rock record. It is a true masterpiece of art.
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I want to ask a big question first, because I've shown a few people Murder Nature and they all say the same thing–is Murder Nature a nu-metal album?
Daniel Cardoso: I wouldn't say so. Back then nu-metal was kind of a big deal but it wasn't exactly what I was listening to. I can see how people from the extreme metal scene would label Murder Nature a nu-metal album, but I'd never go that route myself. Maybe it fits that same type of nu-metal-ish sound but I don't think it fits within the same kind of genre.
Kristoffer Rygg: As of 2023, you mean? I honestly wouldn't know. It's kind of interesting to me how some of these guys like Tommy and Mark who wrote testimonials were into the album when it came out, which – not saying they're nu-metal–but it's interesting because we had high hopes for the album when it was released. It's so cool to hear from those guys so many years later that it resonated. We definitely thought it was as good as the big boys back then, you know. I remember tuning in to Queens of the Stone Age, for example, which is more groovy, cheeky, dare I say, sexy modern rock. Pretty hard to define. Something you'd just wanna blast from your car whilst cruising down the highway looking for your next victim, figuratively speaking.
I was reading reviews from around when Murder Nature was released and people didn't know what to call it. I found that really interesting.
DC: [laughs] I would liken it more towards Tool, A Perfect Circle, and to the new prog/djent scene that kinda started with Meshuggah, and has been proliferating through bands like TesseracT or Periphery. I think what we did back then fits more within that sort of genre. This reissue is happening on Kscope too, which has a lot of bands that gravitate towards modern prog metal or a prog rock type of sound.
I want to go all the way back to the beginning with SinDRomE. How did this band start?
DC: It was mostly just me laying some riffs on a guitar and drumming over it. Then I teamed up with this cool singer named Tobel Lopes, and we did some stuff that we were pretty happy with, but then for some reason we just went separate ways–perhaps because he was living far away from me and was from a bit of a different scene. We did work again later on different projects, though, he even joined me in Anathema for a while as a touring member.
How did Kris end up joining this band and turning it into Head Control System?
DC: It's a funny story. I remember when I was in Sirius, we had this conversation with Tomas "Samoth" (Emperor) about asking Kris to be a guest on a song. He told us it would be great, but he would probably say no. He's too busy and isn't the type of guy to get involved with new bands. Samoth painted this picture of him as this difficult-to-reach guy, which he was and still is. [laughs] Kris has this charisma and star quality that makes everyone feel like he is unreachable, and that's what we were told back then. When I was looking for a singer for what was still SinDRomE, I remember I just emailed Jester Records' general email address and introduced myself, saying I was in Sirius and was signed to Nocturnal Art Productions, et cetera. I had these songs and wanted to know if I could have direct contact with Kris. The reply was, "Hello Daniel, this is Kris. Shoot." Something like that, so he was replying directly to me, which was pretty cool. I sent him one song and said that I wanted to do this album and was looking for a singer. His reply was, "Yeah, this is nice. I kind of like the style because it isn't the usual kind of stuff people approach me with, but I'm busy and can't be involved in any other projects right now. But if you want, keep sending me songs." So I sent him a couple more songs, and I think I kept sending him songs and by the fifth or sixth song, I think he said he wanted to try some vocals. To me, it was like no fucking way.
KR: If I remember correctly, I think it was through MySpace. Those days were nice, it was suddenly very easy for musicians to connect and share some tunes. That's actually also how I got in contact with Daniel O'Sullivan a few years after this. Anyway, I think Daniel first reached out through MySpace and we started chatting. He sent me some demos and actually some videos of him playing. Needless to say, I was quite impressed by his skills, drumming and doing everything by himself. Tore (Ylwizaker) and I were just done with Blood Inside which is something we'd worked on and off with for three years or something, so it was a kind of auspicious moment to delve into something else for a while. I liked the prospect of being a hired gun, so to speak, and not being involved with all aspects of the production. Also, I liked Daniel. It's as simple as that.
How did the name Head Control System come to be?
DC: That was Kris. We still worked for a while under the SinDRomE name. I still have old demos and the file name was still SinDRomE and it already had Kris' vocals. I think it was when he visited me in Portugal to do some vocal sessions, one of the conversations we had sitting at a coffee place–he said the name SinDRomE was okay, but maybe we could have a stronger name? He came up with Head Control System, and it was a good name. I was never attached to SinDRomE or words in general. I'm the music kind of guy, not the lyrics or text kind of guy. SinDRomE was something I came up with when I was twenty. In hindsight, I'm glad we changed the name because I think throughout the years Head Control System still works well.
KR: I thought we brainstormed it together, but okay maybe I did come up with it. I didn't think SinDRomE–Severe Damage on Reason and Equilibrium–was that clever [laughs]. Not that Head Control System is, either, but it's got a bit more spunk. It could be some fast car mechanical program or device, or it might be a sexual thing. It was a random act of putting a few words together, see what pops! The lyrics came about much in the same way. Experimenting, associating, trying to get the syllables to dance to the music. They were all written with the movements of the music in mind.
The album was released in the US on The End Records label, which was a metal and progressive rock label (for the most part). How do you feel it was received among that crowd?
DC: It's hard to say. We never played live, we didn't do much promo. Social networking was still just MySpace. It was hard to tell how the album was going. Years later, I met unsuspecting people from the scene who told me "Wow, that album was killer!" but back then we couldn't know because we didn't get any relevant feedback from our listeners. I'm guessing the album didn't sell amazingly well, but it's no surprise considering we didn't do any promo and didn't play any shows. One thing I can say today though is that it did impact some people who later became big in the prog metal scene, and are now in pretty big bands, and that's something to be proud of.
KR: It might have been received better in the United States, but I do remember feeling disappointed by the lack of movement here in Europe.
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The next full recording you did, Kris, was Shadows of the Sun. What was it like working on this album considering what else you were working on?
KR: Well, with Blood Inside and Shadows of the Sun I was working closely with Tore [Ylwizaker]. Daniel and Tore are very different individuals. Different outlooks and technical approaches – obviously the singing style and general aesthetic is different too. There is a big stylistic shift between Blood Inside and Shadows of the Sun, of course. At the end of the day it's just about what you set your mind to, isn't it? What is the vision here?
Murder Nature was released with little fanfare, kind of coasting on notoriety and internet sharing rather than having a specific ad campaign. Why did you choose not to promote the album?
DC: We just weren't bothered with it. We just let go. Kris was always busy with Ulver and had already left Arcturus and Borknagar. He was involved with a lot of stuff and we didn't really worry too much about it. To be honest, I didn't see a big point in doing a lot of promo since we weren't doing shows. There was only so much one could do without playing the album live. Maybe that's why it didn't go farther in sales. On the other hand, it created this magic aura surrounding the album.
KR: We were naive, we probably thought it would sell itself, on the strength of the music alone, and maybe to some extent because Ulver had a good fan base. It wasn't really common to hire publicists back then, and I do think it fell between a few cracks – the extreme metal people didn't get it and the modern or alternative rock/metal crowd never even heard (about) it! We didn't understand that we probably should have had someone push for it to get played on radio, for example.
There was an underground following, myself being an Ulver fan who discovered Murder Nature from Kris' performance, but it was interesting to watch this go under the radar.
DC: It was indeed a bit under the radar when it came out, but ultimately it must have reached some people too. Throughout the years I've had several Head Control System "fans", for lack of a better word, asking me about a second album on social media, so there's that. Even today, if I post something about Head Control System I'm sure I'll get some random person asking, "When are you guys making another album?" Well, we can give them this reissue now and see how it goes, who knows what the future might bring.
Kris, what was the process of balancing being a father and being a recording artist at the time?
KR: There's a funny picture of me in Daniel's apartment (which was also his studio at the time) with my one-year-old daughter in a BabyBjörn carrying vessel. I'm standing trying to sing while she's crying her heart out. [laughs] It was quite a juggling process, but isn't it always?
How long did it take for you to finish the vocal sessions for this album?
KR: I think something like two–three months. Not necessarily every day, but you know, just focusing on getting the main ideas down, in Oslo. Then we went to Braga for ten days or a few weeks, maybe. That was very efficient, actually. Daniel is a very hands-on guy. We got a lot done there. I was using a Digitech multi-effects guitar processor that I liked to run at least some of the vocals through. I remember going back and doing some more tests, but I don't remember exactly how long it took. Maybe a few weeks or a month after Braga.
Was there ever any interest in pulling a band together and performing live?
DC: I was always a stage type of guy. I enjoy the studio environment, my day job is being a producer and it has been for the last twenty years or so, but what I love the most is playing on stage. However that was just not possible for Head Control System as Kris wasn't really available. I don't know if you remember this, but not even Ulver were playing live back then. A few years down the road, that's when he started playing live with Ulver. And then it was just too late, too hard and too expensive to try and match schedules and find people for a possible live representation of Murder Nature. But I do remember being at this Christmas party of our label (Voices of Wonder) in Norway and someone, the label owner possibly, was begging me to convince Kris to play live. I was like, "Sure, I'll try, but I don't think that's gonna happen." [laughs] I always respected Kris' will and reasoning behind not wanting to do any shows back then, though.
KR: It's a lot of work, man, at least if you want it to be special on stage. And it costs a lot of money to organize and get ready for a tour. Considering all those things, and the modest success of the album, it wasn't the first thing on my mind. Especially considering this was back then… 2006? Ulver started playing live a couple years later. I also played some gigs with Æthenor around 2008–2009, that's when I started to dip my toes in that format. I was opening up to the idea, but this comes down to time as well. Investment. We were just two guys in different countries, we would have to recruit at least two more. It's not something I thought much about, or even dreamed of. I always enjoyed the studio and the introspection. Creating things and recording them for eternity, so to speak. I have come to appreciate the live experience a lot more since, that goes without saying, but it's a more transient thing. Not as important as those records!
What was it like working together in the same room as Kris flew out to Portugal for a session as everything else was done remotely?
DC: It was very easy-going. We hit it off from the start. Kris jokes that he's half-Portuguese, himself, as he spent some years in Portugal growing up. So maybe that's why it was really easy for us to work together and to relate as human beings. I remember we just had fun and it was pretty chill. I was living in Braga which is a small town in the north of Portugal. The town itself is also pretty chill. Everything was really smooth and easy going. I don't remember ever being stressed about anything. It was just cool and easy.
Do you remember any stories about these sessions?
DC: No, well the only thing is Kris did come with his kids and his wife from the time. His son was three and his daughter was just a baby, so he was juggling recording sessions and being a father. I have a baby now, myself, and I know it demands a lot. It's fucking hard work, man! But when I played with Anathema in Oslo, Kris went to see me with his son. The last time I'd seen him he was three, baby-walking around Braga. So, about fifteen years later he's at my show, sitting at the grown-ups table, having adult conversations! It does put things into perspective and makes me feel old. [laughs]
Kris, could you fill in any blanks?
KR: I remember we went to a gig one night as Daniel was doing session live drums for a Portuguese band called R.A.M.P.–who I think were local heroes, or pretty big in Portugal. There was a big outdoor fest thing going on. That was a nice break from the studio and family proceedings. Otherwise it was pretty domestic. I had small kids, so they went to bed early. Early up. There was Portuguese coffee, always welcome. Some croquettes and straight to the studio, then family time and maybe some touristy stuff in the evening, a few Super Bocks. Nothing scandalous. That came later or before. Man, I could tell you some stories from Ulver on the road, but we never did that with Head Control System.
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The artwork is very striking–the model and the knife with the logo on it. What was the inspiration behind the art?
DC: My memory fails me as it's been such a long time and I haven't been in touch with some of these memories. If I remember correctly, we were just doing funny stuff on MySpace and some models had taken some photos with our logo. One of the models took that picture with the knife and we thought it was cool. The artwork was done by Pedro Daniel, a designer I knew, but I don't remember talking to him much as I think Kris was mostly in charge of the layout. I probably had some input too, of course. I can't remember if it was Pedro or Kris, but one of them thought it would be a good idea to put that knife photo on the cover.
KR: Well, the MySpace ladies was actually Daniel's thing. Getting all these girls to pose with the logo, sort of pre-social media influencer shenanigans! [laughs] I didn't object. Anyway, we put together the cover at the house of a friend of Daniel's a little further South in Portugal. Basically this fold-out collage, combining some different things.
What was the inspiration behind the title? It's a very striking, aggressive title.
DC: I remember Kris was doing a lot of wordplay, and we had a few other options back then. I think one was "Liminal Animal", and I think we had some other wordplay titles too, but Murder Nature struck the most. It's a cool title, and I am 99% sure that this was something Kris brought to the table, but I liked it from the start.
I remember Liminal Animal–that was in your MySpace bio.
DC: [laughs]
KR: It's still on Ulver's Facebook! It's a Coil reference, or a Coil-esque anagram. A lot of the lyrics started like that, these sort of hang-ups, just playing with words or idioms bouncing off each other; murder-mystery stream of consciousness.
The year 2006 was a while ago now, almost twenty years, and there hasn't been much correspondence from Head Control System since your Seal cover dropped. People don't know what the project's status is, so: what is Head Control System now?
DC: It was never really dead, because every once in a while me and Kris would flirt with the idea of doing another album. We were close to doing it a couple years ago, but it was just impossible to match our schedules. I was busy in the studio and with Anathema, Kris was busy with… everything! I do have a possible whole second album recorded so there's actually a shelved fully recorded, fully produced, Head Control System instrumental album just lacking the vocals. I'm secretly hoping one day we'll make it happen again. Who knows, maybe this reissue will help? Maybe the nostalgia will help us find the time.
KR: I feel kind of guilty about that because Daniel's actually already made the music. But I simply haven't found the window. The older I get the more useless I become at multitasking too. Obviously, if we were to do another one, it'll take time. People keep saying "Just release a new album already!" but that's quickly six months of your life, and that's six months I haven't had, to be honest.
Do you feel the inspiration, though?
KR: Both yes and no. I'm very proud of Murder Nature, I think it's an objectively great record! But it's also the kind of thing that… it belongs to a different time, and what both Daniel and I have been doing the past ten–fifteen years is different too. And that's life! I've been working on some new Ulver material for a couple years now, but it's hard to find the focus and get everyone on the same page. The idea of taking on another full album project in another headspace is a bit overwhelming for me. But again, when I listen back to Murder Nature, I am still wowed at how pro it all sounds. It's happened so many times that I'm in the studio with someone and we play some music and I'll pull that album out. No one knows about it, but every time people are like holy shit!
With this kind of resurgence in the "2000s-American-rock-and-metal" sound, I think a reissue like this would go over well, and who knows what will happen next!
KR: You know, Daniel and I, we've had long breaks in our communication over the years, but it's been really nice talking with him again recently and bonding over the simple joy of this reissue. We'll see what fuels the fire. Never say never, of course.
Is there anything you want to say about Head Control System?
DC: Nah. As I said before, I'm not the speaker type of guy. I'm more of a studio guy. Not so much into talking.
KR: I think I've said all there is to say, man. The bottom line is that I'm still fucking proud of this album, and feel childishly stoked about the opportunity to rerelease it.
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Murder Nature will be available on LP and 2CD from KScope on November 17th.
Årabrot Name Five Albums that Inspired New Album “Of Darkness And Light”
Årabrot are a tough band to pin down, whether considering their earlier noisy days or within the context of their newest form, which feels like a combination of post-punk and gothic rock, and would even appeal to fans of Ghost. To say that their new album Of Darkness and Light is 'eclectic' is putting it mildly. If I told you that Årabrot are a married couple living in an old church in rural Sweden, then maybe the out there vibes would make some more sense. For a specific example, take recent single “You Cast Long Shadows”: it feels like a modern Queens of the Stone Age song with idiosyncratic, weirdly reverberating vocals. Hand clapping is not only acceptable here, but welcomed.
Årabrot frontman Kjetil Nernes took time out of his busy musical days to give us a list of 5 albums that inspired Of Darkness and Light - while some might be guessable, others are likely not. Read on below to see what it takes to inspire a deep, gothy, and ethereal album unlike much else I have heard in 2023.
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The Cramps - Psychedelic Jungle (1981)
For a good while now we have warmed up to every live show by watching live videos by The Cramps. It really does the trick. One of the ultimate rock n’ roll bands. The Cramps was with us in spirit when writing and recording our new album.
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Run The Jewels - 2 (2014)
We’ve been listening closely to these guys for a while now and since we used synth bass exclusively on this record it was a natural point of reference. Also their way of building up a song with clever arpeggios and interesting layers without cluttering the mix was a big inspiration.
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Killing Joke - Brighter Than A Thousand Suns (1986)
The same way Captain Beefheart is always there in spirit, Killing Joke has been roving in the periphery on our past three or four albums. The inspiration is maybe more obvious on this album on songs like “Madness” and “Skeletons Trip The Light Fantastic.” A while ago we were asked to write songs for Sebastian Bach. We had no idea what Sebastian Bach would want, so decided to write a couple of Killing Joke-infused rock bangers. They were immediately rejected by the Bach management. Both songs – “You Cast Long Shadows” and “Love Under Will” – ended up on “Of Darkness And Light.” Killing Joke is a huge inspiration both thematically, spiritually and musically.
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Coil - The Ape Of Naples (2005)
Coil’s presence is looming here in our church. Especially the later albums – “Backwards” and “Ape Of Naples” – have been a huge influence. Their mystical, magickal atmospherics are strangely fitting with the vibe here in the church and its pastoral surroundings, and it seeps into our music drop by drop. I guess Coil is in real touch with the elements and this is something of great importance to us.
…
PJ Harvey - Let England Shake (2011)
PJ Harvey tapped in to something truly unique on Let England Shake and we’ve been inspired by rhythms and melodies from that record. Also, since our producer Alain Johannes has been working and playing with her, he was able to let us in on some of her working methods, which was inspiring, especially for Karin, throughout the recording process.
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Of Darkness and Light releases this Friday, October 13th, via Pelagic Records.
Årabrot press. Photo by Pål Laukli 3
Årabrot Name Five Albums that Inspired New Album “Of Darkness And Light”
Årabrot are a tough band to pin down, whether considering their earlier noisy days or within the context of their newest form, which feels like a combination of post-punk and gothic rock, and would even appeal to fans of Ghost. To say that their new album Of Darkness and Light is 'eclectic' is putting it mildly. If I told you that Årabrot are a married couple living in an old church in rural Sweden, then maybe the out there vibes would make some more sense. For a specific example, take recent single “You Cast Long Shadows”: it feels like a modern Queens of the Stone Age song with idiosyncratic, weirdly reverberating vocals. Hand clapping is not only acceptable here, but welcomed.
Årabrot frontman Kjetil Nernes took time out of his busy musical days to give us a list of 5 albums that inspired Of Darkness and Light - while some might be guessable, others are likely not. Read on below to see what it takes to inspire a deep, gothy, and ethereal album unlike much else I have heard in 2023.
...
…
The Cramps - Psychedelic Jungle (1981)
For a good while now we have warmed up to every live show by watching live videos by The Cramps. It really does the trick. One of the ultimate rock n’ roll bands. The Cramps was with us in spirit when writing and recording our new album.
…
Run The Jewels - 2 (2014)
We’ve been listening closely to these guys for a while now and since we used synth bass exclusively on this record it was a natural point of reference. Also their way of building up a song with clever arpeggios and interesting layers without cluttering the mix was a big inspiration.
…
Killing Joke - Brighter Than A Thousand Suns (1986)
The same way Captain Beefheart is always there in spirit, Killing Joke has been roving in the periphery on our past three or four albums. The inspiration is maybe more obvious on this album on songs like “Madness” and “Skeletons Trip The Light Fantastic.” A while ago we were asked to write songs for Sebastian Bach. We had no idea what Sebastian Bach would want, so decided to write a couple of Killing Joke-infused rock bangers. They were immediately rejected by the Bach management. Both songs – “You Cast Long Shadows” and “Love Under Will” – ended up on “Of Darkness And Light.” Killing Joke is a huge inspiration both thematically, spiritually and musically.
…
Coil - The Ape Of Naples (2005)
Coil’s presence is looming here in our church. Especially the later albums – “Backwards” and “Ape Of Naples” – have been a huge influence. Their mystical, magickal atmospherics are strangely fitting with the vibe here in the church and its pastoral surroundings, and it seeps into our music drop by drop. I guess Coil is in real touch with the elements and this is something of great importance to us.
…
PJ Harvey - Let England Shake (2011)
PJ Harvey tapped in to something truly unique on Let England Shake and we’ve been inspired by rhythms and melodies from that record. Also, since our producer Alain Johannes has been working and playing with her, he was able to let us in on some of her working methods, which was inspiring, especially for Karin, throughout the recording process.
…
Next up at the underground stage in Barboza were Endorphins Lost. Word around town is these folks do a killer Sepultura cover set. While the fast paced powerviolence that made up most of their set didn’t bear too much resemblance to the Brazilian legends, their well timed digression into the mid tempo proved that they have mastered a similarly vicious physicality. Though their set drew from new material unfamiliar to their hometown crowd, the quickly filling room didn’t hold back their enthusiasm. “Good festival so far, nobody’s died” their bassist vocalist quipped, to which someone in the back yelled “YET!”.
…
Upcoming Metal Releases: 10/1/2023-10/14/2023
New Releases 10/1-10/7
Carnifex -- Necromanteum | Nuclear Blast | Deathcore | United States (California) Ninth record from the deathcore misanthropes. Here, the San Diego quintet bake into their sound the atmospheric and symphonic experimentation of their last three records, probably because all the kool deathcore kidz are doin’ it now. Thankfully, Carnifex are smart enough to splice groove metal riffage into their songs to at least try sounding a bit different—perhaps thanks to former DevilDriver guitarist Neal Tiemann joining officially. Fear not, though, longtime fans: the majestically spastic leads are still here, as are the br00tal breakdownz. (In fact, “Crowned in Everblack” and “Bleed More” break down so much, they have clean guitar.) It’s likely Carnifex won’t ever really change or evolve. Indeed, the ain’t-broke mentality has worked for Black Dahlia for two decades, so why not. In other words: deathcore gonna deathcore.--Steve Lampiris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsqNooo-2UU...
Restless Spirit -- Afterimage | Magnetic Eye Records | Doom Metal + Heavy Metal | United States (New York) Third and best album from the Long Island stoner/doom trio composed of vocalist and guitarist Paul Aloisio, bassist Marc Morello, and drummer Jon Gusman. Imagine the middle ground between The Sword and Pallbearer, and you’re close. This time, the compositions have been trimmed and streamlined compared to 2021’s Blood of the Old Gods, resulting in sharper and more immediate songs. Thankfully, the shit-hot leadwork and concrete-splitting riffage remain. Ditto for the burly yet agile rhythm section and Aloiso’s soaring, neurotic wail. Afterimage is crushingly heavy and strikingly melodic and deeply satisfying—which is to say, really fuckin’ good.--Steve Lampiris
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Dopelord -- Songs for Satan | Blues Funeral Recordings | Stoner + Doom Metal | Poland Here's a quick litmus test for something being Truly Dank Doom Metal: does it have a song later in the album referencing an earlier one? See: "Night of the Witch" / "Return to the Night of the Witch". And yes, Dopelord is certainly TDDM, an acronym for a term I'll never use again, fusing mind-numbingly plodding riffs with echoing, mystical vocals -- and where lesser bands play those cards to middling results, there's a secret sorcery to the way that Dopelord does it that always hits home. It's a less-is-more philosophy, I think: behind the huge guitar tones and sonic battery lies smart songwriting and an ear for catchy, minimalist melody.--Ted Nubel
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Spider God -- Blackened: Pink | Independent | Black Metal | United Kingdom Spider God's willingness to engage with pop has been nothing but fruitful, arming him with the punchiness, immediacy, and hooks that could climb up the charts. Blackened: Pink isn't that much of a surprise then. It's the first in Spider God's series of female pop covers. While the tracklist isn't that impressive aside from Ariana Grande's "Problem," it's another piece of evidence that pop with a black metal palette, when performed like this, works much better than it theoretically should.--Colin Dempsey
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Auriferous Flame -- Ardor For Black Mastery | Independent | Black Metal | Greece Ayloss of Spectral Lore and Mystras fame has fashioned Auriferous Flame into his primal black metal side project, and it's glorious. His latest album Ardor For Black Mastery is a beautiful send-up to black metal's musical identity. It hones in on the toothy riffs, blast beats, and repugnant attitude that's characterized the best black metal--from Venom to Bathory to Darkthrone--for four decades.--Colin Dempsey
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Sühnopfer -- Nous sommes d'Hier | Debemur Morti Productions | Black Metal | France Nerdy, medieval, and French are three qualities that distinguish any black metal album as being worthwhile. Sühnopfer's fourth album Nous sommes d'Hier possess each of them in boundless quantities. It's not just sword-and-sorcery worship at play; choral arrangements and references to composers like Charpentier and Cherubini set a regal scene while sole bandmember Ardraos delivers over-the-top guitar lines, embellishing the already-rich compositions.--Colin Dempsey
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Capra -- Errors | Metal Blade Records | Metallic Hardcore | United States (Louisiana) The latest from Capra takes their chaos and reigns it in a bit, creating something that is still heavy as hell, but brings in more nuanced elements. Definitely a great next step for the band.--Addison Herron-Wheeler
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The Keening -- Little Bird | Relapse Records | Dark Folk | United States (Utah) The debut solo album from Rebecca Vernon of Subrosa fame is as beautiful and strange as her previous band, and also a bit more personal. This is a record for issuing in the fall.--Addison Herron-Wheeler
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Heavy Load -- Riders of the Ancient Storm | No Remorse Records | Heavy + Power Metal | Sweden Who doesn't love a comeback album after 40 years? Let's all try not to think about how 1983 was 40 years ago, though. After dropping a few seminal albums in the early 1980s, Heavy Load was seemingly a done deal, but they've returned in fairly classic form on Riders of the Ancient Storm. New single "Ride the Night" feels a lot more like classic 1980s metal than most revival bands can pull of, and certainly more 'true' than we can hope for from a reunion after so long. It's not fully available to stream yet, and vinyl is delayed, but nevertheless you can buy it over at No Remorse!--Ted Nubel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxH-628cHsU&ab_channel=HeavyLoad-Sweden...
Scrollkeeper -- Wetiko | Golden Core Records | Heavy Metal | United States (Houston, TX) Sinewy, aggressive riffs propel Scrollkeeper's latest album forward. Packed with evident bitterness and menace, it's retro heavy metal but with a cynical edge for some extra weight behind the swing of the blade.--Ted Nubel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz10YKk4GnI&ab_channel=zyxpoprock...
Crow Black Sky -- Sidereal Light - Volume Two | Independent | Atmospheric Black Metal | South Africa Cosmic' in the sense of being all-encompassing, the second volume of Crow Black Sky's epic Sidereal Light saga instills wonder from the very first moment that never goes away. Massive, world-shifting melodies blaze in the galactic storms the South African band conjures up.--Ted Nubel
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New Releases 10/8-10/14
Body Void -- Atrocity Machine | Prosthetic Records | Sludge + Drone + Doom Metal | United States In case you were getting a little too complacent maintaining a stable balance between internal thought and external stimuli, Body Void's new record uses scream-punctuating droning sludge as a vector to upset that balance. It's haunting and invasive, and yet the scouring incursion is cathartic in its own way. We've got more on this one coming later this week!--Ted Nubel
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Furia -- Huta Luna | Pagan Records | Experimental + Black Metal | Poland From Spencer Grady's full album premiere:Silesian scene veterans Furia mark their return with the release of Huta Luna, a typically enigmatic offering, liberated from the self-imposed limitations affecting more orthodox metal projects. Indeed, vocalist/guitarist Nihil, now shuns the ‘metal’ tag completely, seeing Furia instead as “an outgrowth of the genre, only using the tools of metal to an extent."https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFSZvza0inc&ab_channel=PaganRecords
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Laster -- Andermans Mijne | Prophecy Productions | Black Metal + Avant-Garde Metal | Netherlands--Cheryl Carter
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Catafalque -- Dybbuk | Aural Music | Drone Metal + Doom Metal + Noise | United Kingdom Catafalque make music that you may rarely listen to, if only because it suits an often-underreported mood. Scarcely throughout our lives do we feel so dismal that the UK band's scathing and pessimistic drone metal is fitting, but when those moments occur, you'll be lucky to have Dybbuk by your side.--Colin Dempsey
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Félonie -- De Sève et de Sang | Aural Music | Black Metal | Switzerland The Swiss Alps hold an average customer review score of 4.7 out of 5 stars on Google Reviews, with visitors praising the breathtaking views and amazing scenery. That's not the interpretation Félonie delivers on De Sève et de Sang about his homeland. The one-man black metal artist's dedication to his country's mythology is a gritty and chunky offering filled with morbid tales and quaint dungeon synth. It's far away from the typical atmospheric metal you'd expect from such an album.--Colin Dempsey
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Fortíð -- Narkissos | Lupus Lounge | Black Metal + Heavy Metal + Viking Metal | Iceland Fortíð's seventh full-length record Narkissos moves with the type of confidence one can only obtain from a 20-year legacy. It plays without a care for style or tonal consistency, instead being tied together by Fortíð's identity. The result is an epic (occasionally, only subtlely, while sometimes very much so) album that oscillates between varying degrees of Viking reverence.--Colin Dempsey
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Slidhr -- White Hart! | Debemur Morti Productions | Black Metal | Iceland Originally from Ireland and now based in Iceland, Slidhr take on many aspects of their current scene in order to propel their dynamic black metal forward. Slithering masses of guitar wrap around a vocal performance that is as powerful as it is varied, with Joseph Deegan's voice operating in the depths throughout. White Hart! is a fascinating look at the heart of darkness.--Cheryl Carter
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Arabrot -- Of Darkness and Light | Pelagic Records | Noise Rock | Norway The latest from these folk, rock, whatever weirdos is nothing short of uplifting—in the true religious music sense. Much like a solid hymn, the catchiness and authenticity of these songs will move you and make you want to listen again and again.--Addison Herron-Wheeler
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The Answer Lies In The Black Void -- Thou Shalt | Burning World Records | Doom Metal | International Comprised of Martina Horváth (Thy Catafalque) and Jason Köhnen (Celestial Season / ex-The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble), The Answer Lies In The Black Void play slow-burning, emotionally-taxing, and, occasionally, beautiful doom metal. The third aspect is all Horváth's doing, as she commands the tracks with her nigh-holy vocals. Compositionally, The Answer Lies In The Black Void aren't heavy in the traditional sense, but this works to their benefit. Their songs contain plenty of blank space and breathing room, granting Horváth the necessary freedom to flex her chops.--Colin Dempsey
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Morag Tong -- Grieve | Majestic Mountain Records | Stoner + Doom Metal | United Kingdom From Ted Nubel's track premiere of "At First Light":Although their songs are monumental, they’re built from the ground up from engaging melodies and carefully plotted escalation. On their new album Grieve, the band funnels their toke-worthy riffs into vast, striking scenery that paints their sonic dominance into a picturesque landscape.
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Stygian Ruin -- A World Past Hope and Fear | Independent | Black Metal + Ambient | Norway Stygian Ruin paints extremely vivid portraits with a theoretically limited palette: black metal and ambient music. Each album conjures up wild thoughts of fantastical alien worlds, and this latest one is maybe their darkest and richest yet.--Ted Nubel
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Torture Chain -- The Reign of Deimos | Hospital Productions | Black Metal | United States Torture Chain is the one-man black metal project of Brendan Radigan (Pagan Altar, Sumerlands, etc., etc.). It's been four years since the last record, but honestly that's impressively fast given everything else he's been doing. Not necessarily old-school but neither a modern, sharpened production, this new record explores twisting corridors of whirling guitar leads with gleeful recklessness and a slight hint of scorn. There's some haughty, imperious riffs here that pair nicely with Radigan's refined snarl-growls.--Ted Nubel
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Krieg -- Ruiner | Profound Lore Records | Black Metal | United States (New Jersey) Rejoice! The mighty Krieg is back, and their frontman Neill Jameson hasn't written for us in just long enough that I can write about this release without feeling like it's a conflict of interest. Ruiner is a record built from the bones up on sounding killer, particular scene sound-alikes and band name-drop comparisons be damned. The drums rip (that snare!), guitars and bass lock into abrasive harmony, and Jameson's vocals ride atop them into furious battle. I'm positive some of IO's writers could put this in more intelligent terms (but they're not pulling together a two-week special edition of UMR past midnight, are they?!), but simply put, when I think about what I want to hear from black metal, that's what Krieg delivers on Ruiner.--Ted Nubel
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Sadistic Force -- Midnight Assassin | Goat Throne Records | Black Metal + Speed Metal | United States (Texas) You can practically smell the vibes on Sadistic Force's second album from the cover alone. It's grimy and low-rent, much like their scorching speed metal, with a tight focus on violence. There's no blubber on Midnight Assassin--only riffs so lean you can see their veins.--Colin Dempsey
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Aeviterne Toil Over New Grounds (Interview)
Crossing the path of Garett Bussanick, Eric Rizk, Samuel Smith, and Ian Jacyszyn with their respective projects or with the innovative death metal band Aeviterne has so far been a rare event in concert halls—yet it seems that winds are changing.
After a series of successful U.S. shows in support of debut record The Ailing Facade, Aeviterne played for the first time in Europe on September 24 at Amplifest Festival in Portugal. Ahead of that event and over a call, Ian Jacyszyn (drums, production) discussed Aeviterne's intense creative process and the fun challenges in bringing their fervent brand of extremity to a live audience.
–Anne Laure / eluluphoto
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The music, the lyrics, and the artwork of The Ailing Facade all make it a very immersive and cohesive ensemble. Where do you draw your inspiration?
Lyrically, we’ve shared an appreciation for philosophy, e.g. Kant, Schopenhauer, etc. However, I’m not writing the lyrics myself; Garett is, so I don't want to speak about them on his behalf. I can say, though, that songwriting is all about context for me, and it’s important that the emotion I feel in Garett’s riffs be highlighted and given greater meaning in the finished songs. Often this emotion may be a feeling of loneliness or some sort of existential crisis, which relates back to the lyrical themes and inspirations.
Film is something I'm also personally inspired by, and I enjoy watching movies. I hesitate to say there’s a cinematic quality to Aeviterne's sound, but there's definitely a storytelling component in how the songs are structured. There’s usually an emotional arc, not unlike a film.
Regarding the art: Mark McCoy, who did the album artwork, is one of my good friends, and movies are one of the things we connect over. I feel lucky to have witnessed the evolution of his style and working methods these last 15 years. I find what he is making now to be incredibly cinematic. I couldn't imagine anybody else working on the album, since he has such a gift when it comes to translating the mood of a song into an image.
Visually, I think Aeviterne’s music has a lot of shadows and dark hues in it, and you’re usually not seeing what you think you should be seeing, which is perfectly represented in the cover image Mark made.
You mentioned the songwriting; what comes first in your creative process?
The riff usually comes first. Maybe I'm a traditionalist in this regard, but I believe heavy metal is about the riff—It’s the most important component. A good riff is what excites me most when listening to metal. That said, Garett will initiate the creative process by assembling a rough riff structure and from there we will collaborate and demo extensively.
What’s your approach to drum composition at that stage?
From the outset of each song, there’s usually some sort of agreed upon idea as to what the rhythmic feel will be. Since our genre framework is death metal, this is usually a blast beat of sorts. However, when it comes to composing the final drum parts, blast beats can be boring: there's not a lot of musical excitement there, aside from the intensity and the aggression. And most of the time, when I hear how most modern bands use them, they don’t even feel intense to me anymore; they’re too obvious. That feeling you get from an early Morbid Angel record—When those blasts hit, you feel them—I don’t find, as often now. They’ve become too much of a staple in the genre and they’re taken for granted.
I try to write drum parts that are melodic. A lot of the drummers that I gravitate towards, in terms of influence, write drum parts as if they are writing riffs on a guitar. You could sing the parts. I think that's what makes the classic metal drummers of the world, like Dave Lombardo or others, so special and iconic; you want to hear their melodies.
I also like to consider the drum composition in terms of texture. Drums are about more than just rhythm to me; they’re also about the sounds themselves. If you visualize from floor to ceiling, from a bass drum up to the cymbals, you're dealing with the low end to the top end of the frequency spectrum. So, a drum idea could be more than just the sound of a kick drum or a cymbal; it could be another element entirely, and this is where processed sounds and synths are factoring into the composition.
How do you layer these instrumental and more experimental sounds then?
Usually, those ideas start off with traditional instruments, like guitar or drums. We may take a certain idea and sonically process it to bring a new texture into a song. There have even been instances where I have had two drum ideas that I really like, but couldn't physically play simultaneously, so one becomes a processed overdub.
Some of Garett's riffs might see similar experimentation by use of heavy reverb/delay, different distortions, recording techniques, etc. For example, there’s an instrumental track on the album that concludes with this heavily processed acoustic guitar. None of the recorded guitar sounds are direct; it's all ambient sound captured at different distances—like, Garrett played his guitar at one end of a hallway in my apartment, and I recorded the sound at the opposite end of the hall. We then multi-tracked this, each time trying a different distance in mic placement. Once finished recording, we layered those tracks and processed from there. This may seem excessive, but it is done deliberately to create textures that we find more unique and interesting.
We all love early Swans, and what I find so profound about them, especially on those pre-Jarboe records, is that they're using traditional instruments in a way to make sounds that can be difficult to rationalize or replicate. I struggle making sense of how some of those sounds were made, especially as a quintet, quartet, or whatever the group size was at the time.
An anecdotal question about this very specific song, “The Ailing Facade” - how does a ‘death metal’ band come to drop such a 7-min instrumental song on their record?
Very simple: Metallica. They always had an instrumental on their albums. I didn’t grow up listening to Metallica, but Garett did, and it can be hard to shake the influence a band like that has on you as a kid.
And when experimenting with the sequencing of the songs on the album, it felt right having an instrumental, followed by a long closer, during the second half. This might be contrary to what people might have expected from us, but I think the patience found on the B-side of the album is a nice contrast to the anxiety of the A-side.
How does all the compositional and experimental work come together as a record?
This is an interesting question. For me, an album is best conceptualized by hearing the various ideas in different spaces: hearing it in a rehearsal room, hearing it behind a computer in demo form, playing it back in your head, etc. A lot of our creative process is not confined to one specific working method. Conceiving a musical idea in your mind is a very different experience to hearing it in a new and unfamiliar space. So, when we are writing, I might listen to our demos in a variety of spaces, like on the subway or on a walk, a million times in a row, just to kind of get a better sense of what's happening with the raw material.
Once the material sounds redundant to me, I’ll either know that it is finished, or I’ll start hearing new nuances in the music that I didn’t before. This new information usually informs me where to go next, like going back to the rehearsal room to experiment more. It’s a very laborious process creating an entire album this way, and it's not for everyone, but it works for us. Jamming to write songs might work for some bands, but with what we're going for, it's not enough.
You also mixed the record - were you preempting and anticipating that stage during the creation process, did that influence it somehow?
This is another interesting question because, yes, I think there was an anticipation, but it was more of a subconscious one than it was conscious. It only became conscious through the process of mixing the record.
Since I was so involved in the songwriting and demoing process, it felt important to give myself some distance from the material, so as not to limit its potential. We agreed as a band that I would record the album, but we’d then outsource the mix to another engineer. The hope was that by bringing somebody else in, it’d prevent me, or anyone else in the band, from getting in the way. Having an external voice for the mix could also help fully realize the album into something that maybe we didn't anticipate ourselves.
What we failed to see in this decision is that, despite our best intentions, our vision had become too specific. Trying to bring a third party in at that point was like picking up a novel and reading it from the halfway point. You've missed all these pages before; you only know the hundredth page, and now you're trying to make sense of the information you missed by coming in halfway through.
We worked with a great mix engineer and did multiple drafts, but it did not work out. Clearly we had an anticipation of how the record was supposed to sound and more importantly, how it was supposed to make us feel. That feeling was missing—It was there in the performances but somehow lost in the mix. That's when the mix became an in-house project. It was a frustrating decision to make at the time, but in hindsight a very necessary one.
What is laborious in Aeviterne’s terms: Are we talking months… years?
We had worked on The Ailing Facade for a few years, and a few of the songs were already in the process of being written when we released our first EP, which came out late 2018.
Some of the songs just went through many, many revisions. For example: “The Gaunt Sky,” the fifth track on the record, initially had a completely different ending, one that never quite worked, and it took a lot of revision to get to its final version. Or another example would be “Stilled The Hollows’ Way,” the second track of the record. There's this whole kind of dark ambient section with drums, but this was originally composed with high gain guitars. The more we worked to develop the song, the more it felt like these guitars were getting in our way, so through experimentation, we ended up removing them completely. This decision created an open space in the song that excited us and ultimately helped us finish it.
This is again to reinforce that what Aeviterne does is not the kind of thing you can just get in a rehearsal room and bash out. Everything must work in conjunction with everything else. It takes jamming in a room, demoing, writing ideas down as staff notation, etc. It can be obsessive, but it’s how my brain functions when it comes to songwriting; I get tunnel vision and can only focus on that. I would not be surprised if the next record takes another couple of years to get done.
Reflecting on creation, now that these songs have a life of their own, what’s the song you’re the most proud of, and why?
I would pick two songs for opposite reasons. First would be the second track of the record, “Stilled The Hollows’ Sway”, which I referred to earlier. I'm really proud of that track because that was one of the songs that required the most deliberation. That song went through a lot of experimentation, and a lot of toil and frustration on everybody's part. But when I listen to the finished song, what I was referring to before, that emotional landscape, that impact, it all comes through. It might not sound toiled from your perspective as a listener, but behind the scenes, we know how much went into it, and yet the song still lands with me on an emotional level.
Regarding the structure of that song: It’s very linear, which is a quality that I usually don’t really gravitate towards in my own listening. I love repetition in songwriting. I love a lot of 60s rock and roll, and that stuff is super repetitive. Yet, “Stilled The Hollows’ Sway,” despite being fairly linear in composition, still manages to resonate with me.
On the flip side, my second pick would be the third song on the record, “Penitent.” I mention this song because it was probably one of the easiest songs to write. It was the exact opposite experience to “Stilled The Hollows’ Sway”; it came together naturally but still has no shortage of impact for me.
So is “Still The Hollows’ Sway” the one song you’d recommend to someone that doesn't know your music yet?
I'd say yes because it covers a lot of ground. If you really wanted an idea of what the band was about, that song gives a pretty good overview. There's a lot of what the band is in that song.
After sharing all this about your songwriting, recording and mixing—Would you describe yourselves as perfectionists?
I wouldn't say I, or Garrett, or anybody else in the band, are perfectionists when it comes to the technical side of things. We have more of a gut-feeling approach: When things feel good enough, we move on. We didn’t spend hundreds of hours recording our performances for the album, for example.
It's more in the emotional impact of the music that I tend to become more of a perfectionist, I think, and maybe the rest of the band, too. The best metal, for me, can express something ineffable, something deep. It’s hard to put that into words. It could be in the composition, in the mix, in the way it's visually presented, etc. The performances are important, but there tends not to be a lot of depth in terms of the dynamics of what we're actually playing—It’s all high intensity stuff, so from that perspective it’s pretty easy for the music to be read as an expression of rage. But there is more to convey, and I want the music to have a deeper impact than just anger, and if that takes years of effort to do, then so be it.
The song structure sounds different between the LP and the 2018 Sireless EP; is it because of this laborious creation process or a different approach with your output between the two records?
I think this speaks more to how I view the separate formats. We already had quite a lot of material prepared when we first started playing live, including the two songs found on Sireless, and felt that it was important to release something, like a demo, to introduce ourselves to the world. Since both songs are very self-contained compositionally and complete unto themselves, releasing them as an EP made sense. Those song structures, to me, suit the physical limitations of the EP format best. And honestly, if we were going to write another EP, it would probably be something akin to Sireless again.
I suppose it is not a common move for bands like us to release seven inches nowadays, so that could speak to what you're talking about regarding the different songwriting approaches. With the The Ailing Facade, since it is a long-playing format, we could expand upon things and work with longer compositions.
Talking about impact, you’ve all had extensive careers in music so far. How has the audience reception been to Aeviterne, and is it different from your past bands?
To be quite honest with you, we're still trying to figure this out. The critical reception to the record was great, but the nature of what we're doing, in terms of our stylistic approach to death metal, makes it difficult to understand exactly who our audience is. I don’t want to give the impression that there's a deliberate attempt to be different or unique; that’s not the intention of the band, and none of us would ever argue that what we're doing is particularly original. But we are very lucky that the band has gone as far as it has, since our music doesn’t fit neatly into one box.
Music has always been an integral part of my life, even in the early stages. It provided me with a connection that I didn’t get elsewhere, so it’s important for me that other people connect with our music, but I wouldn't say that I, Garett, Eric or Sam are making music for other people. We do it because we enjoy the creative process. Where that ends up landing, in terms of an audience, is out of our control.
All this ties into what Amplifest represents to me as a festival, with its considered focus on curation. It’s for the rabid music fan, like myself. The people that I’m noticing gravitating towards Aeviterne are people like that… I hate to use this term, but ‘music nerds’—people who know a lot about music. They can usually see all the through-lines, the thematic connections, between all the disparaging influences. I imagine our appeal as a band will always be kind of niche, simply because such music listeners are the minority.
What kind of exposure did you get so far, which could help you maybe break the silos?
We're fortunate that Chris Bruni, who runs Profound Lore records, wanted to take the chance on the record. That exposure has certainly helped. There's not exactly a huge line of people trying to help expose the band—I guess that this is just the nature of what the band is and the fact, to your point, that we don't neatly fit into the death metal genre descriptor.
I think most labels or promoters might not really know how to frame what we are doing. It becomes this conundrum for people involved on the business side, how to sell it. But for us it’s still worth pursuing and trying to make happen because there are like-minded people out there; they're just in the shadows from what I can tell. It’s not what the metal scene seems to be focused on now, I feel. At least here in the US: raw black metal, war metal or old school death metal shows seem to be generally well attended. I don’t think a band who is a bit more experimental, like Aeviterne, has the same appeal. It feels to me that, right now, the culture is more interested in things that are more direct, musically speaking.
It looks like you have all got your bands touring a bit more in recent years. Has something changed with regards to touring or are you approaching things differently?
My experience with touring is unique in that even though I've been playing music for a long time, I have not toured that much. I’ve done more live performing in the past two years than I’ve done in the past ten years of my life. When I was younger, all I wanted to do was make records. I suppose it’s the record nerd mentality in me: it isn’t real until you make a record. I never really felt the obligation to play live as a result.
Approaching all this now is different because my view of performing live has evolved. I enjoy it a lot more now than I ever used to. It’s interesting manifesting something into a physical space, where people can immediately interact with it. And you are with them in that moment, which obviously has greater meaning after the isolation period of COVID.
Bringing Aeviterne to the stage, reproducing it live, has been an interesting challenge. With so many components involved in our music, it can be high-stakes and difficult to replicate in a live setting, but I am having a lot of fun trying to do so.
Honestly, I’m surprised to have seen Aeviterne going on tour. Was it in your plans when you created the band?
When we started the band, there was no intention of doing it live; it was conceived as a studio project. We also had physical distance between us back then since we were not living in the same city. The desire to make music together was still there, though, despite the distance; we each had a mutual respect for each other's past bands, and we really liked spending time together, so making music together made sense. However, as we kind of got deeper and deeper into the process of creating, our plans evolved, and we agreed to try to turn it into a live band.
I wouldn't say you'll ever hear the entirety of The Ailing Facade performed live because not all of it was written for a live set-up, although I'm sure we could figure out a way to make it work. But we also don't want to turn into a band with eight members—which would be the reality of replicating everything that's on the record live. Therefore, we must be very deliberate in what we choose to play, how it's presented, etc. Translating the album to the live setting has proven challenging, and we’ve gone to painful lengths to try and make it work, but it’s a challenge that I personally enjoy.
You are bringing your live set to Amplifest as a first show in Europe and later this fall, embarking on a longer U.S. tour with Thantifaxath; how do you translate your record into a set for live shows, and how do you prepare for touring?
Again, we have to be choosy in terms of what gets replicated live. A lot of these songs have so many textures and layers that we must decide what gets performed, what gets sampled and what gets omitted, and how to omit it without feeling an absence. When we're performing live, there are only five components: two guitars, a bass, drums, and a sampler. That's all we have at our disposal, and trying to make it all work requires creativity. A lot of experimentation goes into the live orchestration, which might take weeks, if not months. When you see the band live, it's deliberately structured and very considered, not unlike how the record is.
Drumming wise, it takes a good couple of months of preparation for me to get ready for shows. The drum parts I’ve written don’t feel natural in a lot of ways and they’re not easy to play. I need to practice a lot, at least for a month or two, to build the chops and get the parts into my muscle memory.
As you have now gained experience with the Aeviterne live set-up, do you have more plans for touring?
Aeviterne will be doing some shows with our friends in Thantifaxath and Sunless in October. After that, nothing is planned, so we’ll go back to writing. So far, I’d say we have the genesis of half an album, and we've already begun demoing those ideas. I would not be surprised if, when do we play more shows, people hear new Aeviterne material in the set. Performing songs that are still in progress, in a live setting, is also another component to our writing process, and I like the idea that people could hear working material at gigs. It creates a unique experience for the audience. There’s something there that you may never see again, you know?
I'd love for Aeviterne to tour Europe, but the demand will determine when and where. We saw many people in Europe complimenting the album online, but it wasn’t until recently that we had the right infrastructure to play there. We were recently added to the Cruel Machine roster for Europe and Andrea (who also plays in Devoid of Thought) will be helping us do some booking over there. We’d love to get something happening in Europe next year, but it’s still all very much in the early stages of development.
Wishing you the best in your European endeavors, then! You’ll be in the audience at Amplifest? Any shows you have highlighted on the running order?
Yeah definitely. We are flying out a few days early so that we have enough time to rest before our show on Sunday afternoon. I hope to see Sir Richard Bishop and Hexvessel, as they don’t perform often where I live.
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The Ailing Facade released March 18th, 2022 via Profound Lore.
Aeviterne Live
Aeviterne Toil Over New Grounds (Interview)
Crossing the path of Garett Bussanick, Eric Rizk, Samuel Smith, and Ian Jacyszyn with their respective projects or with the innovative death metal band Aeviterne has so far been a rare event in concert halls—yet it seems that winds are changing.
After a series of successful U.S. shows in support of debut record The Ailing Facade, Aeviterne played for the first time in Europe on September 24 at Amplifest Festival in Portugal. Ahead of that event and over a call, Ian Jacyszyn (drums, production) discussed Aeviterne's intense creative process and the fun challenges in bringing their fervent brand of extremity to a live audience.
–Anne Laure / eluluphoto
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The music, the lyrics, and the artwork of The Ailing Facade all make it a very immersive and cohesive ensemble. Where do you draw your inspiration?
Lyrically, we’ve shared an appreciation for philosophy, e.g. Kant, Schopenhauer, etc. However, I’m not writing the lyrics myself; Garett is, so I don't want to speak about them on his behalf. I can say, though, that songwriting is all about context for me, and it’s important that the emotion I feel in Garett’s riffs be highlighted and given greater meaning in the finished songs. Often this emotion may be a feeling of loneliness or some sort of existential crisis, which relates back to the lyrical themes and inspirations.
Film is something I'm also personally inspired by, and I enjoy watching movies. I hesitate to say there’s a cinematic quality to Aeviterne's sound, but there's definitely a storytelling component in how the songs are structured. There’s usually an emotional arc, not unlike a film.
Regarding the art: Mark McCoy, who did the album artwork, is one of my good friends, and movies are one of the things we connect over. I feel lucky to have witnessed the evolution of his style and working methods these last 15 years. I find what he is making now to be incredibly cinematic. I couldn't imagine anybody else working on the album, since he has such a gift when it comes to translating the mood of a song into an image.
Visually, I think Aeviterne’s music has a lot of shadows and dark hues in it, and you’re usually not seeing what you think you should be seeing, which is perfectly represented in the cover image Mark made.
You mentioned the songwriting; what comes first in your creative process?
The riff usually comes first. Maybe I'm a traditionalist in this regard, but I believe heavy metal is about the riff—It’s the most important component. A good riff is what excites me most when listening to metal. That said, Garett will initiate the creative process by assembling a rough riff structure and from there we will collaborate and demo extensively.
What’s your approach to drum composition at that stage?
From the outset of each song, there’s usually some sort of agreed upon idea as to what the rhythmic feel will be. Since our genre framework is death metal, this is usually a blast beat of sorts. However, when it comes to composing the final drum parts, blast beats can be boring: there's not a lot of musical excitement there, aside from the intensity and the aggression. And most of the time, when I hear how most modern bands use them, they don’t even feel intense to me anymore; they’re too obvious. That feeling you get from an early Morbid Angel record—When those blasts hit, you feel them—I don’t find, as often now. They’ve become too much of a staple in the genre and they’re taken for granted.
I try to write drum parts that are melodic. A lot of the drummers that I gravitate towards, in terms of influence, write drum parts as if they are writing riffs on a guitar. You could sing the parts. I think that's what makes the classic metal drummers of the world, like Dave Lombardo or others, so special and iconic; you want to hear their melodies.
I also like to consider the drum composition in terms of texture. Drums are about more than just rhythm to me; they’re also about the sounds themselves. If you visualize from floor to ceiling, from a bass drum up to the cymbals, you're dealing with the low end to the top end of the frequency spectrum. So, a drum idea could be more than just the sound of a kick drum or a cymbal; it could be another element entirely, and this is where processed sounds and synths are factoring into the composition.
How do you layer these instrumental and more experimental sounds then?
Usually, those ideas start off with traditional instruments, like guitar or drums. We may take a certain idea and sonically process it to bring a new texture into a song. There have even been instances where I have had two drum ideas that I really like, but couldn't physically play simultaneously, so one becomes a processed overdub.
Some of Garett's riffs might see similar experimentation by use of heavy reverb/delay, different distortions, recording techniques, etc. For example, there’s an instrumental track on the album that concludes with this heavily processed acoustic guitar. None of the recorded guitar sounds are direct; it's all ambient sound captured at different distances—like, Garrett played his guitar at one end of a hallway in my apartment, and I recorded the sound at the opposite end of the hall. We then multi-tracked this, each time trying a different distance in mic placement. Once finished recording, we layered those tracks and processed from there. This may seem excessive, but it is done deliberately to create textures that we find more unique and interesting.
We all love early Swans, and what I find so profound about them, especially on those pre-Jarboe records, is that they're using traditional instruments in a way to make sounds that can be difficult to rationalize or replicate. I struggle making sense of how some of those sounds were made, especially as a quintet, quartet, or whatever the group size was at the time.
An anecdotal question about this very specific song, “The Ailing Facade” - how does a ‘death metal’ band come to drop such a 7-min instrumental song on their record?
Very simple: Metallica. They always had an instrumental on their albums. I didn’t grow up listening to Metallica, but Garett did, and it can be hard to shake the influence a band like that has on you as a kid.
And when experimenting with the sequencing of the songs on the album, it felt right having an instrumental, followed by a long closer, during the second half. This might be contrary to what people might have expected from us, but I think the patience found on the B-side of the album is a nice contrast to the anxiety of the A-side.
How does all the compositional and experimental work come together as a record?
This is an interesting question. For me, an album is best conceptualized by hearing the various ideas in different spaces: hearing it in a rehearsal room, hearing it behind a computer in demo form, playing it back in your head, etc. A lot of our creative process is not confined to one specific working method. Conceiving a musical idea in your mind is a very different experience to hearing it in a new and unfamiliar space. So, when we are writing, I might listen to our demos in a variety of spaces, like on the subway or on a walk, a million times in a row, just to kind of get a better sense of what's happening with the raw material.
Once the material sounds redundant to me, I’ll either know that it is finished, or I’ll start hearing new nuances in the music that I didn’t before. This new information usually informs me where to go next, like going back to the rehearsal room to experiment more. It’s a very laborious process creating an entire album this way, and it's not for everyone, but it works for us. Jamming to write songs might work for some bands, but with what we're going for, it's not enough.
You also mixed the record - were you preempting and anticipating that stage during the creation process, did that influence it somehow?
This is another interesting question because, yes, I think there was an anticipation, but it was more of a subconscious one than it was conscious. It only became conscious through the process of mixing the record.
Since I was so involved in the songwriting and demoing process, it felt important to give myself some distance from the material, so as not to limit its potential. We agreed as a band that I would record the album, but we’d then outsource the mix to another engineer. The hope was that by bringing somebody else in, it’d prevent me, or anyone else in the band, from getting in the way. Having an external voice for the mix could also help fully realize the album into something that maybe we didn't anticipate ourselves.
What we failed to see in this decision is that, despite our best intentions, our vision had become too specific. Trying to bring a third party in at that point was like picking up a novel and reading it from the halfway point. You've missed all these pages before; you only know the hundredth page, and now you're trying to make sense of the information you missed by coming in halfway through.
We worked with a great mix engineer and did multiple drafts, but it did not work out. Clearly we had an anticipation of how the record was supposed to sound and more importantly, how it was supposed to make us feel. That feeling was missing—It was there in the performances but somehow lost in the mix. That's when the mix became an in-house project. It was a frustrating decision to make at the time, but in hindsight a very necessary one.
What is laborious in Aeviterne’s terms: Are we talking months… years?
We had worked on The Ailing Facade for a few years, and a few of the songs were already in the process of being written when we released our first EP, which came out late 2018.
Some of the songs just went through many, many revisions. For example: “The Gaunt Sky,” the fifth track on the record, initially had a completely different ending, one that never quite worked, and it took a lot of revision to get to its final version. Or another example would be “Stilled The Hollows’ Way,” the second track of the record. There's this whole kind of dark ambient section with drums, but this was originally composed with high gain guitars. The more we worked to develop the song, the more it felt like these guitars were getting in our way, so through experimentation, we ended up removing them completely. This decision created an open space in the song that excited us and ultimately helped us finish it.
This is again to reinforce that what Aeviterne does is not the kind of thing you can just get in a rehearsal room and bash out. Everything must work in conjunction with everything else. It takes jamming in a room, demoing, writing ideas down as staff notation, etc. It can be obsessive, but it’s how my brain functions when it comes to songwriting; I get tunnel vision and can only focus on that. I would not be surprised if the next record takes another couple of years to get done.
Reflecting on creation, now that these songs have a life of their own, what’s the song you’re the most proud of, and why?
I would pick two songs for opposite reasons. First would be the second track of the record, “Stilled The Hollows’ Sway”, which I referred to earlier. I'm really proud of that track because that was one of the songs that required the most deliberation. That song went through a lot of experimentation, and a lot of toil and frustration on everybody's part. But when I listen to the finished song, what I was referring to before, that emotional landscape, that impact, it all comes through. It might not sound toiled from your perspective as a listener, but behind the scenes, we know how much went into it, and yet the song still lands with me on an emotional level.
Regarding the structure of that song: It’s very linear, which is a quality that I usually don’t really gravitate towards in my own listening. I love repetition in songwriting. I love a lot of 60s rock and roll, and that stuff is super repetitive. Yet, “Stilled The Hollows’ Sway,” despite being fairly linear in composition, still manages to resonate with me.
On the flip side, my second pick would be the third song on the record, “Penitent.” I mention this song because it was probably one of the easiest songs to write. It was the exact opposite experience to “Stilled The Hollows’ Sway”; it came together naturally but still has no shortage of impact for me.
So is “Still The Hollows’ Sway” the one song you’d recommend to someone that doesn't know your music yet?
I'd say yes because it covers a lot of ground. If you really wanted an idea of what the band was about, that song gives a pretty good overview. There's a lot of what the band is in that song.
After sharing all this about your songwriting, recording and mixing—Would you describe yourselves as perfectionists?
I wouldn't say I, or Garrett, or anybody else in the band, are perfectionists when it comes to the technical side of things. We have more of a gut-feeling approach: When things feel good enough, we move on. We didn’t spend hundreds of hours recording our performances for the album, for example.
It's more in the emotional impact of the music that I tend to become more of a perfectionist, I think, and maybe the rest of the band, too. The best metal, for me, can express something ineffable, something deep. It’s hard to put that into words. It could be in the composition, in the mix, in the way it's visually presented, etc. The performances are important, but there tends not to be a lot of depth in terms of the dynamics of what we're actually playing—It’s all high intensity stuff, so from that perspective it’s pretty easy for the music to be read as an expression of rage. But there is more to convey, and I want the music to have a deeper impact than just anger, and if that takes years of effort to do, then so be it.
The song structure sounds different between the LP and the 2018 Sireless EP; is it because of this laborious creation process or a different approach with your output between the two records?
I think this speaks more to how I view the separate formats. We already had quite a lot of material prepared when we first started playing live, including the two songs found on Sireless, and felt that it was important to release something, like a demo, to introduce ourselves to the world. Since both songs are very self-contained compositionally and complete unto themselves, releasing them as an EP made sense. Those song structures, to me, suit the physical limitations of the EP format best. And honestly, if we were going to write another EP, it would probably be something akin to Sireless again.
I suppose it is not a common move for bands like us to release seven inches nowadays, so that could speak to what you're talking about regarding the different songwriting approaches. With the The Ailing Facade, since it is a long-playing format, we could expand upon things and work with longer compositions.
Talking about impact, you’ve all had extensive careers in music so far. How has the audience reception been to Aeviterne, and is it different from your past bands?
To be quite honest with you, we're still trying to figure this out. The critical reception to the record was great, but the nature of what we're doing, in terms of our stylistic approach to death metal, makes it difficult to understand exactly who our audience is. I don’t want to give the impression that there's a deliberate attempt to be different or unique; that’s not the intention of the band, and none of us would ever argue that what we're doing is particularly original. But we are very lucky that the band has gone as far as it has, since our music doesn’t fit neatly into one box.
Music has always been an integral part of my life, even in the early stages. It provided me with a connection that I didn’t get elsewhere, so it’s important for me that other people connect with our music, but I wouldn't say that I, Garett, Eric or Sam are making music for other people. We do it because we enjoy the creative process. Where that ends up landing, in terms of an audience, is out of our control.
All this ties into what Amplifest represents to me as a festival, with its considered focus on curation. It’s for the rabid music fan, like myself. The people that I’m noticing gravitating towards Aeviterne are people like that… I hate to use this term, but ‘music nerds’—people who know a lot about music. They can usually see all the through-lines, the thematic connections, between all the disparaging influences. I imagine our appeal as a band will always be kind of niche, simply because such music listeners are the minority.
What kind of exposure did you get so far, which could help you maybe break the silos?
We're fortunate that Chris Bruni, who runs Profound Lore records, wanted to take the chance on the record. That exposure has certainly helped. There's not exactly a huge line of people trying to help expose the band—I guess that this is just the nature of what the band is and the fact, to your point, that we don't neatly fit into the death metal genre descriptor.
I think most labels or promoters might not really know how to frame what we are doing. It becomes this conundrum for people involved on the business side, how to sell it. But for us it’s still worth pursuing and trying to make happen because there are like-minded people out there; they're just in the shadows from what I can tell. It’s not what the metal scene seems to be focused on now, I feel. At least here in the US: raw black metal, war metal or old school death metal shows seem to be generally well attended. I don’t think a band who is a bit more experimental, like Aeviterne, has the same appeal. It feels to me that, right now, the culture is more interested in things that are more direct, musically speaking.
It looks like you have all got your bands touring a bit more in recent years. Has something changed with regards to touring or are you approaching things differently?
My experience with touring is unique in that even though I've been playing music for a long time, I have not toured that much. I’ve done more live performing in the past two years than I’ve done in the past ten years of my life. When I was younger, all I wanted to do was make records. I suppose it’s the record nerd mentality in me: it isn’t real until you make a record. I never really felt the obligation to play live as a result.
Approaching all this now is different because my view of performing live has evolved. I enjoy it a lot more now than I ever used to. It’s interesting manifesting something into a physical space, where people can immediately interact with it. And you are with them in that moment, which obviously has greater meaning after the isolation period of COVID.
Bringing Aeviterne to the stage, reproducing it live, has been an interesting challenge. With so many components involved in our music, it can be high-stakes and difficult to replicate in a live setting, but I am having a lot of fun trying to do so.
Honestly, I’m surprised to have seen Aeviterne going on tour. Was it in your plans when you created the band?
When we started the band, there was no intention of doing it live; it was conceived as a studio project. We also had physical distance between us back then since we were not living in the same city. The desire to make music together was still there, though, despite the distance; we each had a mutual respect for each other's past bands, and we really liked spending time together, so making music together made sense. However, as we kind of got deeper and deeper into the process of creating, our plans evolved, and we agreed to try to turn it into a live band.
I wouldn't say you'll ever hear the entirety of The Ailing Facade performed live because not all of it was written for a live set-up, although I'm sure we could figure out a way to make it work. But we also don't want to turn into a band with eight members—which would be the reality of replicating everything that's on the record live. Therefore, we must be very deliberate in what we choose to play, how it's presented, etc. Translating the album to the live setting has proven challenging, and we’ve gone to painful lengths to try and make it work, but it’s a challenge that I personally enjoy.
You are bringing your live set to Amplifest as a first show in Europe and later this fall, embarking on a longer U.S. tour with Thantifaxath; how do you translate your record into a set for live shows, and how do you prepare for touring?
Again, we have to be choosy in terms of what gets replicated live. A lot of these songs have so many textures and layers that we must decide what gets performed, what gets sampled and what gets omitted, and how to omit it without feeling an absence. When we're performing live, there are only five components: two guitars, a bass, drums, and a sampler. That's all we have at our disposal, and trying to make it all work requires creativity. A lot of experimentation goes into the live orchestration, which might take weeks, if not months. When you see the band live, it's deliberately structured and very considered, not unlike how the record is.
Drumming wise, it takes a good couple of months of preparation for me to get ready for shows. The drum parts I’ve written don’t feel natural in a lot of ways and they’re not easy to play. I need to practice a lot, at least for a month or two, to build the chops and get the parts into my muscle memory.
As you have now gained experience with the Aeviterne live set-up, do you have more plans for touring?
Aeviterne will be doing some shows with our friends in Thantifaxath and Sunless in October. After that, nothing is planned, so we’ll go back to writing. So far, I’d say we have the genesis of half an album, and we've already begun demoing those ideas. I would not be surprised if, when do we play more shows, people hear new Aeviterne material in the set. Performing songs that are still in progress, in a live setting, is also another component to our writing process, and I like the idea that people could hear working material at gigs. It creates a unique experience for the audience. There’s something there that you may never see again, you know?
I'd love for Aeviterne to tour Europe, but the demand will determine when and where. We saw many people in Europe complimenting the album online, but it wasn’t until recently that we had the right infrastructure to play there. We were recently added to the Cruel Machine roster for Europe and Andrea (who also plays in Devoid of Thought) will be helping us do some booking over there. We’d love to get something happening in Europe next year, but it’s still all very much in the early stages of development.
Wishing you the best in your European endeavors, then! You’ll be in the audience at Amplifest? Any shows you have highlighted on the running order?
Yeah definitely. We are flying out a few days early so that we have enough time to rest before our show on Sunday afternoon. I hope to see Sir Richard Bishop and Hexvessel, as they don’t perform often where I live.
…
The Ailing Facade released March 18th, 2022 via Profound Lore.
…
The zero-casualty streak continued with the next set at the Barboza stage, this time from Transient. Much like Endorphins Lost, Transient kept the pedal fully pressed into the floor with a flurry of micro-songs that demonstrated an impeccable sense of economy and pacing. Unlike Endorphins Lost, they had little use for inter-song chit chat. Instead of reciting the same rote cliches that crop in every band’s stage banter, they expedited the process to pre-recorded audio that thanked the fest, other bands & audience in turn. This gave them more time to focus on the more important matter at hand; melting faces.
…
Furia Eclipse Black Metal on “Huta Luna” (Interview + Early Album Stream)
Blooded in the same ferment of intrepid Polish extremism that spawned Gruzja, Licho, and Odraza, Silesian scene veterans Furia mark their return with the release of Huta Luna, a typically enigmatic offering, liberated from the self-imposed limitations affecting more orthodox metal projects. Indeed, vocalist/guitarist Nihil, now shuns the ‘metal’ tag completely, seeing Furia instead as “an outgrowth of the genre, only using the tools of metal to an extent."
Such a statement might seem misleading when initially confronted with the pugnacious salvoes frontloading the album (which you can stream here early ahead of its Tuesday release), a series of coruscating whiplash instigators screaming pure metal vengeance and brokering a swift about-turn from the abstract melodramas of 2021’s W śnialni.
…
…
Yet while on the surface rage-fuelled maelstroms such as "Zamawianie trzecie" and "Wracaj" throwback to the band’s more prosaic black metal beginnings, they also cede several seditious folk-indebted elements running concurrent with Furia’s idiosyncratic evolution: rippling, trebly guitar lines resemble a turbo-charged balalaika on ‘Swawola niewola’, conjuring a subterranean flux harvested from the melodic echoes of traditional Polish country-song, while the string-mauling spaghetti-western twangs of "Na koń!" subvert that bludgeoning volley’s rampant mantra.
Individual tracks begin to congeal into a homogenous surge, incubating an ever-dilating micro-climate which Nihil identifies as a “special form of ambient music,” forging a strident full-throttle counterpart to Huta Luna’s jaw-dropping endgame.
For more than 30 minutes, "Księżyc, czyli Słonce" represents the apogee, thus far, of Furia’s mission to “create a space through sets of sounds and noises, rather than music itself, for analysing experiences, feelings and thoughts.” Between them Nihil, A, Sars and Namtar annex a dread nether-zone populated by pernicious shadow demons and whispered Delphian conspiracies, a Borgesian alternate unreality where Nurse With Wound and Flying Saucer Attack hook-up for a soundtrack to a bizarro Parajanov ritual – pregnant with phantasmal drones, delay-scrambled distress signals, disembodied voices and atrophying gongs – giving the psyche free rein, providing potent catalysts for intravenous mood conduction.
But as for the track’s exact meaning, Nihil remains characteristically reticent: “I don’t want to reveal too much,” he explains. "That would strip our work of all the elements which are intentionally not made explicit. It would destroy it.”
-Spencer Grady
…
Huta Luna releases October 10th via Pagan Records.
Furia Eclipse Black Metal on “Huta Luna” (Interview + Early Album Stream)
Blooded in the same ferment of intrepid Polish extremism that spawned Gruzja, Licho, and Odraza, Silesian scene veterans Furia mark their return with the release of Huta Luna, a typically enigmatic offering, liberated from the self-imposed limitations affecting more orthodox metal projects. Indeed, vocalist/guitarist Nihil, now shuns the ‘metal’ tag completely, seeing Furia instead as “an outgrowth of the genre, only using the tools of metal to an extent."
Such a statement might seem misleading when initially confronted with the pugnacious salvoes frontloading the album (which you can stream here early ahead of its Tuesday release), a series of coruscating whiplash instigators screaming pure metal vengeance and brokering a swift about-turn from the abstract melodramas of 2021’s W śnialni.
…
…
Yet while on the surface rage-fuelled maelstroms such as "Zamawianie trzecie" and "Wracaj" throwback to the band’s more prosaic black metal beginnings, they also cede several seditious folk-indebted elements running concurrent with Furia’s idiosyncratic evolution: rippling, trebly guitar lines resemble a turbo-charged balalaika on ‘Swawola niewola’, conjuring a subterranean flux harvested from the melodic echoes of traditional Polish country-song, while the string-mauling spaghetti-western twangs of "Na koń!" subvert that bludgeoning volley’s rampant mantra.
Individual tracks begin to congeal into a homogenous surge, incubating an ever-dilating micro-climate which Nihil identifies as a “special form of ambient music,” forging a strident full-throttle counterpart to Huta Luna’s jaw-dropping endgame.
For more than 30 minutes, "Księżyc, czyli Słonce" represents the apogee, thus far, of Furia’s mission to “create a space through sets of sounds and noises, rather than music itself, for analysing experiences, feelings and thoughts.” Between them Nihil, A, Sars and Namtar annex a dread nether-zone populated by pernicious shadow demons and whispered Delphian conspiracies, a Borgesian alternate unreality where Nurse With Wound and Flying Saucer Attack hook-up for a soundtrack to a bizarro Parajanov ritual – pregnant with phantasmal drones, delay-scrambled distress signals, disembodied voices and atrophying gongs – giving the psyche free rein, providing potent catalysts for intravenous mood conduction.
But as for the track’s exact meaning, Nihil remains characteristically reticent: “I don’t want to reveal too much,” he explains. "That would strip our work of all the elements which are intentionally not made explicit. It would destroy it.”
-Spencer Grady
…
Huta Luna releases October 10th via Pagan Records.
Upcoming Metal Releases: 10/1/2023-10/14/2023
New Releases 10/1-10/7
Carnifex -- Necromanteum | Nuclear Blast | Deathcore | United States (California) Ninth record from the deathcore misanthropes. Here, the San Diego quintet bake into their sound the atmospheric and symphonic experimentation of their last three records, probably because all the kool deathcore kidz are doin’ it now. Thankfully, Carnifex are smart enough to splice groove metal riffage into their songs to at least try sounding a bit different—perhaps thanks to former DevilDriver guitarist Neal Tiemann joining officially. Fear not, though, longtime fans: the majestically spastic leads are still here, as are the br00tal breakdownz. (In fact, “Crowned in Everblack” and “Bleed More” break down so much, they have clean guitar.) It’s likely Carnifex won’t ever really change or evolve. Indeed, the ain’t-broke mentality has worked for Black Dahlia for two decades, so why not. In other words: deathcore gonna deathcore.--Steve Lampiris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsqNooo-2UU...
Restless Spirit -- Afterimage | Magnetic Eye Records | Doom Metal + Heavy Metal | United States (New York) Third and best album from the Long Island stoner/doom trio composed of vocalist and guitarist Paul Aloisio, bassist Marc Morello, and drummer Jon Gusman. Imagine the middle ground between The Sword and Pallbearer, and you’re close. This time, the compositions have been trimmed and streamlined compared to 2021’s Blood of the Old Gods, resulting in sharper and more immediate songs. Thankfully, the shit-hot leadwork and concrete-splitting riffage remain. Ditto for the burly yet agile rhythm section and Aloiso’s soaring, neurotic wail. Afterimage is crushingly heavy and strikingly melodic and deeply satisfying—which is to say, really fuckin’ good.--Steve Lampiris
...
Dopelord -- Songs for Satan | Blues Funeral Recordings | Stoner + Doom Metal | Poland Here's a quick litmus test for something being Truly Dank Doom Metal: does it have a song later in the album referencing an earlier one? See: "Night of the Witch" / "Return to the Night of the Witch". And yes, Dopelord is certainly TDDM, an acronym for a term I'll never use again, fusing mind-numbingly plodding riffs with echoing, mystical vocals -- and where lesser bands play those cards to middling results, there's a secret sorcery to the way that Dopelord does it that always hits home. It's a less-is-more philosophy, I think: behind the huge guitar tones and sonic battery lies smart songwriting and an ear for catchy, minimalist melody.--Ted Nubel
...
Spider God -- Blackened: Pink | Independent | Black Metal | United Kingdom Spider God's willingness to engage with pop has been nothing but fruitful, arming him with the punchiness, immediacy, and hooks that could climb up the charts. Blackened: Pink isn't that much of a surprise then. It's the first in Spider God's series of female pop covers. While the tracklist isn't that impressive aside from Ariana Grande's "Problem," it's another piece of evidence that pop with a black metal palette, when performed like this, works much better than it theoretically should.--Colin Dempsey
...
Auriferous Flame -- Ardor For Black Mastery | Independent | Black Metal | Greece Ayloss of Spectral Lore and Mystras fame has fashioned Auriferous Flame into his primal black metal side project, and it's glorious. His latest album Ardor For Black Mastery is a beautiful send-up to black metal's musical identity. It hones in on the toothy riffs, blast beats, and repugnant attitude that's characterized the best black metal--from Venom to Bathory to Darkthrone--for four decades.--Colin Dempsey
...
Capra -- Errors | Metal Blade Records | Metallic Hardcore | United States (Louisiana) The latest from Capra takes their chaos and reigns it in a bit, creating something that is still heavy as hell, but brings in more nuanced elements. Definitely a great next step for the band.--Addison Herron-Wheeler
...
The Keening -- Little Bird | Relapse Records | Dark Folk | United States (Utah) The debut solo album from Rebecca Vernon of Subrosa fame is as beautiful and strange as her previous band, and also a bit more personal. This is a record for issuing in the fall.--Addison Herron-Wheeler
...
Heavy Load -- Riders of the Ancient Storm | No Remorse Records | Heavy + Power Metal | Sweden Who doesn't love a comeback album after 40 years? Let's all try not to think about how 1983 was 40 years ago, though. After dropping a few seminal albums in the early 1980s, Heavy Load was seemingly a done deal, but they've returned in fairly classic form on Riders of the Ancient Storm. New single "Ride the Night" feels a lot more like classic 1980s metal than most revival bands can pull of, and certainly more 'true' than we can hope for from a reunion after so long. It's not fully available to stream yet, and vinyl is delayed, but nevertheless you can buy it over at No Remorse!--Ted Nubel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxH-628cHsU&ab_channel=HeavyLoad-Sweden...
Scrollkeeper -- Wetiko | Golden Core Records | Heavy Metal | United States (Houston, TX) Sinewy, aggressive riffs propel Scrollkeeper's latest album forward. Packed with evident bitterness and menace, it's retro heavy metal but with a cynical edge for some extra weight behind the swing of the blade.--Ted Nubel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz10YKk4GnI&ab_channel=zyxpoprock...
Crow Black Sky -- Sidereal Light - Volume Two | Independent | Atmospheric Black Metal | South Africa Cosmic' in the sense of being all-encompassing, the second volume of Crow Black Sky's epic Sidereal Light saga instills wonder from the very first moment that never goes away. Massive, world-shifting melodies blaze in the galactic storms the South African band conjures up.--Ted Nubel
...
New Releases 10/8-10/14
Body Void -- Atrocity Machine | Prosthetic Records | Sludge + Drone + Doom Metal | United States In case you were getting a little too complacent maintaining a stable balance between internal thought and external stimuli, Body Void's new record uses scream-punctuating droning sludge as a vector to upset that balance. It's haunting and invasive, and yet the scouring incursion is cathartic in its own way. We've got more on this one coming later this week!--Ted Nubel
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Furia -- Huta Luna | Pagan Records | Experimental + Black Metal | Poland From Spencer Grady's full album premiere:Silesian scene veterans Furia mark their return with the release of Huta Luna, a typically enigmatic offering, liberated from the self-imposed limitations affecting more orthodox metal projects. Indeed, vocalist/guitarist Nihil, now shuns the ‘metal’ tag completely, seeing Furia instead as “an outgrowth of the genre, only using the tools of metal to an extent."https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFSZvza0inc&ab_channel=PaganRecords
...
Laster -- Andermans Mijne | Prophecy Productions | Black Metal + Avant-Garde Metal | Netherlands Dutch madmen Laster are back with an album so utterly bonkers that it almost defies description. It's kinda black metal, kinda not, kinda a bit of everything and it is in this melding of the weird and obscure that the trio find melodies and rhythms that would fall apart in lesser hands. You can move to it but you'll look bizarre in the process. Laster would love that.--Cheryl Carter
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Catafalque -- Dybbuk | Aural Music | Drone Metal + Doom Metal + Noise | United Kingdom Catafalque make music that you may rarely listen to, if only because it suits an often-underreported mood. Scarcely throughout our lives do we feel so dismal that the UK band's scathing and pessimistic drone metal is fitting, but when those moments occur, you'll be lucky to have Dybbuk by your side.--Colin Dempsey
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Félonie -- De Sève et de Sang | Aural Music | Black Metal | Switzerland The Swiss Alps hold an average customer review score of 4.7 out of 5 stars on Google Reviews, with visitors praising the breathtaking views and amazing scenery. That's not the interpretation Félonie delivers on De Sève et de Sang about his homeland. The one-man black metal artist's dedication to his country's mythology is a gritty and chunky offering filled with morbid tales and quaint dungeon synth. It's far away from the typical atmospheric metal you'd expect from such an album.--Colin Dempsey
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Fortíð -- Narkissos | Lupus Lounge | Black Metal + Heavy Metal + Viking Metal | Iceland Fortíð's seventh full-length record Narkissos moves with the type of confidence one can only obtain from a 20-year legacy. It plays without a care for style or tonal consistency, instead being tied together by Fortíð's identity. The result is an epic (occasionally, only subtlely, while sometimes very much so) album that oscillates between varying degrees of Viking reverence.--Colin Dempsey
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Slidhr -- White Hart! | Debemur Morti Productions | Black Metal | Iceland Originally from Ireland and now based in Iceland, Slidhr take on many aspects of their current scene in order to propel their dynamic black metal forward. Slithering masses of guitar wrap around a vocal performance that is as powerful as it is varied, with Joseph Deegan's voice operating in the depths throughout. White Hart! is a fascinating look at the heart of darkness.--Cheryl Carter
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Arabrot -- Of Darkness and Light | Pelagic Records | Noise Rock | Norway The latest from these folk, rock, whatever weirdos is nothing short of uplifting—in the true religious music sense. Much like a solid hymn, the catchiness and authenticity of these songs will move you and make you want to listen again and again.--Addison Herron-Wheeler
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The Answer Lies In The Black Void -- Thou Shalt | Burning World Records | Doom Metal | International Comprised of Martina Horváth (Thy Catafalque) and Jason Köhnen (Celestial Season / ex-The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble), The Answer Lies In The Black Void play slow-burning, emotionally-taxing, and, occasionally, beautiful doom metal. The third aspect is all Horváth's doing, as she commands the tracks with her nigh-holy vocals. Compositionally, The Answer Lies In The Black Void aren't heavy in the traditional sense, but this works to their benefit. Their songs contain plenty of blank space and breathing room, granting Horváth the necessary freedom to flex her chops.--Colin Dempsey
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Morag Tong -- Grieve | Majestic Mountain Records | Stoner + Doom Metal | United Kingdom From Ted Nubel's track premiere of "At First Light":Although their songs are monumental, they’re built from the ground up from engaging melodies and carefully plotted escalation. On their new album Grieve, the band funnels their toke-worthy riffs into vast, striking scenery that paints their sonic dominance into a picturesque landscape.
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Stygian Ruin -- A World Past Hope and Fear | Independent | Black Metal + Ambient | Norway Stygian Ruin paints extremely vivid portraits with a theoretically limited palette: black metal and ambient music. Each album conjures up wild thoughts of fantastical alien worlds, and this latest one is maybe their darkest and richest yet.--Ted Nubel
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Torture Chain -- The Reign of Deimos | Hospital Productions | Black Metal | United States Torture Chain is the one-man black metal project of Brendan Radigan (Pagan Altar, Sumerlands, etc., etc.). It's been four years since the last record, but honestly that's impressively fast given everything else he's been doing. Not necessarily old-school but neither a modern, sharpened production, this new record explores twisting corridors of whirling guitar leads with gleeful recklessness and a slight hint of scorn. There's some haughty, imperious riffs here that pair nicely with Radigan's refined snarl-growls.--Ted Nubel
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Krieg -- Ruiner | Profound Lore Records | Black Metal | United States (New Jersey) Rejoice! The mighty Krieg is back, and their frontman Neill Jameson hasn't written for us in just long enough that I can write about this release without feeling like it's a conflict of interest. Ruiner is a record built from the bones up on sounding killer, particular scene sound-alikes and band name-drop comparisons be damned. The drums rip (that snare!), guitars and bass lock into abrasive harmony, and Jameson's vocals ride atop them into furious battle. I'm positive some of IO's writers could put this in more intelligent terms (but they're not pulling together a two-week special edition of UMR past midnight, are they?!), but simply put, when I think about what I want to hear from black metal, that's what Krieg delivers on Ruiner.--Ted Nubel
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Sadistic Force -- Midnight Assassin | Goat Throne Records | Black Metal + Speed Metal | United States (Texas) You can practically smell the vibes on Sadistic Force's second album from the cover alone. It's grimy and low-rent, much like their scorching speed metal, with a tight focus on violence. There's no blubber on Midnight Assassin--only riffs so lean you can see their veins.--Colin Dempsey
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Upcoming Metal Releases: 10/1/2023-10/14/2023
New Releases 10/1-10/7
Carnifex -- Necromanteum | Nuclear Blast | Deathcore | United States (California) Ninth record from the deathcore misanthropes. Here, the San Diego quintet bake into their sound the atmospheric and symphonic experimentation of their last three records, probably because all the kool deathcore kidz are doin’ it now. Thankfully, Carnifex are smart enough to splice groove metal riffage into their songs to at least try sounding a bit different—perhaps thanks to former DevilDriver guitarist Neal Tiemann joining officially. Fear not, though, longtime fans: the majestically spastic leads are still here, as are the br00tal breakdownz. (In fact, “Crowned in Everblack” and “Bleed More” break down so much, they have clean guitar.) It’s likely Carnifex won’t ever really change or evolve. Indeed, the ain’t-broke mentality has worked for Black Dahlia for two decades, so why not. In other words: deathcore gonna deathcore.--Steve Lampiris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsqNooo-2UU...
Restless Spirit -- Afterimage | Magnetic Eye Records | Doom Metal + Heavy Metal | United States (New York) Third and best album from the Long Island stoner/doom trio composed of vocalist and guitarist Paul Aloisio, bassist Marc Morello, and drummer Jon Gusman. Imagine the middle ground between The Sword and Pallbearer, and you’re close. This time, the compositions have been trimmed and streamlined compared to 2021’s Blood of the Old Gods, resulting in sharper and more immediate songs. Thankfully, the shit-hot leadwork and concrete-splitting riffage remain. Ditto for the burly yet agile rhythm section and Aloiso’s soaring, neurotic wail. Afterimage is crushingly heavy and strikingly melodic and deeply satisfying—which is to say, really fuckin’ good.--Steve Lampiris
...
Dopelord -- Songs for Satan | Blues Funeral Recordings | Stoner + Doom Metal | Poland Here's a quick litmus test for something being Truly Dank Doom Metal: does it have a song later in the album referencing an earlier one? See: "Night of the Witch" / "Return to the Night of the Witch". And yes, Dopelord is certainly TDDM, an acronym for a term I'll never use again, fusing mind-numbingly plodding riffs with echoing, mystical vocals -- and where lesser bands play those cards to middling results, there's a secret sorcery to the way that Dopelord does it that always hits home. It's a less-is-more philosophy, I think: behind the huge guitar tones and sonic battery lies smart songwriting and an ear for catchy, minimalist melody.--Ted Nubel
...
Spider God -- Blackened: Pink | Independent | Black Metal | United Kingdom Spider God's willingness to engage with pop has been nothing but fruitful, arming him with the punchiness, immediacy, and hooks that could climb up the charts. Blackened: Pink isn't that much of a surprise then. It's the first in Spider God's series of female pop covers. While the tracklist isn't that impressive aside from Ariana Grande's "Problem," it's another piece of evidence that pop with a black metal palette, when performed like this, works much better than it theoretically should.--Colin Dempsey
...
Auriferous Flame -- Ardor For Black Mastery | Independent | Black Metal | Greece Ayloss of Spectral Lore and Mystras fame has fashioned Auriferous Flame into his primal black metal side project, and it's glorious. His latest album Ardor For Black Mastery is a beautiful send-up to black metal's musical identity. It hones in on the toothy riffs, blast beats, and repugnant attitude that's characterized the best black metal--from Venom to Bathory to Darkthrone--for four decades.--Colin Dempsey
...
Sühnopfer -- Nous sommes d'Hier | Debemur Morti Productions | Black Metal | France Nerdy, medieval, and French are three qualities that distinguish any black metal album as being worthwhile. Sühnopfer's fourth album Nous sommes d'Hier possess each of them in boundless quantities. It's not just sword-and-sorcery worship at play; choral arrangements and references to composers like Charpentier and Cherubini set a regal scene while sole bandmember Ardraos delivers over-the-top guitar lines, embellishing the already-rich compositions.--Colin Dempsey
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Capra -- Errors | Metal Blade Records | Metallic Hardcore | United States (Louisiana) The latest from Capra takes their chaos and reigns it in a bit, creating something that is still heavy as hell, but brings in more nuanced elements. Definitely a great next step for the band.--Addison Herron-Wheeler
...
The Keening -- Little Bird | Relapse Records | Dark Folk | United States (Utah) The debut solo album from Rebecca Vernon of Subrosa fame is as beautiful and strange as her previous band, and also a bit more personal. This is a record for issuing in the fall.--Addison Herron-Wheeler
...
Heavy Load -- Riders of the Ancient Storm | No Remorse Records | Heavy + Power Metal | Sweden Who doesn't love a comeback album after 40 years? Let's all try not to think about how 1983 was 40 years ago, though. After dropping a few seminal albums in the early 1980s, Heavy Load was seemingly a done deal, but they've returned in fairly classic form on Riders of the Ancient Storm. New single "Ride the Night" feels a lot more like classic 1980s metal than most revival bands can pull of, and certainly more 'true' than we can hope for from a reunion after so long. It's not fully available to stream yet, and vinyl is delayed, but nevertheless you can buy it over at No Remorse!--Ted Nubel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxH-628cHsU&ab_channel=HeavyLoad-Sweden...
Scrollkeeper -- Wetiko | Golden Core Records | Heavy Metal | United States (Houston, TX) Sinewy, aggressive riffs propel Scrollkeeper's latest album forward. Packed with evident bitterness and menace, it's retro heavy metal but with a cynical edge for some extra weight behind the swing of the blade.--Ted Nubel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz10YKk4GnI&ab_channel=zyxpoprock...
Crow Black Sky -- Sidereal Light - Volume Two | Independent | Atmospheric Black Metal | South Africa Cosmic' in the sense of being all-encompassing, the second volume of Crow Black Sky's epic Sidereal Light saga instills wonder from the very first moment that never goes away. Massive, world-shifting melodies blaze in the galactic storms the South African band conjures up.--Ted Nubel
...
New Releases 10/8-10/14
Body Void -- Atrocity Machine | Prosthetic Records | Sludge + Drone + Doom Metal | United States In case you were getting a little too complacent maintaining a stable balance between internal thought and external stimuli, Body Void's new record uses scream-punctuating droning sludge as a vector to upset that balance. It's haunting and invasive, and yet the scouring incursion is cathartic in its own way. We've got more on this one coming later this week!--Ted Nubel
...
Furia -- Huta Luna | Pagan Records | Experimental + Black Metal | Poland From Spencer Grady's full album premiere:Silesian scene veterans Furia mark their return with the release of Huta Luna, a typically enigmatic offering, liberated from the self-imposed limitations affecting more orthodox metal projects. Indeed, vocalist/guitarist Nihil, now shuns the ‘metal’ tag completely, seeing Furia instead as “an outgrowth of the genre, only using the tools of metal to an extent."https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFSZvza0inc&ab_channel=PaganRecords
...
Laster -- Andermans Mijne | Prophecy Productions | Black Metal + Avant-Garde Metal | Netherlands--Cheryl Carter
...
Catafalque -- Dybbuk | Aural Music | Drone Metal + Doom Metal + Noise | United Kingdom Catafalque make music that you may rarely listen to, if only because it suits an often-underreported mood. Scarcely throughout our lives do we feel so dismal that the UK band's scathing and pessimistic drone metal is fitting, but when those moments occur, you'll be lucky to have Dybbuk by your side.--Colin Dempsey
...
Félonie -- De Sève et de Sang | Aural Music | Black Metal | Switzerland The Swiss Alps hold an average customer review score of 4.7 out of 5 stars on Google Reviews, with visitors praising the breathtaking views and amazing scenery. That's not the interpretation Félonie delivers on De Sève et de Sang about his homeland. The one-man black metal artist's dedication to his country's mythology is a gritty and chunky offering filled with morbid tales and quaint dungeon synth. It's far away from the typical atmospheric metal you'd expect from such an album.--Colin Dempsey
...
Fortíð -- Narkissos | Lupus Lounge | Black Metal + Heavy Metal + Viking Metal | Iceland Fortíð's seventh full-length record Narkissos moves with the type of confidence one can only obtain from a 20-year legacy. It plays without a care for style or tonal consistency, instead being tied together by Fortíð's identity. The result is an epic (occasionally, only subtlely, while sometimes very much so) album that oscillates between varying degrees of Viking reverence.--Colin Dempsey
...
Slidhr -- White Hart! | Debemur Morti Productions | Black Metal | Iceland Originally from Ireland and now based in Iceland, Slidhr take on many aspects of their current scene in order to propel their dynamic black metal forward. Slithering masses of guitar wrap around a vocal performance that is as powerful as it is varied, with Joseph Deegan's voice operating in the depths throughout. White Hart! is a fascinating look at the heart of darkness.--Cheryl Carter
...
Arabrot -- Of Darkness and Light | Pelagic Records | Noise Rock | Norway The latest from these folk, rock, whatever weirdos is nothing short of uplifting—in the true religious music sense. Much like a solid hymn, the catchiness and authenticity of these songs will move you and make you want to listen again and again.--Addison Herron-Wheeler
...
The Answer Lies In The Black Void -- Thou Shalt | Burning World Records | Doom Metal | International Comprised of Martina Horváth (Thy Catafalque) and Jason Köhnen (Celestial Season / ex-The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble), The Answer Lies In The Black Void play slow-burning, emotionally-taxing, and, occasionally, beautiful doom metal. The third aspect is all Horváth's doing, as she commands the tracks with her nigh-holy vocals. Compositionally, The Answer Lies In The Black Void aren't heavy in the traditional sense, but this works to their benefit. Their songs contain plenty of blank space and breathing room, granting Horváth the necessary freedom to flex her chops.--Colin Dempsey
...
Morag Tong -- Grieve | Majestic Mountain Records | Stoner + Doom Metal | United Kingdom From Ted Nubel's track premiere of "At First Light":Although their songs are monumental, they’re built from the ground up from engaging melodies and carefully plotted escalation. On their new album Grieve, the band funnels their toke-worthy riffs into vast, striking scenery that paints their sonic dominance into a picturesque landscape.
...
Stygian Ruin -- A World Past Hope and Fear | Independent | Black Metal + Ambient | Norway Stygian Ruin paints extremely vivid portraits with a theoretically limited palette: black metal and ambient music. Each album conjures up wild thoughts of fantastical alien worlds, and this latest one is maybe their darkest and richest yet.--Ted Nubel
...
Torture Chain -- The Reign of Deimos | Hospital Productions | Black Metal | United States Torture Chain is the one-man black metal project of Brendan Radigan (Pagan Altar, Sumerlands, etc., etc.). It's been four years since the last record, but honestly that's impressively fast given everything else he's been doing. Not necessarily old-school but neither a modern, sharpened production, this new record explores twisting corridors of whirling guitar leads with gleeful recklessness and a slight hint of scorn. There's some haughty, imperious riffs here that pair nicely with Radigan's refined snarl-growls.--Ted Nubel
...
Krieg -- Ruiner | Profound Lore Records | Black Metal | United States (New Jersey) Rejoice! The mighty Krieg is back, and their frontman Neill Jameson hasn't written for us in just long enough that I can write about this release without feeling like it's a conflict of interest. Ruiner is a record built from the bones up on sounding killer, particular scene sound-alikes and band name-drop comparisons be damned. The drums rip (that snare!), guitars and bass lock into abrasive harmony, and Jameson's vocals ride atop them into furious battle. I'm positive some of IO's writers could put this in more intelligent terms (but they're not pulling together a two-week special edition of UMR past midnight, are they?!), but simply put, when I think about what I want to hear from black metal, that's what Krieg delivers on Ruiner.--Ted Nubel
...
Sadistic Force -- Midnight Assassin | Goat Throne Records | Black Metal + Speed Metal | United States (Texas) You can practically smell the vibes on Sadistic Force's second album from the cover alone. It's grimy and low-rent, much like their scorching speed metal, with a tight focus on violence. There's no blubber on Midnight Assassin--only riffs so lean you can see their veins.--Colin Dempsey
...
Upcoming Metal Releases: 10/1/2023-10/14/2023
New Releases 10/1-10/7
Carnifex -- Necromanteum | Nuclear Blast | Deathcore | United States (California) Ninth record from the deathcore misanthropes. Here, the San Diego quintet bake into their sound the atmospheric and symphonic experimentation of their last three records, probably because all the kool deathcore kidz are doin’ it now. Thankfully, Carnifex are smart enough to splice groove metal riffage into their songs to at least try sounding a bit different—perhaps thanks to former DevilDriver guitarist Neal Tiemann joining officially. Fear not, though, longtime fans: the majestically spastic leads are still here, as are the br00tal breakdownz. (In fact, “Crowned in Everblack” and “Bleed More” break down so much, they have clean guitar.) It’s likely Carnifex won’t ever really change or evolve. Indeed, the ain’t-broke mentality has worked for Black Dahlia for two decades, so why not. In other words: deathcore gonna deathcore.--Steve Lampiris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsqNooo-2UU...
Restless Spirit -- Afterimage | Magnetic Eye Records | Doom Metal + Heavy Metal | United States (New York) Third and best album from the Long Island stoner/doom trio composed of vocalist and guitarist Paul Aloisio, bassist Marc Morello, and drummer Jon Gusman. Imagine the middle ground between The Sword and Pallbearer, and you’re close. This time, the compositions have been trimmed and streamlined compared to 2021’s Blood of the Old Gods, resulting in sharper and more immediate songs. Thankfully, the shit-hot leadwork and concrete-splitting riffage remain. Ditto for the burly yet agile rhythm section and Aloiso’s soaring, neurotic wail. Afterimage is crushingly heavy and strikingly melodic and deeply satisfying—which is to say, really fuckin’ good.--Steve Lampiris
...
Dopelord -- Songs for Satan | Blues Funeral Recordings | Stoner + Doom Metal | Poland Here's a quick litmus test for something being Truly Dank Doom Metal: does it have a song later in the album referencing an earlier one? See: "Night of the Witch" / "Return to the Night of the Witch". And yes, Dopelord is certainly TDDM, an acronym for a term I'll never use again, fusing mind-numbingly plodding riffs with echoing, mystical vocals -- and where lesser bands play those cards to middling results, there's a secret sorcery to the way that Dopelord does it that always hits home. It's a less-is-more philosophy, I think: behind the huge guitar tones and sonic battery lies smart songwriting and an ear for catchy, minimalist melody.--Ted Nubel
...
Spider God -- Blackened: Pink | Independent | Black Metal | United Kingdom Spider God's willingness to engage with pop has been nothing but fruitful, arming him with the punchiness, immediacy, and hooks that could climb up the charts. Blackened: Pink isn't that much of a surprise then. It's the first in Spider God's series of female pop covers. While the tracklist isn't that impressive aside from Ariana Grande's "Problem," it's another piece of evidence that pop with a black metal palette, when performed like this, works much better than it theoretically should.--Colin Dempsey
...
Auriferous Flame -- Ardor For Black Mastery | Independent | Black Metal | Greece Ayloss of Spectral Lore and Mystras fame has fashioned Auriferous Flame into his primal black metal side project, and it's glorious. His latest album Ardor For Black Mastery is a beautiful send-up to black metal's musical identity. It hones in on the toothy riffs, blast beats, and repugnant attitude that's characterized the best black metal--from Venom to Bathory to Darkthrone--for four decades.--Colin Dempsey
...
Sühnopfer -- Nous sommes d'Hier | Debemur Morti Productions | Black Metal | France Nerdy, medieval, and French are three qualities that distinguish any black metal album as being worthwhile. Sühnopfer's fourth album Nous sommes d'Hier possess each of them in boundless quantities. It's not just sword-and-sorcery worship at play; choral arrangements and references to composers like Charpentier and Cherubini set a regal scene while sole bandmember Ardraos delivers over-the-top guitar lines, embellishing the already-rich compositions.--Colin Dempsey
...
Capra -- Errors | Metal Blade Records | Metallic Hardcore | United States (Louisiana) The latest from Capra takes their chaos and reigns it in a bit, creating something that is still heavy as hell, but brings in more nuanced elements. Definitely a great next step for the band.--Addison Herron-Wheeler
...
The Keening -- Little Bird | Relapse Records | Dark Folk | United States (Utah) The debut solo album from Rebecca Vernon of Subrosa fame is as beautiful and strange as her previous band, and also a bit more personal. This is a record for issuing in the fall.--Addison Herron-Wheeler
...
Heavy Load -- Riders of the Ancient Storm | No Remorse Records | Heavy + Power Metal | Sweden Who doesn't love a comeback album after 40 years? Let's all try not to think about how 1983 was 40 years ago, though. After dropping a few seminal albums in the early 1980s, Heavy Load was seemingly a done deal, but they've returned in fairly classic form on Riders of the Ancient Storm. New single "Ride the Night" feels a lot more like classic 1980s metal than most revival bands can pull of, and certainly more 'true' than we can hope for from a reunion after so long. It's not fully available to stream yet, and vinyl is delayed, but nevertheless you can buy it over at No Remorse!--Ted Nubel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxH-628cHsU&ab_channel=HeavyLoad-Sweden...
Scrollkeeper -- Wetiko | Golden Core Records | Heavy Metal | United States (Houston, TX) Sinewy, aggressive riffs propel Scrollkeeper's latest album forward. Packed with evident bitterness and menace, it's retro heavy metal but with a cynical edge for some extra weight behind the swing of the blade.--Ted Nubel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz10YKk4GnI&ab_channel=zyxpoprock...
Crow Black Sky -- Sidereal Light - Volume Two | Independent | Atmospheric Black Metal | South Africa Cosmic' in the sense of being all-encompassing, the second volume of Crow Black Sky's epic Sidereal Light saga instills wonder from the very first moment that never goes away. Massive, world-shifting melodies blaze in the galactic storms the South African band conjures up.--Ted Nubel
...
New Releases 10/8-10/14
Body Void -- Atrocity Machine | Prosthetic Records | Sludge + Drone + Doom Metal | United States In case you were getting a little too complacent maintaining a stable balance between internal thought and external stimuli, Body Void's new record uses scream-punctuating droning sludge as a vector to upset that balance. It's haunting and invasive, and yet the scouring incursion is cathartic in its own way. We've got more on this one coming later this week!--Ted Nubel
...
Furia -- Huta Luna | Pagan Records | Experimental + Black Metal | Poland From Spencer Grady's full album premiere:Silesian scene veterans Furia mark their return with the release of Huta Luna, a typically enigmatic offering, liberated from the self-imposed limitations affecting more orthodox metal projects. Indeed, vocalist/guitarist Nihil, now shuns the ‘metal’ tag completely, seeing Furia instead as “an outgrowth of the genre, only using the tools of metal to an extent."https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFSZvza0inc&ab_channel=PaganRecords
...
Laster -- Andermans Mijne | Prophecy Productions | Black Metal + Avant-Garde Metal | Netherlands--Cheryl Carter
...
Catafalque -- Dybbuk | Aural Music | Drone Metal + Doom Metal + Noise | United Kingdom Catafalque make music that you may rarely listen to, if only because it suits an often-underreported mood. Scarcely throughout our lives do we feel so dismal that the UK band's scathing and pessimistic drone metal is fitting, but when those moments occur, you'll be lucky to have Dybbuk by your side.--Colin Dempsey
...
Félonie -- De Sève et de Sang | Aural Music | Black Metal | Switzerland The Swiss Alps hold an average customer review score of 4.7 out of 5 stars on Google Reviews, with visitors praising the breathtaking views and amazing scenery. That's not the interpretation Félonie delivers on De Sève et de Sang about his homeland. The one-man black metal artist's dedication to his country's mythology is a gritty and chunky offering filled with morbid tales and quaint dungeon synth. It's far away from the typical atmospheric metal you'd expect from such an album.--Colin Dempsey
...
Fortíð -- Narkissos | Lupus Lounge | Black Metal + Heavy Metal + Viking Metal | Iceland Fortíð's seventh full-length record Narkissos moves with the type of confidence one can only obtain from a 20-year legacy. It plays without a care for style or tonal consistency, instead being tied together by Fortíð's identity. The result is an epic (occasionally, only subtlely, while sometimes very much so) album that oscillates between varying degrees of Viking reverence.--Colin Dempsey
...
Slidhr -- White Hart! | Debemur Morti Productions | Black Metal | Iceland Originally from Ireland and now based in Iceland, Slidhr take on many aspects of their current scene in order to propel their dynamic black metal forward. Slithering masses of guitar wrap around a vocal performance that is as powerful as it is varied, with Joseph Deegan's voice operating in the depths throughout. White Hart! is a fascinating look at the heart of darkness.--Cheryl Carter
...
Arabrot -- Of Darkness and Light | Pelagic Records | Noise Rock | Norway The latest from these folk, rock, whatever weirdos is nothing short of uplifting—in the true religious music sense. Much like a solid hymn, the catchiness and authenticity of these songs will move you and make you want to listen again and again.--Addison Herron-Wheeler
...
The Answer Lies In The Black Void -- Thou Shalt | Burning World Records | Doom Metal | International Comprised of Martina Horváth (Thy Catafalque) and Jason Köhnen (Celestial Season / ex-The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble), The Answer Lies In The Black Void play slow-burning, emotionally-taxing, and, occasionally, beautiful doom metal. The third aspect is all Horváth's doing, as she commands the tracks with her nigh-holy vocals. Compositionally, The Answer Lies In The Black Void aren't heavy in the traditional sense, but this works to their benefit. Their songs contain plenty of blank space and breathing room, granting Horváth the necessary freedom to flex her chops.--Colin Dempsey
...
Morag Tong -- Grieve | Majestic Mountain Records | Stoner + Doom Metal | United Kingdom From Ted Nubel's track premiere of "At First Light":Although their songs are monumental, they’re built from the ground up from engaging melodies and carefully plotted escalation. On their new album Grieve, the band funnels their toke-worthy riffs into vast, striking scenery that paints their sonic dominance into a picturesque landscape.
...
Stygian Ruin -- A World Past Hope and Fear | Independent | Black Metal + Ambient | Norway Stygian Ruin paints extremely vivid portraits with a theoretically limited palette: black metal and ambient music. Each album conjures up wild thoughts of fantastical alien worlds, and this latest one is maybe their darkest and richest yet.--Ted Nubel
...
Torture Chain -- The Reign of Deimos | Hospital Productions | Black Metal | United States Torture Chain is the one-man black metal project of Brendan Radigan (Pagan Altar, Sumerlands, etc., etc.). It's been four years since the last record, but honestly that's impressively fast given everything else he's been doing. Not necessarily old-school but neither a modern, sharpened production, this new record explores twisting corridors of whirling guitar leads with gleeful recklessness and a slight hint of scorn. There's some haughty, imperious riffs here that pair nicely with Radigan's refined snarl-growls.--Ted Nubel
...
Krieg -- Ruiner | Profound Lore Records | Black Metal | United States (New Jersey) Rejoice! The mighty Krieg is back, and their frontman Neill Jameson hasn't written for us in just long enough that I can write about this release without feeling like it's a conflict of interest. Ruiner is a record built from the bones up on sounding killer, particular scene sound-alikes and band name-drop comparisons be damned. The drums rip (that snare!), guitars and bass lock into abrasive harmony, and Jameson's vocals ride atop them into furious battle. I'm positive some of IO's writers could put this in more intelligent terms (but they're not pulling together a two-week special edition of UMR past midnight, are they?!), but simply put, when I think about what I want to hear from black metal, that's what Krieg delivers on Ruiner.--Ted Nubel
...
Sadistic Force -- Midnight Assassin | Goat Throne Records | Black Metal + Speed Metal | United States (Texas) You can practically smell the vibes on Sadistic Force's second album from the cover alone. It's grimy and low-rent, much like their scorching speed metal, with a tight focus on violence. There's no blubber on Midnight Assassin--only riffs so lean you can see their veins.--Colin Dempsey
...
Upcoming Metal Releases: 10/1/2023-10/14/2023
New Releases 10/1-10/7
Carnifex -- Necromanteum | Nuclear Blast | Deathcore | United States (California) Ninth record from the deathcore misanthropes. Here, the San Diego quintet bake into their sound the atmospheric and symphonic experimentation of their last three records, probably because all the kool deathcore kidz are doin’ it now. Thankfully, Carnifex are smart enough to splice groove metal riffage into their songs to at least try sounding a bit different—perhaps thanks to former DevilDriver guitarist Neal Tiemann joining officially. Fear not, though, longtime fans: the majestically spastic leads are still here, as are the br00tal breakdownz. (In fact, “Crowned in Everblack” and “Bleed More” break down so much, they have clean guitar.) It’s likely Carnifex won’t ever really change or evolve. Indeed, the ain’t-broke mentality has worked for Black Dahlia for two decades, so why not. In other words: deathcore gonna deathcore.--Steve Lampiris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsqNooo-2UU...
Restless Spirit -- Afterimage | Magnetic Eye Records | Doom Metal + Heavy Metal | United States (New York) Third and best album from the Long Island stoner/doom trio composed of vocalist and guitarist Paul Aloisio, bassist Marc Morello, and drummer Jon Gusman. Imagine the middle ground between The Sword and Pallbearer, and you’re close. This time, the compositions have been trimmed and streamlined compared to 2021’s Blood of the Old Gods, resulting in sharper and more immediate songs. Thankfully, the shit-hot leadwork and concrete-splitting riffage remain. Ditto for the burly yet agile rhythm section and Aloiso’s soaring, neurotic wail. Afterimage is crushingly heavy and strikingly melodic and deeply satisfying—which is to say, really fuckin’ good.--Steve Lampiris
...
Dopelord -- Songs for Satan | Blues Funeral Recordings | Stoner + Doom Metal | Poland Here's a quick litmus test for something being Truly Dank Doom Metal: does it have a song later in the album referencing an earlier one? See: "Night of the Witch" / "Return to the Night of the Witch". And yes, Dopelord is certainly TDDM, an acronym for a term I'll never use again, fusing mind-numbingly plodding riffs with echoing, mystical vocals -- and where lesser bands play those cards to middling results, there's a secret sorcery to the way that Dopelord does it that always hits home. It's a less-is-more philosophy, I think: behind the huge guitar tones and sonic battery lies smart songwriting and an ear for catchy, minimalist melody.--Ted Nubel
...
Spider God -- Blackened: Pink | Independent | Black Metal | United Kingdom Spider God's willingness to engage with pop has been nothing but fruitful, arming him with the punchiness, immediacy, and hooks that could climb up the charts. Blackened: Pink isn't that much of a surprise then. It's the first in Spider God's series of female pop covers. While the tracklist isn't that impressive aside from Ariana Grande's "Problem," it's another piece of evidence that pop with a black metal palette, when performed like this, works much better than it theoretically should.--Colin Dempsey
...
Auriferous Flame -- Ardor For Black Mastery | Independent | Black Metal | Greece Ayloss of Spectral Lore and Mystras fame has fashioned Auriferous Flame into his primal black metal side project, and it's glorious. His latest album Ardor For Black Mastery is a beautiful send-up to black metal's musical identity. It hones in on the toothy riffs, blast beats, and repugnant attitude that's characterized the best black metal--from Venom to Bathory to Darkthrone--for four decades.--Colin Dempsey
...
Sühnopfer -- Nous sommes d'Hier | Debemur Morti Productions | Black Metal | France Nerdy, medieval, and French are three qualities that distinguish any black metal album as being worthwhile. Sühnopfer's fourth album Nous sommes d'Hier possess each of them in boundless quantities. It's not just sword-and-sorcery worship at play; choral arrangements and references to composers like Charpentier and Cherubini set a regal scene while sole bandmember Ardraos delivers over-the-top guitar lines, embellishing the already-rich compositions.--Colin Dempsey
...
Capra -- Errors | Metal Blade Records | Metallic Hardcore | United States (Louisiana) The latest from Capra takes their chaos and reigns it in a bit, creating something that is still heavy as hell, but brings in more nuanced elements. Definitely a great next step for the band.--Addison Herron-Wheeler
...
The Keening -- Little Bird | Relapse Records | Dark Folk | United States (Utah) The debut solo album from Rebecca Vernon of Subrosa fame is as beautiful and strange as her previous band, and also a bit more personal. This is a record for issuing in the fall.--Addison Herron-Wheeler
...
Heavy Load -- Riders of the Ancient Storm | No Remorse Records | Heavy + Power Metal | Sweden Who doesn't love a comeback album after 40 years? Let's all try not to think about how 1983 was 40 years ago, though. After dropping a few seminal albums in the early 1980s, Heavy Load was seemingly a done deal, but they've returned in fairly classic form on Riders of the Ancient Storm. New single "Ride the Night" feels a lot more like classic 1980s metal than most revival bands can pull of, and certainly more 'true' than we can hope for from a reunion after so long. It's not fully available to stream yet, and vinyl is delayed, but nevertheless you can buy it over at No Remorse!--Ted Nubel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxH-628cHsU&ab_channel=HeavyLoad-Sweden...
Scrollkeeper -- Wetiko | Golden Core Records | Heavy Metal | United States (Houston, TX) Sinewy, aggressive riffs propel Scrollkeeper's latest album forward. Packed with evident bitterness and menace, it's retro heavy metal but with a cynical edge for some extra weight behind the swing of the blade.--Ted Nubel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz10YKk4GnI&ab_channel=zyxpoprock...
Crow Black Sky -- Sidereal Light - Volume Two | Independent | Atmospheric Black Metal | South Africa Cosmic' in the sense of being all-encompassing, the second volume of Crow Black Sky's epic Sidereal Light saga instills wonder from the very first moment that never goes away. Massive, world-shifting melodies blaze in the galactic storms the South African band conjures up.--Ted Nubel
...
New Releases 10/8-10/14
Body Void -- Atrocity Machine | Prosthetic Records | Sludge + Drone + Doom Metal | United States In case you were getting a little too complacent maintaining a stable balance between internal thought and external stimuli, Body Void's new record uses scream-punctuating droning sludge as a vector to upset that balance. It's haunting and invasive, and yet the scouring incursion is cathartic in its own way. We've got more on this one coming later this week!--Ted Nubel
...
Furia -- Huta Luna | Pagan Records | Experimental + Black Metal | Poland From Spencer Grady's full album premiere:Silesian scene veterans Furia mark their return with the release of Huta Luna, a typically enigmatic offering, liberated from the self-imposed limitations affecting more orthodox metal projects. Indeed, vocalist/guitarist Nihil, now shuns the ‘metal’ tag completely, seeing Furia instead as “an outgrowth of the genre, only using the tools of metal to an extent."https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFSZvza0inc&ab_channel=PaganRecords
...
Laster -- Andermans Mijne | Prophecy Productions | Black Metal + Avant-Garde Metal | Netherlands--Cheryl Carter
...
Catafalque -- Dybbuk | Aural Music | Drone Metal + Doom Metal + Noise | United Kingdom Catafalque make music that you may rarely listen to, if only because it suits an often-underreported mood. Scarcely throughout our lives do we feel so dismal that the UK band's scathing and pessimistic drone metal is fitting, but when those moments occur, you'll be lucky to have Dybbuk by your side.--Colin Dempsey
...
Félonie -- De Sève et de Sang | Aural Music | Black Metal | Switzerland The Swiss Alps hold an average customer review score of 4.7 out of 5 stars on Google Reviews, with visitors praising the breathtaking views and amazing scenery. That's not the interpretation Félonie delivers on De Sève et de Sang about his homeland. The one-man black metal artist's dedication to his country's mythology is a gritty and chunky offering filled with morbid tales and quaint dungeon synth. It's far away from the typical atmospheric metal you'd expect from such an album.--Colin Dempsey
...
Fortíð -- Narkissos | Lupus Lounge | Black Metal + Heavy Metal + Viking Metal | Iceland Fortíð's seventh full-length record Narkissos moves with the type of confidence one can only obtain from a 20-year legacy. It plays without a care for style or tonal consistency, instead being tied together by Fortíð's identity. The result is an epic (occasionally, only subtlely, while sometimes very much so) album that oscillates between varying degrees of Viking reverence.--Colin Dempsey
...
Slidhr -- White Hart! | Debemur Morti Productions | Black Metal | Iceland Originally from Ireland and now based in Iceland, Slidhr take on many aspects of their current scene in order to propel their dynamic black metal forward. Slithering masses of guitar wrap around a vocal performance that is as powerful as it is varied, with Joseph Deegan's voice operating in the depths throughout. White Hart! is a fascinating look at the heart of darkness.--Cheryl Carter
...
Arabrot -- Of Darkness and Light | Pelagic Records | Noise Rock | Norway The latest from these folk, rock, whatever weirdos is nothing short of uplifting—in the true religious music sense. Much like a solid hymn, the catchiness and authenticity of these songs will move you and make you want to listen again and again.--Addison Herron-Wheeler
...
The Answer Lies In The Black Void -- Thou Shalt | Burning World Records | Doom Metal | International Comprised of Martina Horváth (Thy Catafalque) and Jason Köhnen (Celestial Season / ex-The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble), The Answer Lies In The Black Void play slow-burning, emotionally-taxing, and, occasionally, beautiful doom metal. The third aspect is all Horváth's doing, as she commands the tracks with her nigh-holy vocals. Compositionally, The Answer Lies In The Black Void aren't heavy in the traditional sense, but this works to their benefit. Their songs contain plenty of blank space and breathing room, granting Horváth the necessary freedom to flex her chops.--Colin Dempsey
...
Morag Tong -- Grieve | Majestic Mountain Records | Stoner + Doom Metal | United Kingdom From Ted Nubel's track premiere of "At First Light":Although their songs are monumental, they’re built from the ground up from engaging melodies and carefully plotted escalation. On their new album Grieve, the band funnels their toke-worthy riffs into vast, striking scenery that paints their sonic dominance into a picturesque landscape.
...
Stygian Ruin -- A World Past Hope and Fear | Independent | Black Metal + Ambient | Norway Stygian Ruin paints extremely vivid portraits with a theoretically limited palette: black metal and ambient music. Each album conjures up wild thoughts of fantastical alien worlds, and this latest one is maybe their darkest and richest yet.--Ted Nubel
...
Torture Chain -- The Reign of Deimos | Hospital Productions | Black Metal | United States Torture Chain is the one-man black metal project of Brendan Radigan (Pagan Altar, Sumerlands, etc., etc.). It's been four years since the last record, but honestly that's impressively fast given everything else he's been doing. Not necessarily old-school but neither a modern, sharpened production, this new record explores twisting corridors of whirling guitar leads with gleeful recklessness and a slight hint of scorn. There's some haughty, imperious riffs here that pair nicely with Radigan's refined snarl-growls.--Ted Nubel
...
Krieg -- Ruiner | Profound Lore Records | Black Metal | United States (New Jersey) Rejoice! The mighty Krieg is back, and their frontman Neill Jameson hasn't written for us in just long enough that I can write about this release without feeling like it's a conflict of interest. Ruiner is a record built from the bones up on sounding killer, particular scene sound-alikes and band name-drop comparisons be damned. The drums rip (that snare!), guitars and bass lock into abrasive harmony, and Jameson's vocals ride atop them into furious battle. I'm positive some of IO's writers could put this in more intelligent terms (but they're not pulling together a two-week special edition of UMR past midnight, are they?!), but simply put, when I think about what I want to hear from black metal, that's what Krieg delivers on Ruiner.--Ted Nubel
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Sadistic Force -- Midnight Assassin | Goat Throne Records | Black Metal + Speed Metal | United States (Texas) You can practically smell the vibes on Sadistic Force's second album from the cover alone. It's grimy and low-rent, much like their scorching speed metal, with a tight focus on violence. There's no blubber on Midnight Assassin--only riffs so lean you can see their veins.--Colin Dempsey
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For those sick of grind (you came to the wrong fest, buddy) Anciients served as counter programing. The Canadian prog metal group build their songs patiently, finding a collection of riffs and grooves and sticking with them for extended periods of time, gradually wringing out every variation they can before moving on. The boomy sound on the Neumos main stage worked great for their most triumphant moments, but many of the details of the guitar work got lost in the shuffle. No great loss however, as this only highlighted the deft playing of their drummer, Mike Hannay.
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Furia Eclipse Black Metal on “Huta Luna” (Interview + Early Album Stream)
Blooded in the same ferment of intrepid Polish extremism that spawned Gruzja, Licho, and Odraza, Silesian scene veterans Furia mark their return with the release of Huta Luna, a typically enigmatic offering, liberated from the self-imposed limitations affecting more orthodox metal projects. Indeed, vocalist/guitarist Nihil, now shuns the ‘metal’ tag completely, seeing Furia instead as “an outgrowth of the genre, only using the tools of metal to an extent."
Such a statement might seem misleading when initially confronted with the pugnacious salvoes frontloading the album (which you can stream here early ahead of its Tuesday release), a series of coruscating whiplash instigators screaming pure metal vengeance and brokering a swift about-turn from the abstract melodramas of 2021’s W śnialni.
…
…
Yet while on the surface rage-fuelled maelstroms such as "Zamawianie trzecie" and "Wracaj" throwback to the band’s more prosaic black metal beginnings, they also cede several seditious folk-indebted elements running concurrent with Furia’s idiosyncratic evolution: rippling, trebly guitar lines resemble a turbo-charged balalaika on ‘Swawola niewola’, conjuring a subterranean flux harvested from the melodic echoes of traditional Polish country-song, while the string-mauling spaghetti-western twangs of "Na koń!" subvert that bludgeoning volley’s rampant mantra.
Individual tracks begin to congeal into a homogenous surge, incubating an ever-dilating micro-climate which Nihil identifies as a “special form of ambient music,” forging a strident full-throttle counterpart to Huta Luna’s jaw-dropping endgame.
For more than 30 minutes, "Księżyc, czyli Słonce" represents the apogee, thus far, of Furia’s mission to “create a space through sets of sounds and noises, rather than music itself, for analysing experiences, feelings and thoughts.” Between them Nihil, A, Sars and Namtar annex a dread nether-zone populated by pernicious shadow demons and whispered Delphian conspiracies, a Borgesian alternate unreality where Nurse With Wound and Flying Saucer Attack hook-up for a soundtrack to a bizarro Parajanov ritual – pregnant with phantasmal drones, delay-scrambled distress signals, disembodied voices and atrophying gongs – giving the psyche free rein, providing potent catalysts for intravenous mood conduction.
But as for the track’s exact meaning, Nihil remains characteristically reticent: “I don’t want to reveal too much,” he explains. "That would strip our work of all the elements which are intentionally not made explicit. It would destroy it.”
-Spencer Grady
…
Huta Luna releases October 10th via Pagan Records.
Furia Eclipse Black Metal on “Huta Luna” (Interview + Early Album Stream)
Blooded in the same ferment of intrepid Polish extremism that spawned Gruzja, Licho, and Odraza, Silesian scene veterans Furia mark their return with the release of Huta Luna, a typically enigmatic offering, liberated from the self-imposed limitations affecting more orthodox metal projects. Indeed, vocalist/guitarist Nihil, now shuns the ‘metal’ tag completely, seeing Furia instead as “an outgrowth of the genre, only using the tools of metal to an extent." You can stream the album here early ahead of its Tuesday release.
…
…
Such a statement might seem misleading when initially confronted with the pugnacious salvoes frontloading the album, a series of coruscating whiplash instigators screaming pure metal vengeance and brokering a swift about-turn from the abstract melodramas of 2021’s W śnialni.
Yet while on the surface rage-fuelled maelstroms such as "Zamawianie trzecie" and "Wracaj" throwback to the band’s more prosaic black metal beginnings, they also cede several seditious folk-indebted elements running concurrent with Furia’s idiosyncratic evolution: rippling, trebly guitar lines resemble a turbo-charged balalaika on ‘Swawola niewola’, conjuring a subterranean flux harvested from the melodic echoes of traditional Polish country-song, while the string-mauling spaghetti-western twangs of "Na koń!" subvert that bludgeoning volley’s rampant mantra.
Individual tracks begin to congeal into a homogenous surge, incubating an ever-dilating micro-climate which Nihil identifies as a “special form of ambient music,” forging a strident full-throttle counterpart to Huta Luna’s jaw-dropping endgame.
For more than 30 minutes, "Księżyc, czyli Słonce" represents the apogee, thus far, of Furia’s mission to “create a space through sets of sounds and noises, rather than music itself, for analysing experiences, feelings and thoughts.” Between them Nihil, A, Sars and Namtar annex a dread nether-zone populated by pernicious shadow demons and whispered Delphian conspiracies, a Borgesian alternate unreality where Nurse With Wound and Flying Saucer Attack hook-up for a soundtrack to a bizarro Parajanov ritual – pregnant with phantasmal drones, delay-scrambled distress signals, disembodied voices and atrophying gongs – giving the psyche free rein, providing potent catalysts for intravenous mood conduction.
But as for the track’s exact meaning, Nihil remains characteristically reticent: “I don’t want to reveal too much,” he explains. "That would strip our work of all the elements which are intentionally not made explicit. It would destroy it.”
-Spencer Grady
…
Huta Luna releases October 10th via Pagan Records.
Furia Eclipse Black Metal on “Huta Luna” (Interview + Early Album Stream)
Blooded in the same ferment of intrepid Polish extremism that spawned Gruzja, Licho, and Odraza, Silesian scene veterans Furia mark their return with the release of Huta Luna, a typically enigmatic offering, liberated from the self-imposed limitations affecting more orthodox metal projects. Indeed, vocalist/guitarist Nihil, now shuns the ‘metal’ tag completely, seeing Furia instead as “an outgrowth of the genre, only using the tools of metal to an extent." You can stream the album here early ahead of its Tuesday release.
…
…
Such a statement might seem misleading when initially confronted with the pugnacious salvoes frontloading the album, a series of coruscating whiplash instigators screaming pure metal vengeance and brokering a swift about-turn from the abstract melodramas of 2021’s W śnialni.
Yet while on the surface rage-fuelled maelstroms such as "Zamawianie trzecie" and "Wracaj" throwback to the band’s more prosaic black metal beginnings, they also cede several seditious folk-indebted elements running concurrent with Furia’s idiosyncratic evolution: rippling, trebly guitar lines resemble a turbo-charged balalaika on ‘Swawola niewola’, conjuring a subterranean flux harvested from the melodic echoes of traditional Polish country-song, while the string-mauling spaghetti-western twangs of "Na koń!" subvert that bludgeoning volley’s rampant mantra.
Individual tracks begin to congeal into a homogenous surge, incubating an ever-dilating micro-climate which Nihil identifies as a “special form of ambient music,” forging a strident full-throttle counterpart to Huta Luna’s jaw-dropping endgame.
For more than 30 minutes, "Księżyc, czyli Słonce" represents the apogee, thus far, of Furia’s mission to “create a space through sets of sounds and noises, rather than music itself, for analysing experiences, feelings and thoughts.” Between them Nihil, A, Sars and Namtar annex a dread nether-zone populated by pernicious shadow demons and whispered Delphian conspiracies, a Borgesian alternate unreality where Nurse With Wound and Flying Saucer Attack hook-up for a soundtrack to a bizarro Parajanov ritual – pregnant with phantasmal drones, delay-scrambled distress signals, disembodied voices and atrophying gongs – giving the psyche free rein, providing potent catalysts for intravenous mood conduction.
But as for the track’s exact meaning, Nihil remains characteristically reticent: “I don’t want to reveal too much,” he explains. "That would strip our work of all the elements which are intentionally not made explicit. It would destroy it.”
-Spencer Grady
…
Huta Luna releases October 10th via Pagan Records.
Furia Huta Luna
Furia Eclipse Black Metal on “Huta Luna” (Interview + Early Album Stream)
Blooded in the same ferment of intrepid Polish extremism that spawned Gruzja, Licho, and Odraza, Silesian scene veterans Furia mark their return with the release of Huta Luna, a typically enigmatic offering, liberated from the self-imposed limitations affecting more orthodox metal projects. Indeed, vocalist/guitarist Nihil, now shuns the ‘metal’ tag completely, seeing Furia instead as “an outgrowth of the genre, only using the tools of metal to an extent." You can stream the album here early ahead of its Tuesday release.
…
…
Such a statement might seem misleading when initially confronted with the pugnacious salvoes frontloading the album, a series of coruscating whiplash instigators screaming pure metal vengeance and brokering a swift about-turn from the abstract melodramas of 2021’s W śnialni.
Yet while on the surface rage-fuelled maelstroms such as "Zamawianie trzecie" and "Wracaj" throwback to the band’s more prosaic black metal beginnings, they also cede several seditious folk-indebted elements running concurrent with Furia’s idiosyncratic evolution: rippling, trebly guitar lines resemble a turbo-charged balalaika on ‘Swawola niewola’, conjuring a subterranean flux harvested from the melodic echoes of traditional Polish country-song, while the string-mauling spaghetti-western twangs of "Na koń!" subvert that bludgeoning volley’s rampant mantra.
Individual tracks begin to congeal into a homogenous surge, incubating an ever-dilating micro-climate which Nihil identifies as a “special form of ambient music,” forging a strident full-throttle counterpart to Huta Luna’s jaw-dropping endgame.
For more than 30 minutes, "Księżyc, czyli Słonce" represents the apogee, thus far, of Furia’s mission to “create a space through sets of sounds and noises, rather than music itself, for analysing experiences, feelings and thoughts.” Between them Nihil, A, Sars and Namtar annex a dread nether-zone populated by pernicious shadow demons and whispered Delphian conspiracies, a Borgesian alternate unreality where Nurse With Wound and Flying Saucer Attack hook-up for a soundtrack to a bizarro Parajanov ritual – pregnant with phantasmal drones, delay-scrambled distress signals, disembodied voices and atrophying gongs – giving the psyche free rein, providing potent catalysts for intravenous mood conduction.
But as for the track’s exact meaning, Nihil remains characteristically reticent: “I don’t want to reveal too much,” he explains. "That would strip our work of all the elements which are intentionally not made explicit. It would destroy it.”
-Spencer Grady
…
Huta Luna releases October 10th via Pagan Records.
Furia Eclipse Black Metal on “Huta Luna” (Interview + Early Album Stream)
Blooded in the same ferment of intrepid Polish extremism that spawned Gruzja, Licho, and Odraza, Silesian scene veterans Furia mark their return with the release of Huta Luna, a typically enigmatic offering, liberated from the self-imposed limitations affecting more orthodox metal projects. Indeed, vocalist/guitarist Nihil, now shuns the ‘metal’ tag completely, seeing Furia instead as “an outgrowth of the genre, only using the tools of metal to an extent." You can stream the album here early ahead of its Tuesday release.
…
…
Such a statement might seem misleading when initially confronted with the pugnacious salvoes frontloading the album, a series of coruscating whiplash instigators screaming pure metal vengeance and brokering a swift about-turn from the abstract melodramas of 2021’s W śnialni.
Yet while on the surface rage-fuelled maelstroms such as "Zamawianie trzecie" and "Wracaj" throwback to the band’s more prosaic black metal beginnings, they also cede several seditious folk-indebted elements running concurrent with Furia’s idiosyncratic evolution: rippling, trebly guitar lines resemble a turbo-charged balalaika on ‘Swawola niewola’, conjuring a subterranean flux harvested from the melodic echoes of traditional Polish country-song, while the string-mauling spaghetti-western twangs of "Na koń!" subvert that bludgeoning volley’s rampant mantra.
Individual tracks begin to congeal into a homogenous surge, incubating an ever-dilating micro-climate which Nihil identifies as a “special form of ambient music,” forging a strident full-throttle counterpart to Huta Luna’s jaw-dropping endgame.
For more than 30 minutes, "Księżyc, czyli Słonce" represents the apogee, thus far, of Furia’s mission to “create a space through sets of sounds and noises, rather than music itself, for analysing experiences, feelings and thoughts.” Between them Nihil, A, Sars and Namtar annex a dread nether-zone populated by pernicious shadow demons and whispered Delphian conspiracies, a Borgesian alternate unreality where Nurse With Wound and Flying Saucer Attack hook-up for a soundtrack to a bizarro Parajanov ritual – pregnant with phantasmal drones, delay-scrambled distress signals, disembodied voices and atrophying gongs – giving the psyche free rein, providing potent catalysts for intravenous mood conduction.
But as for the track’s exact meaning, Nihil remains characteristically reticent: “I don’t want to reveal too much,” he explains. "That would strip our work of all the elements which are intentionally not made explicit. It would destroy it.”
-Spencer Grady
…
Huta Luna releases October 10th via Pagan Records.
Furia Eclipse Black Metal on “Huta Luna” (Interview + Early Album Stream)
Blooded in the same ferment of intrepid Polish extremism that spawned Gruzja, Licho, and Odraza, Silesian scene veterans Furia mark their return with the release of Huta Luna, a typically enigmatic offering, liberated from the self-imposed limitations affecting more orthodox metal projects. Indeed, vocalist/guitarist Nihil, now shuns the ‘metal’ tag completely, seeing Furia instead as “an outgrowth of the genre, only using the tools of metal to an extent."
Such a statement might seem misleading when initially confronted with the pugnacious salvoes frontloading the album (which you can stream here early ahead of its Tuesday release), a series of coruscating whiplash instigators screaming pure metal vengeance and brokering a swift about-turn from the abstract melodramas of 2021’s W śnialni.
…
…
Yet while on the surface rage-fuelled maelstroms such as "Zamawianie trzecie" and "Wracaj" throwback to the band’s more prosaic black metal beginnings, they also cede several seditious folk-indebted elements running concurrent with Furia’s idiosyncratic evolution: rippling, trebly guitar lines resemble a turbo-charged balalaika on ‘Swawola niewola’, conjuring a subterranean flux harvested from the melodic echoes of traditional Polish country-song, while the string-mauling spaghetti-western twangs of "Na koń!" subvert that bludgeoning volley’s rampant mantra.
Individual tracks begin to congeal into a homogenous surge, incubating an ever-dilating micro-climate which Nihil identifies as a “special form of ambient music,” forging a strident full-throttle counterpart to Huta Luna’s jaw-dropping endgame.
For more than 30 minutes, "Księżyc, czyli Słonce" represents the apogee, thus far, of Furia’s mission to “create a space through sets of sounds and noises, rather than music itself, for analysing experiences, feelings and thoughts.” Between them Nihil, A, Sars and Namtar annex a dread nether-zone populated by pernicious shadow demons and whispered Delphian conspiracies, a Borgesian alternate unreality where Nurse With Wound and Flying Saucer Attack hook-up for a soundtrack to a bizarro Parajanov ritual – pregnant with phantasmal drones, delay-scrambled distress signals, disembodied voices and atrophying gongs – giving the psyche free rein, providing potent catalysts for intravenous mood conduction.
But as for the track’s exact meaning, Nihil remains characteristically reticent: “I don’t want to reveal too much,” he explains. "That would strip our work of all the elements which are intentionally not made explicit. It would destroy it.”
-Spencer Grady
…
Huta Luna releases October 10th via Pagan Records.
…
Speaking of terrific drummers given an extra leg up due to circumstance, boy howdy can Bryan Fajardo blast. Down a guitarist due to a missed flight, Noisear soldiered on and pummeled lemons into lemonade. I don’t wish this kind of scheduling stress on anyone, let alone a seminal grind act, but the end result is part of what makes festivals like this fun. When else are you going to see the singer of Cephalic Carnage jump on the stage to improvise over Noisear songs?
…
Castle Tales: Malfet and the Fables of Dungeon Synth
"Dolorous Gard was the original name of Lancelot's castle. The knight winds up here after being placed under an evil enchantment. Inside, Lancelot finds his name inscribed upon a tomb and realizes that is to be his home and resting place. He renames the castle Joyous Gard after settling his household but it reverts to its old name after Lancelot breaks with Arthur and brings about the doom of the Round Table"
- From the King Arthur Wiki on Locations and Castles.
One of the hallmarks of Malfet is the density of the music, not just in its music but imagery. Over the course of a career, the creator has exceedingly adorned even the album titles into a pageantry of design. “Sage and Cedar Adorn His Antlered Crown Aflame” and “Wanderer, May You Pass Through Evermore Verdant Realms” are more like magic incantations rather than song titles, as they evoke a tableau of senses and emotions. Dolorous Gard follows that tradition with even the name of the album being an entry from Arthurian lore.
Malfet's music is both melodious but also steeped in drama. The sounds which have become associated with the term "old school dungeon synth" are the constructs of ancient castles which segment landscapes. Though, unlike the predecessors of the past, Malfet's music is not cloaked despondency but rather envisions the endless adventures of this realm's inhabitants. Malfet's music exists in an agreement between comfy bardic melodies and the historics of dark fantasy. This ultimately makes the music enjoyable to experience as it rests between "ye old tavern music" and "dark dungeon music."
...
...
Dolorous Gard is the fourth full length from Malfet seeing a release from Dungeons Deep. It is the first release since 2020's Alban Arthan and picks up the story as if no time has passed between then and now. Stylistically, it continues the same direction but takes things even further, with the record sounding more polished than the band have before. This makes tracks like "Meadow of Shattered Lances" and "Half-Sick of Shadows'' dance as medieval plays being performed by a concert of bards. It is a production that journeys away from the bedroom sound, but something which still has roots in an at-home production.
Dolorous Gard, much like on previous records, features not only music from Malfet but hand-painted artwork as album art. Its cover and additional artwork for its inserts represents the same naive magic commonly associated with the genre; professionalism comes with wild ferocity of imagination. The images of castles with sinister glowing eyes and the shield adorned by a tree look as if they were painted by someone with a clear image in their mind and executed with the passion of boundless joy. The figure valiantly holding a sword in the face of the forbidding entrance signals the start of adventure which is an overture to a record full of merry abandonment.
...
...
At this year's North East Dungeon Siege, I photographed Maflet's set. I was excited to see the artist, as the past records have been some of the best of each year. I enjoy seeing each artist and the presentation they bring. Malfet’s setup, with their synth festooned with fairy lights, commanded a spotlight for its performance. The lights shown on the artist dressed in chainmail, as from one synth they unraveled a medieval symphony which told a thousand stories. Listening to Dolorous Gard now gives me the same feeling as a solitary figure in chainmail playing melodic synth, as if marooned from a time long lost from now.
Dolorous Gard is available now.
Castle Tales: Malfet and the Fables of Dungeon Synth
"Dolorous Gard was the original name of Lancelot's castle. The knight winds up here after being placed under an evil enchantment. Inside, Lancelot finds his name inscribed upon a tomb and realizes that is to be his home and resting place. He renames the castle Joyous Gard after settling his household but it reverts to its old name after Lancelot breaks with Arthur and brings about the doom of the Round Table"
- From the King Arthur Wiki on Locations and Castles.
One of the hallmarks of Malfet is the density of the music, not just in its music but imagery. Over the course of a career, the creator has exceedingly adorned even the album titles into a pageantry of design. “Sage and Cedar Adorn His Antlered Crown Aflame” and “Wanderer, May You Pass Through Evermore Verdant Realms” are more like magic incantations rather than song titles, as they evoke a tableau of senses and emotions. Dolorous Gard follows that tradition with even the name of the album being an entry from Arthurian lore.
Malfet's music is both melodious but also steeped in drama. The sounds which have become associated with the term "old school dungeon synth" are the constructs of ancient castles which segment landscapes. Though, unlike the predecessors of the past, Malfet's music is not cloaked despondency but rather envisions the endless adventures of this realm's inhabitants. Malfet's music exists in an agreement between comfy bardic melodies and the historics of dark fantasy. This ultimately makes the music enjoyable to experience as it rests between "ye old tavern music" and "dark dungeon music."
...
...
Dolorous Gard is the fourth full length from Malfet seeing a release from Dungeons Deep. It is the first release since 2020's Alban Arthan and picks up the story as if no time has passed between then and now. Stylistically, it continues the same direction but takes things even further, with the record sounding more polished than the band have before. This makes tracks like "Meadow of Shattered Lances" and "Half-Sick of Shadows'' dance as medieval plays being performed by a concert of bards. It is a production that journeys away from the bedroom sound, but something which still has roots in an at-home production.
Dolorous Gard, much like on previous records, features not only music from Malfet but hand-painted artwork as album art. Its cover and additional artwork for its inserts represents the same naive magic commonly associated with the genre; professionalism comes with wild ferocity of imagination. The images of castles with sinister glowing eyes and the shield adorned by a tree look as if they were painted by someone with a clear image in their mind and executed with the passion of boundless joy. The figure valiantly holding a sword in the face of the forbidding entrance signals the start of adventure which is an overture to a record full of merry abandonment.
...
...
At this year's North East Dungeon Siege, I photographed Maflet's set. I was excited to see the artist, as the past records have been some of the best of each year. I enjoy seeing each artist and the presentation they bring. Malfet’s setup, with their synth festooned with fairy lights, commanded a spotlight for its performance. The lights shown on the artist dressed in chainmail, as from one synth they unraveled a medieval symphony which told a thousand stories. Listening to Dolorous Gard now gives me the same feeling as a solitary figure in chainmail playing melodic synth, as if marooned from a time long lost from now.
Dolorous Gard is available now.
Castle Tales: Malfet and the Fables of Dungeon Synth
"Dolorous Gard was the original name of Lancelot's castle. The knight winds up here after being placed under an evil enchantment. Inside, Lancelot finds his name inscribed upon a tomb and realizes that is to be his home and resting place. He renames the castle Joyous Gard after settling his household but it reverts to its old name after Lancelot breaks with Arthur and brings about the doom of the Round Table"
- From the King Arthur Wiki on Locations and Castles.
One of the hallmarks of Malfet is the density of the music, not just in its music but imagery. Over the course of a career, the creator has exceedingly adorned even the album titles into a pageantry of design. “Sage and Cedar Adorn His Antlered Crown Aflame” and “Wanderer, May You Pass Through Evermore Verdant Realms” are more like magic incantations rather than song titles, as they evoke a tableau of senses and emotions. Dolorous Gard follows that tradition with even the name of the album being an entry from Arthurian lore.
Malfet's music is both melodious but also steeped in drama. The sounds which have become associated with the term "old school dungeon synth" are the constructs of ancient castles which segment landscapes. Though, unlike the predecessors of the past, Malfet's music is not cloaked despondency but rather envisions the endless adventures of this realm's inhabitants. Malfet's music exists in an agreement between comfy bardic melodies and the historics of dark fantasy. This ultimately makes the music enjoyable to experience as it rests between "ye old tavern music" and "dark dungeon music."
...
...
Dolorous Gard is the fourth full length from Malfet seeing a release from Dungeons Deep. It is the first release since 2020's Alban Arthan and picks up the story as if no time has passed between then and now. Stylistically, it continues the same direction but takes things even further, with the record sounding more polished than the band have before. This makes tracks like "Meadow of Shattered Lances" and "Half-Sick of Shadows'' dance as medieval plays being performed by a concert of bards. It is a production that journeys away from the bedroom sound, but something which still has roots in an at-home production.
Dolorous Gard, much like on previous records, features not only music from Malfet but hand-painted artwork as album art. Its cover and additional artwork for its inserts represents the same naive magic commonly associated with the genre; professionalism comes with wild ferocity of imagination. The images of castles with sinister glowing eyes and the shield adorned by a tree look as if they were painted by someone with a clear image in their mind and executed with the passion of boundless joy. The figure valiantly holding a sword in the face of the forbidding entrance signals the start of adventure which is an overture to a record full of merry abandonment.
...
...
At this year's North East Dungeon Siege, I photographed Maflet's set. I was excited to see the artist, as the past records have been some of the best of each year. I enjoy seeing each artist and the presentation they bring. Malfet’s setup, with their synth festooned with fairy lights, commanded a spotlight for its performance. The lights shown on the artist dressed in chainmail, as from one synth they unraveled a medieval symphony which told a thousand stories. Listening to Dolorous Gard now gives me the same feeling as a solitary figure in chainmail playing melodic synth, as if marooned from a time long lost from now.
Dolorous Gard is available now.
Castle Tales: Malfet and the Fables of Dungeon Synth
"Dolorous Gard was the original name of Lancelot's castle. The knight winds up here after being placed under an evil enchantment. Inside, Lancelot finds his name inscribed upon a tomb and realizes that is to be his home and resting place. He renames the castle Joyous Gard after settling his household but it reverts to its old name after Lancelot breaks with Arthur and brings about the doom of the Round Table"
- From the King Arthur Wiki on Locations and Castles.
One of the hallmarks of Malfet is the density of the music, not just in its music but imagery. Over the course of a career, the creator has exceedingly adorned even the album titles into a pageantry of design. “Sage and Cedar Adorn His Antlered Crown Aflame” and “Wanderer, May You Pass Through Evermore Verdant Realms” are more like magic incantations rather than song titles, as they evoke a tableau of senses and emotions. Dolorous Gard follows that tradition with even the name of the album being an entry from Arthurian lore.
Malfet's music is both melodious but also steeped in drama. The sounds which have become associated with the term "old school dungeon synth" are the constructs of ancient castles which segment landscapes. Though, unlike the predecessors of the past, Malfet's music is not cloaked despondency but rather envisions the endless adventures of this realm's inhabitants. Malfet's music exists in an agreement between comfy bardic melodies and the historics of dark fantasy. This ultimately makes the music enjoyable to experience as it rests between "ye old tavern music" and "dark dungeon music."
...
...
Dolorous Gard is the fourth full length from Malfet seeing a release from Dungeons Deep. It is the first release since 2020's Alban Arthan and picks up the story as if no time has passed between then and now. Stylistically, it continues the same direction but takes things even further, with the record sounding more polished than the band have before. This makes tracks like "Meadow of Shattered Lances" and "Half-Sick of Shadows'' dance as medieval plays being performed by a concert of bards. It is a production that journeys away from the bedroom sound, but something which still has roots in an at-home production.
Dolorous Gard, much like on previous records, features not only music from Malfet but hand-painted artwork as album art. Its cover and additional artwork for its inserts represents the same naive magic commonly associated with the genre; professionalism comes with wild ferocity of imagination. The images of castles with sinister glowing eyes and the shield adorned by a tree look as if they were painted by someone with a clear image in their mind and executed with the passion of boundless joy. The figure valiantly holding a sword in the face of the forbidding entrance signals the start of adventure which is an overture to a record full of merry abandonment.
...
...
At this year's North East Dungeon Siege, I photographed Maflet's set. I was excited to see the artist, as the past records have been some of the best of each year. I enjoy seeing each artist and the presentation they bring. Malfet’s setup, with their synth festooned with fairy lights, commanded a spotlight for its performance. The lights shown on the artist dressed in chainmail, as from one synth they unraveled a medieval symphony which told a thousand stories. Listening to Dolorous Gard now gives me the same feeling as a solitary figure in chainmail playing melodic synth, as if marooned from a time long lost from now.
Dolorous Gard is available now.
…
These words, from the voice of “Twin Peak”’s The Giant, echoed out over the crowd in Barboza as Call Of The Void prepared their next round of tunes. Call Of The Void are not Julee Cruise, but the red curtains and leather clad attendees did a decent job of turning Barboza into the Bang Bang Bar, albeit with more mosh riffs. Call of the Void are a more-bang-for-your-buck Nails, fewer slogans but just as much single minded intensity.
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Castle Tales: Malfet and the Fables of Dungeon Synth
"Dolorous Gard was the original name of Lancelot's castle. The knight winds up here after being placed under an evil enchantment. Inside, Lancelot finds his name inscribed upon a tomb and realizes that is to be his home and resting place. He renames the castle Joyous Gard after settling his household but it reverts to its old name after Lancelot breaks with Arthur and brings about the doom of the Round Table"
- From the King Arthur Wiki on Locations and Castles.
One of the hallmarks of Malfet is the density of the music, not just in its music but imagery. Over the course of a career, the creator has exceedingly adorned even the album titles into a pageantry of design. “Sage and Cedar Adorn His Antlered Crown Aflame” and “Wanderer, May You Pass Through Evermore Verdant Realms” are more like magic incantations rather than song titles, as they evoke a tableau of senses and emotions. Dolorous Gard follows that tradition with even the name of the album being an entry from Arthurian lore.
Malfet's music is both melodious but also steeped in drama. The sounds which have become associated with the term "old school dungeon synth" are the constructs of ancient castles which segment landscapes. Though, unlike the predecessors of the past, Malfet's music is not cloaked despondency but rather envisions the endless adventures of this realm's inhabitants. Malfet's music exists in an agreement between comfy bardic melodies and the historics of dark fantasy. This ultimately makes the music enjoyable to experience as it rests between "ye old tavern music" and "dark dungeon music."
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Dolorous Gard is the fourth full length from Malfet seeing a release from Dungeons Deep. It is the first release since 2020's Alban Arthan and picks up the story as if no time has passed between then and now. Stylistically, it continues the same direction but takes things even further, with the record sounding more polished than the band have before. This makes tracks like "Meadow of Shattered Lances" and "Half-Sick of Shadows'' dance as medieval plays being performed by a concert of bards. It is a production that journeys away from the bedroom sound, but something which still has roots in an at-home production.
Dolorous Gard, much like on previous records, features not only music from Malfet but hand-painted artwork as album art. Its cover and additional artwork for its inserts represents the same naive magic commonly associated with the genre; professionalism comes with wild ferocity of imagination. The images of castles with sinister glowing eyes and the shield adorned by a tree look as if they were painted by someone with a clear image in their mind and executed with the passion of boundless joy. The figure valiantly holding a sword in the face of the forbidding entrance signals the start of adventure which is an overture to a record full of merry abandonment.
...
...
At this year's North East Dungeon Siege, I photographed Maflet's set. I was excited to see the artist, as the past records have been some of the best of each year. I enjoy seeing each artist and the presentation they bring. Malfet’s setup, with their synth festooned with fairy lights, commanded a spotlight for its performance. The lights shown on the artist dressed in chainmail, as from one synth they unraveled a medieval symphony which told a thousand stories. Listening to Dolorous Gard now gives me the same feeling as a solitary figure in chainmail playing melodic synth, as if marooned from a time long lost from now.
Dolorous Gard is available now.
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Castle Tales: Malfet and the Fables of Dungeon Synth
"Dolorous Gard was the original name of Lancelot's castle. The knight winds up here after being placed under an evil enchantment. Inside, Lancelot finds his name inscribed upon a tomb and realizes that is to be his home and resting place. He renames the castle Joyous Gard after settling his household but it reverts to its old name after Lancelot breaks with Arthur and brings about the doom of the Round Table"
- From the King Arthur Wiki on Locations and Castles.
One of the hallmarks of Malfet is the density of the music, not just in its music but imagery. Over the course of a career, the creator has exceedingly adorned even the album titles into a pageantry of design. “Sage and Cedar Adorn His Antlered Crown Aflame” and “Wanderer, May You Pass Through Evermore Verdant Realms” are more like magic incantations rather than song titles, as they evoke a tableau of senses and emotions. Dolorous Gard follows that tradition with even the name of the album being an entry from Arthurian lore.
Malfet's music is both melodious but also steeped in drama. The sounds which have become associated with the term "old school dungeon synth" are the constructs of ancient castles which segment landscapes. Though, unlike the predecessors of the past, Malfet's music is not cloaked despondency but rather envisions the endless adventures of this realm's inhabitants. Malfet's music exists in an agreement between comfy bardic melodies and the historics of dark fantasy. This ultimately makes the music enjoyable to experience as it rests between "ye old tavern music" and "dark dungeon music."
...
...
Dolorous Gard is the fourth full length from Malfet seeing a release from Dungeons Deep. It is the first release since 2020's Alban Arthan and picks up the story as if no time has passed between then and now. Stylistically, it continues the same direction but takes things even further, with the record sounding more polished than the band have before. This makes tracks like "Meadow of Shattered Lances" and "Half-Sick of Shadows'' dance as medieval plays being performed by a concert of bards. It is a production that journeys away from the bedroom sound, but something which still has roots in an at-home production.
Dolorous Gard, much like on previous records, features not only music from Malfet but hand-painted artwork as album art. Its cover and additional artwork for its inserts represents the same naive magic commonly associated with the genre; professionalism comes with wild ferocity of imagination. The images of castles with sinister glowing eyes and the shield adorned by a tree look as if they were painted by someone with a clear image in their mind and executed with the passion of boundless joy. The figure valiantly holding a sword in the face of the forbidding entrance signals the start of adventure which is an overture to a record full of merry abandonment.
...
...
At this year's North East Dungeon Siege, I photographed Maflet's set. I was excited to see the artist, as the past records have been some of the best of each year. I enjoy seeing each artist and the presentation they bring. Malfet’s setup, with their synth festooned with fairy lights, commanded a spotlight for its performance. The lights shown on the artist dressed in chainmail, as from one synth they unraveled a medieval symphony which told a thousand stories. Listening to Dolorous Gard now gives me the same feeling as a solitary figure in chainmail playing melodic synth, as if marooned from a time long lost from now.
Dolorous Gard is available now.
…
But as good as Call of the Void were, they were just setting the mood for the real deal. When the void calls, Cult Leader pick up. That anyone else ever fronted this band is absurd. Anthony Lucero is a natural performer, moving across the stage as if being pulled by an unseen force. With his hood pulled over his head and stringy hair obscuring face, Lucero acted as the tip of the spear to Cult Leader’s otherworldly violence. Before this set I had considered Cult Leader a high quality act, but not one that had separated themselves from the herd. Now they stand on a tier of their own.
…
“Andermans Mijne,” or, How Laster Left Black Metal (Review)
Turning one's back on black metal, either temporarily or permanently, is almost as integral to the genre now as corpse paint. Bullet belt dudes in bands like Aura Noir will happily play spindly avant-rock in Ved Buens Ende or Virus one moment then go back to blackened thrash like it never happened. Or you can be an Ulver, one day just deciding to fuck this shit and launch a decades-spanning career off the back of abandoning black metal after two of the most vaunted full-length examples ever to come out of the Norway.
For the Dutch scene, however, easily one of the most idiosyncratic movements of our much beloved style, this is second nature. From Urfaust (peace be upon them) to Turia, Gnaw Their Tongues, or Terzij de Horde, there is an insistence on playing their interpretation of black metal on their own terms, far removed from the implicit rules and regulations placed on what is a surprisingly conservative strain of extreme metal despite its overtly rebellious nature.
Laster ("Slander" in English) formed in 2012 and could be said to follow a familiar trajectory. Wijsgeer & Narreman, their Faustian demo recorded in one day and released that same year, was a fantastic introduction if a little par for the course. Drawing on what had traction in the '10s–an incredibly fertile period for the expansion of black metal, we should add–the record was lo-fi, atmospheric, and Drudkhian, but there was spirit there, a certain spark that suggested they would refuse plow the well-worn furrows of a hundred bands before them.
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…
The following three albums, all thematically tied together by similar artwork, saw the trio painstakingly shake loose of black metal link by link. Their wonderfully unique sense of melody would occasionally take a darker turn into more atonal adventures, from which they would launch excursions into totally different sonic territory, even if they clung to the blast beats and screeched vocals. Then with 2019's Het Wassen Oog ("The Wax Eye"), clean singing.
At some point along the way, the three adopted a visual aesthetic we can only describe as Death Rite Bird meets Steve Jobs. Papier-mâché masks and a button-up wardrobe–in case you needed reminding that the core of what Laster does is still deeply rooted in the theatrical extremity of black metal. But they also ceased to refer to their music as such, instead opting for "obscure dance music."
If you, like literally everyone else and their dog, wondered what the hell Laster was angling for with that, look no further than their latest effort, Andermans mijne ("Someone Else's Mine") due out October 13th on Prophecy Productions.
Almost everything about this album screams phase change. The bizarre cover art, sporting a torso with a square torn out and a framed image of urban nightmare beside it, is the most immediate sign of departure considering that the previous three had the sense of an artist's wooden mannequins posing over a monotone watercolor background. What does it all mean?
You're unlikely to find clues in spinning Andermans mijne, for better or worse. The truth is that Laster loves an enigma almost as much as it takes joy in mooning the conventions of its musical heartlands. While we're loath to refer to a music video when talking about an album (the medium takes away from the active imagination of the listener and enforces a passive vision upon them), the release for "Kunstlicht" ("Artificial Light"), the first single off Andermans mijne, does weirdo justice to the "obscure dance music" message the band has been espousing.
Snow covers the ground. Check. They're playing their instruments in a forest at night. Big ol' black metal check. Drummer playing with branches. Check. Abbath pops his head around a tree. Absent. Hang on, is that Death Rite Bird… flossing? Tiptoeing barefoot through the snow? A do-si-do?
It's clear that Laster wants its listeners to have fun listening to Andermans mijne. You’re not required to undergo a demonic ritual under a funeral moon to get jiggy with what the band yearns to do. Yes, it's objectively odd and never before heard, but it's also extremely musical.
The self-titled opening track begs beholders to crack out the double clap with its unorthodox employment of rhythm sticks, while "Poëtische Waarheid" ("Poetic Truth") rolls back on the distorted fury in exchange for jazzy chords and breakbeats. Only in the verse, mind you – Laster is still resolutely metal on the outermost fringes of extremity.
"Wachtmuziek" ("Hold Music") digs further into the avant-garde leanings that Laster seemingly longs for, a brief, eerie interlude with all the reverb, pensive atmosphere, and off-kilter time signatures of something from Kayo Dot's stellar Hubardo. Heading straight into the soaring vocal melodies of "Achterstevoren" ("Backwards") is a huge wake-up call, and it's at this point that you realize Laster is no longer interested in excoriating its audience with off-the-shelf black metal vocals.
Hereon, guitarist and singer "Nicky" effortlessly and melodically lays his thick Dutch over the band's unconventional songwriting, and it's a thrill to watch Laster revel in the playfulness of three guys making what to the uninitiated is a probably a load of nonsensical noise, but to the knowers is artful, strange, and, more often than not, beautiful.
Part of the band's enduring mystique lies in its dedication to performing in its mother tongue. Despite Dutch and English's common ancestry, the former does come across like moonspeak to the latter, and an intentionally mangled cadence only adds to Laster's macabre cabaret feel. Lyrically, we have no idea what the fuck is happening; musically, ditto–and yet we can't look away.
Let's not do a play-by-play of each song, yeah? This is "black metal" that veers off into the ether to bring back a breadth of inspirations more honed and tangible than Laster has ever managed before, bolstered by tracks of synth running the gamut from the retrowave school to church organs.
If you like Emperor but also appreciate what Ihsahn has done under his own proggy steam, while sympathetically cringing at his early press interviews, you will also gel with Laster's most accomplished outing to date. Totally fearless experimentation with its heels dug firmly into everything that made this band a delight from day one.
–Richard Currie
Andermans mijne releases October 13th via Prophecy Productions.
Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse
Mayhem
Mayhem
Mayhem
Mayhem
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Cannibal Corpse & Mayhem @ Brooklyn Steel, 9/30/2023 (Photos)
Seeing Cannibal Corpse and Mayhem on the same bill is one of those 'badass in any year it was possible' things, but definitely hits different in 2023. Both bands have dropped something new this year: for Mayhem, the live album Daemonic Rites, and Cannibal Corpse unleashed Chaos Horrific, continuing their "noun adjective" naming pattern from Violence Unimagined, so it's much less of a "seeing bands past their prime at the local rib fest" deal as it is watching two titans of their genres stay intimidatingly relevant. The combined package hit Brooklyn Steel at the end of last month and our photographer Kass Carmona was there -- keep scrolling for photos.
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Photos by Kassandra Carmona
Cannibal Corpse & Mayhem
photos by Kassandra Carmona
“Andermans Mijne,” or, How Laster Left Black Metal (Review)
Turning one's back on black metal, either temporarily or permanently, is almost as integral to the genre now as corpse paint. Bullet belt dudes in bands like Aura Noir will happily play spindly avant-rock in Ved Buens Ende or Virus one moment then go back to blackened thrash like it never happened. Or you can be an Ulver, one day just deciding to fuck this shit and launch a decades-spanning career off the back of abandoning black metal after two of the most vaunted full-length examples ever to come out of the Norway.
For the Dutch scene, however, easily one of the most idiosyncratic movements of our much beloved style, this is second nature. From Urfaust (peace be upon them) to Turia, Gnaw Their Tongues, or Terzij de Horde, there is an insistence on playing their interpretation of black metal on their own terms, far removed from the implicit rules and regulations placed on what is a surprisingly conservative strain of extreme metal despite its overtly rebellious nature.
Laster ("Slander" in English) formed in 2012 and could be said to follow a familiar trajectory. Wijsgeer & Narreman, their Faustian demo recorded in one day and released that same year, was a fantastic introduction if a little par for the course. Drawing on what had traction in the '10s–an incredibly fertile period for the expansion of black metal, we should add–the record was lo-fi, atmospheric, and Drudkhian, but there was spirit there, a certain spark that suggested they would refuse plow the well-worn furrows of a hundred bands before them.
...
…
The following three albums, all thematically tied together by similar artwork, saw the trio painstakingly shake loose of black metal link by link. Their wonderfully unique sense of melody would occasionally take a darker turn into more atonal adventures, from which they would launch excursions into totally different sonic territory, even if they clung to the blast beats and screeched vocals. Then with 2019's Het Wassen Oog ("The Wax Eye"), clean singing.
At some point along the way, the three adopted a visual aesthetic we can only describe as Death Rite Bird meets Steve Jobs. Papier-mâché masks and a button-up wardrobe–in case you needed reminding that the core of what Laster does is still deeply rooted in the theatrical extremity of black metal. But they also ceased to refer to their music as such, instead opting for "obscure dance music."
If you, like literally everyone else and their dog, wondered what the hell Laster was angling for with that, look no further than their latest effort, Andermans mijne ("Someone Else's Mine") due out October 13th on Prophecy Productions.
Almost everything about this album screams phase change. The bizarre cover art, sporting a torso with a square torn out and a framed image of urban nightmare beside it, is the most immediate sign of departure considering that the previous three had the sense of an artist's wooden mannequins posing over a monotone watercolor background. What does it all mean?
You're unlikely to find clues in spinning Andermans mijne, for better or worse. The truth is that Laster loves an enigma almost as much as it takes joy in mooning the conventions of its musical heartlands. While we're loath to refer to a music video when talking about an album (the medium takes away from the active imagination of the listener and enforces a passive vision upon them), the release for "Kunstlicht" ("Artificial Light"), the first single off Andermans mijne, does weirdo justice to the "obscure dance music" message the band has been espousing.
Snow covers the ground. Check. They're playing their instruments in a forest at night. Big ol' black metal check. Drummer playing with branches. Check. Abbath pops his head around a tree. Absent. Hang on, is that Death Rite Bird… flossing? Tiptoeing barefoot through the snow? A do-si-do?
It's clear that Laster wants its listeners to have fun listening to Andermans mijne. You’re not required to undergo a demonic ritual under a funeral moon to get jiggy with what the band yearns to do. Yes, it's objectively odd and never before heard, but it's also extremely musical.
The self-titled opening track begs beholders to crack out the double clap with its unorthodox employment of rhythm sticks, while "Poëtische Waarheid" ("Poetic Truth") rolls back on the distorted fury in exchange for jazzy chords and breakbeats. Only in the verse, mind you – Laster is still resolutely metal on the outermost fringes of extremity.
"Wachtmuziek" ("Hold Music") digs further into the avant-garde leanings that Laster seemingly longs for, a brief, eerie interlude with all the reverb, pensive atmosphere, and off-kilter time signatures of something from Kayo Dot's stellar Hubardo. Heading straight into the soaring vocal melodies of "Achterstevoren" ("Backwards") is a huge wake-up call, and it's at this point that you realize Laster is no longer interested in excoriating its audience with off-the-shelf black metal vocals.
Hereon, guitarist and singer "Nicky" effortlessly and melodically lays his thick Dutch over the band's unconventional songwriting, and it's a thrill to watch Laster revel in the playfulness of three guys making what to the uninitiated is a probably a load of nonsensical noise, but to the knowers is artful, strange, and, more often than not, beautiful.
Part of the band's enduring mystique lies in its dedication to performing in its mother tongue. Despite Dutch and English's common ancestry, the former does come across like moonspeak to the latter, and an intentionally mangled cadence only adds to Laster's macabre cabaret feel. Lyrically, we have no idea what the fuck is happening; musically, ditto–and yet we can't look away.
Let's not do a play-by-play of each song, yeah? This is "black metal" that veers off into the ether to bring back a breadth of inspirations more honed and tangible than Laster has ever managed before, bolstered by tracks of synth running the gamut from the retrowave school to church organs.
If you like Emperor but also appreciate what Ihsahn has done under his own proggy steam, while sympathetically cringing at his early press interviews, you will also gel with Laster's most accomplished outing to date. Totally fearless experimentation with its heels dug firmly into everything that made this band a delight from day one.
–Richard Currie
Andermans mijne releases October 13th via Prophecy Productions.
…
While Cult Leader were building their reputation downstairs, Day 2’s headliners were trading in on their clout on the mainstage. Even though “only the old stuff is good” is a cliche for a reason, metal culture has a soft spot for any band that can stick around, especially if their sound hasn’t changed much over the years. This is the case with Goatwhore, who haven’t budged from their rubber on hot asphalt guitar tone over their long career. Goatwhore were a well oiled machine, efficiently pounding through hits from across their discography, but the slightly diminished crowd didn’t allow them to operate at their full potential. “I want you to scream for us like Judas Priest in 1984” singer Ben Falgoust demanded near the end of the set. He didn’t quite get what we wanted, but the request revealed the strength of the band’s ambition.
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Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse
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Cephalic Carnage were less concerned with crowd pleasing. Their lengthy closing set featured little in the way concessions to their casual fan (no “Dying Will Be The Death Of Me”). Instead, it felt like the grindcore version of a stoner chuckling to himself in the corner of a party, piping up to occasionally make hair-brained jokes about black metal. There’s nothing inherently wrong about closing the doors to all but the true believers, after all this is a festival devoted to a niche genre of music. Metal fans are pedants, obsessed with minuta. If Cephalic Carnage aren’t the strain you’re into, there’s going to be something else that does the trick. By the end of their set, when they launched into their doom EP Halls Of Amenti only the most fanatical, or the most catatonically stoned, fans were left. The rest of the crowd had dispersed into the night, some to see Usnea fill The Highline with smoke, others to get some rest before Northwest Terror Fest’s third and final day.
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Mayhem
Mayhem
Mayhem
Mayhem
Mayhem
Mayhem
Mayhem
Mayhem
Mayhem
Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse
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Interlude: A Crow Looked At Me
The next morning I woke up and put another black t-shirt on, this one featuring Anton Chigurh as portrayed by Javier Bardem, the unstoppable killing machine from Cormac McCarthy’s ‘No Country For Old Men’. In both McCarthy’s novel and the Coen Brother’s 2007 film adaptation, Chigurh is laid low by a freak occurrence, a car crash that rips bone from flesh. The message is clear. Our destinies are not our own. We can plan and prepare as much as we want, but violence doesn’t follow a schedule, it simply happens.
Maybe this is why metal culture is so death obsessed. Not to look tough, but as a way of imposing order on the unorderable. We refuse to be ruled by the fear of death, and instead wear it proudly on our bodies. Big talk from someone who sat in stunned silence after watching the aftermath of a non-fatal car crash? Most certainly. But despair and despondency isn’t an option in the face of death. Living is.
That morning a crow looked at me on my way into Capitol Hill. I threw it the horns.
Day 3: Upon The Sight Of The Other Shore
One of the neat quirks of Northwest Terror Fest is that the doors of Neumos remained open during the entirety of the live performances. This had a practical purpose, to help air out the fog machine and to ease entry and exit. But it had the funny side effect of opening up a portal to hell right across from a coffee shop. Of course, the famous “Seattle freeze” ensured that few yuppy pedestrians gave the racket pouring out of Neumos a second thought. Even when a group of festival staff carried a prop coffin down Pike street, the biggest reaction was a polite offer to get out of its way. Still, the open doors provided the perfect staging for a metal festival. If you can’t handle the heat, steer clear, but if you can, come on in and join the Coven.
After a late start, I returned to Barboza with ears ready for more high volume punishment, which Hands Of Thieves were happy to provide. Hands Of Thieves are an all purpose extreme metal act, switching between black metal and death metal, and slowing down for doom influenced breakdowns that might also appeal to former hardcore kids in biker jackets. No matter what your heavy music proclivities are, Hands Of Thieves were there to ease you into the night.
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Mayhem
Mayhem
Mayhem
Mayhem
Mayhem
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If you were starting to settle into your comfort zone Young And In The Way came ready to kick you out of it. The banner behind them read ‘The Devil’s Rock & Roll’. It’s a fitting tag. Young And In The Way are heavy enough, and devilish enough, to slide into the same festival that boasted Wolves In The Throne and Goatwhore, but they also have a classic rock band’s swagger and showmanship. Their singer, rocking a mustache that made him look like a 70’s baseball player’s evil twin, wielded the mic stand with macho fervor, while the band behind dug deep into the pocket. At no point did they pander to the less-hardcore inclined crowd, but by sheer persistence and energy quickly won over the non-believers.
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The Head Control System Story: A Retrospective (Interview)
[Editor's Note: the following is an extended version of what is being included as liner notes for the physical edition of Murder Nature. We thank KScope, Kris, and Daniel for allowing us to publish this here at Invisible Oranges.]
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To discuss Kristoffer Rygg and Daniel Cardoso's Head Control System project is to enter a time machine back to the mid-2000s, back when I was a teenager. A fledgling Ulver fan, having not even heard Cardoso's Sirius project at that point, I was obsessed with anything and everything Garm. Arcturus, (any) Ulver–you name it, I was sold. Head Control System was no different. A continuation of Cardoso's SinDRomE project, renamed by Rygg, Head Control System was a successful attempt at capturing the "rock" sound of its time, but with a greater experimental bent and distinctly European approach, setting it apart from American rock which dominated airwaves at the time.
Influenced by music like Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Queens of the Stone Age, but with Cardoso and Rygg's own plethora of influences backing this approach, Head Control System's sole album Murder Nature, released by The End Records (US) and Voices of Wonder/Jester Records (EUR) in 2006, was a departure for these two artists, both of whom at the time operated at separate ends of the musical spectrum (though both Rygg and Cardoso came from a black metal background). Smooth and rhythmic, Murder Nature took from Cardoso and Rygg's varied backgrounds and resulted in something wondrous, but also familiar and of its time. Touching on the then-dwindling nu-metal style in songs like "Masterpiece (of Art)", Cardoso and Rygg's own metal backgrounds sneak through in unsuspecting ways.
An international project, with Rygg operating from his home in Oslo, Norway, and Cardoso's studio then located in Braga, Portugal, Head Control System was tested by distance and internet collaboration. The result of Cardoso messaging Rygg on MySpace or by email (depending on which member you ask), Head Control System's humble early days as SinDRomE quickly exploded upon Rygg's eventual joining after hearing a handful of Cardoso's demos of what would eventually become Murder Nature.
Hot off the heels of recording Ulver's celebrated Blood Inside, Rygg and his family flew to Portugal for the Murder Nature vocal sessions. Spending punctuated days in the studio in order to keep his family entertained on what was essentially a "working vacation", Rygg would go so far as to keep his youngest in a BabyBjörn whilst recording. Using a similar (read as: extended) vocal range to Blood Inside, the harder, rock-inflicted edge Rygg imbued to his voice resulted in a heavier, more punchy performance than the UIver performances to which people had become accustomed in the band's tenure past their black metal Trilogie era.
Recorded and produced in his own studio, Cardoso doesn't remember much from the Head Control System days, though he insists the project is still mildly active, even after what amounts to nearly twenty years past Murder Nature's release. Having recorded a full second album's worth of material in the years since, it's been up to the ever-busy Rygg, who considers the project somewhere in the "dead-but-dreaming" realm, to finish this secret second record.
Personally, revisiting Murder Nature has been a delight, both nostalgically and from a measure of quality. Though alternative rock/metal wasn't what I expected from these artists, especially in retrospect as I become a more seasoned fan of both Cardoso and Rygg's works, Head Control System was (is?) one of those special bands which leaves a special mark on the music scene and is deserving of such a comprehensive edition. Go ahead and drop the needle (or set your CD player's dial) to your favorite track, be it "Baby Blue", "Masterpiece (of Art)", or any of the many infectious songs that comprise Murder Nature, and lose yourself in what is ultimately a fantastic rock record. It is a true masterpiece of art.
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I want to ask a big question first, because I've shown a few people Murder Nature and they all say the same thing–is Murder Nature a nu-metal album?
Daniel Cardoso: I wouldn't say so. Back then nu-metal was kind of a big deal but it wasn't exactly what I was listening to. I can see how people from the extreme metal scene would label Murder Nature a nu-metal album, but I'd never go that route myself. Maybe it fits that same type of nu-metal-ish sound but I don't think it fits within the same kind of genre.
Kristoffer Rygg: As of 2023, you mean? I honestly wouldn't know. It's kind of interesting to me how some of these guys like Tommy and Mark who wrote testimonials were into the album when it came out, which – not saying they're nu-metal–but it's interesting because we had high hopes for the album when it was released. It's so cool to hear from those guys so many years later that it resonated. We definitely thought it was as good as the big boys back then, you know. I remember tuning in to Queens of the Stone Age, for example, which is more groovy, cheeky, dare I say, sexy modern rock. Pretty hard to define. Something you'd just wanna blast from your car whilst cruising down the highway looking for your next victim, figuratively speaking.
I was reading reviews from around when Murder Nature was released and people didn't know what to call it. I found that really interesting.
DC: [laughs] I would liken it more towards Tool, A Perfect Circle, and to the new prog/djent scene that kinda started with Meshuggah, and has been proliferating through bands like TesseracT or Periphery. I think what we did back then fits more within that sort of genre. This reissue is happening on Kscope too, which has a lot of bands that gravitate towards modern prog metal or a prog rock type of sound.
I want to go all the way back to the beginning with SinDRomE. How did this band start?
DC: It was mostly just me laying some riffs on a guitar and drumming over it. Then I teamed up with this cool singer named Tobel Lopes, and we did some stuff that we were pretty happy with, but then for some reason we just went separate ways–perhaps because he was living far away from me and was from a bit of a different scene. We did work again later on different projects, though, he even joined me in Anathema for a while as a touring member.
How did Kris end up joining this band and turning it into Head Control System?
DC: It's a funny story. I remember when I was in Sirius, we had this conversation with Tomas "Samoth" (Emperor) about asking Kris to be a guest on a song. He told us it would be great, but he would probably say no. He's too busy and isn't the type of guy to get involved with new bands. Samoth painted this picture of him as this difficult-to-reach guy, which he was and still is. [laughs] Kris has this charisma and star quality that makes everyone feel like he is unreachable, and that's what we were told back then. When I was looking for a singer for what was still SinDRomE, I remember I just emailed Jester Records' general email address and introduced myself, saying I was in Sirius and was signed to Nocturnal Art Productions, et cetera. I had these songs and wanted to know if I could have direct contact with Kris. The reply was, "Hello Daniel, this is Kris. Shoot." Something like that, so he was replying directly to me, which was pretty cool. I sent him one song and said that I wanted to do this album and was looking for a singer. His reply was, "Yeah, this is nice. I kind of like the style because it isn't the usual kind of stuff people approach me with, but I'm busy and can't be involved in any other projects right now. But if you want, keep sending me songs." So I sent him a couple more songs, and I think I kept sending him songs and by the fifth or sixth song, I think he said he wanted to try some vocals. To me, it was like no fucking way.
KR: If I remember correctly, I think it was through MySpace. Those days were nice, it was suddenly very easy for musicians to connect and share some tunes. That's actually also how I got in contact with Daniel O'Sullivan a few years after this. Anyway, I think Daniel first reached out through MySpace and we started chatting. He sent me some demos and actually some videos of him playing. Needless to say, I was quite impressed by his skills, drumming and doing everything by himself. Tore (Ylwizaker) and I were just done with Blood Inside which is something we'd worked on and off with for three years or something, so it was a kind of auspicious moment to delve into something else for a while. I liked the prospect of being a hired gun, so to speak, and not being involved with all aspects of the production. Also, I liked Daniel. It's as simple as that.
How did the name Head Control System come to be?
DC: That was Kris. We still worked for a while under the SinDRomE name. I still have old demos and the file name was still SinDRomE and it already had Kris' vocals. I think it was when he visited me in Portugal to do some vocal sessions, one of the conversations we had sitting at a coffee place–he said the name SinDRomE was okay, but maybe we could have a stronger name? He came up with Head Control System, and it was a good name. I was never attached to SinDRomE or words in general. I'm the music kind of guy, not the lyrics or text kind of guy. SinDRomE was something I came up with when I was twenty. In hindsight, I'm glad we changed the name because I think throughout the years Head Control System still works well.
KR: I thought we brainstormed it together, but okay maybe I did come up with it. I didn't think SinDRomE–Severe Damage on Reason and Equilibrium–was that clever [laughs]. Not that Head Control System is, either, but it's got a bit more spunk. It could be some fast car mechanical program or device, or it might be a sexual thing. It was a random act of putting a few words together, see what pops! The lyrics came about much in the same way. Experimenting, associating, trying to get the syllables to dance to the music. They were all written with the movements of the music in mind.
The album was released in the US on The End Records label, which was a metal and progressive rock label (for the most part). How do you feel it was received among that crowd?
DC: It's hard to say. We never played live, we didn't do much promo. Social networking was still just MySpace. It was hard to tell how the album was going. Years later, I met unsuspecting people from the scene who told me "Wow, that album was killer!" but back then we couldn't know because we didn't get any relevant feedback from our listeners. I'm guessing the album didn't sell amazingly well, but it's no surprise considering we didn't do any promo and didn't play any shows. One thing I can say today though is that it did impact some people who later became big in the prog metal scene, and are now in pretty big bands, and that's something to be proud of.
KR: It might have been received better in the United States, but I do remember feeling disappointed by the lack of movement here in Europe.
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The next full recording you did, Kris, was Shadows of the Sun. What was it like working on this album considering what else you were working on?
KR: Well, with Blood Inside and Shadows of the Sun I was working closely with Tore [Ylwizaker]. Daniel and Tore are very different individuals. Different outlooks and technical approaches – obviously the singing style and general aesthetic is different too. There is a big stylistic shift between Blood Inside and Shadows of the Sun, of course. At the end of the day it's just about what you set your mind to, isn't it? What is the vision here?
Murder Nature was released with little fanfare, kind of coasting on notoriety and internet sharing rather than having a specific ad campaign. Why did you choose not to promote the album?
DC: We just weren't bothered with it. We just let go. Kris was always busy with Ulver and had already left Arcturus and Borknagar. He was involved with a lot of stuff and we didn't really worry too much about it. To be honest, I didn't see a big point in doing a lot of promo since we weren't doing shows. There was only so much one could do without playing the album live. Maybe that's why it didn't go farther in sales. On the other hand, it created this magic aura surrounding the album.
KR: We were naive, we probably thought it would sell itself, on the strength of the music alone, and maybe to some extent because Ulver had a good fan base. It wasn't really common to hire publicists back then, and I do think it fell between a few cracks – the extreme metal people didn't get it and the modern or alternative rock/metal crowd never even heard (about) it! We didn't understand that we probably should have had someone push for it to get played on radio, for example.
There was an underground following, myself being an Ulver fan who discovered Murder Nature from Kris' performance, but it was interesting to watch this go under the radar.
DC: It was indeed a bit under the radar when it came out, but ultimately it must have reached some people too. Throughout the years I've had several Head Control System "fans", for lack of a better word, asking me about a second album on social media, so there's that. Even today, if I post something about Head Control System I'm sure I'll get some random person asking, "When are you guys making another album?" Well, we can give them this reissue now and see how it goes, who knows what the future might bring.
Kris, what was the process of balancing being a father and being a recording artist at the time?
KR: There's a funny picture of me in Daniel's apartment (which was also his studio at the time) with my one-year-old daughter in a BabyBjörn carrying vessel. I'm standing trying to sing while she's crying her heart out. [laughs] It was quite a juggling process, but isn't it always?
How long did it take for you to finish the vocal sessions for this album?
KR: I think something like two–three months. Not necessarily every day, but you know, just focusing on getting the main ideas down, in Oslo. Then we went to Braga for ten days or a few weeks, maybe. That was very efficient, actually. Daniel is a very hands-on guy. We got a lot done there. I was using a Digitech multi-effects guitar processor that I liked to run at least some of the vocals through. I remember going back and doing some more tests, but I don't remember exactly how long it took. Maybe a few weeks or a month after Braga.
Was there ever any interest in pulling a band together and performing live?
DC: I was always a stage type of guy. I enjoy the studio environment, my day job is being a producer and it has been for the last twenty years or so, but what I love the most is playing on stage. However that was just not possible for Head Control System as Kris wasn't really available. I don't know if you remember this, but not even Ulver were playing live back then. A few years down the road, that's when he started playing live with Ulver. And then it was just too late, too hard and too expensive to try and match schedules and find people for a possible live representation of Murder Nature. But I do remember being at this Christmas party of our label (Voices of Wonder) in Norway and someone, the label owner possibly, was begging me to convince Kris to play live. I was like, "Sure, I'll try, but I don't think that's gonna happen." [laughs] I always respected Kris' will and reasoning behind not wanting to do any shows back then, though.
KR: It's a lot of work, man, at least if you want it to be special on stage. And it costs a lot of money to organize and get ready for a tour. Considering all those things, and the modest success of the album, it wasn't the first thing on my mind. Especially considering this was back then… 2006? Ulver started playing live a couple years later. I also played some gigs with Æthenor around 2008–2009, that's when I started to dip my toes in that format. I was opening up to the idea, but this comes down to time as well. Investment. We were just two guys in different countries, we would have to recruit at least two more. It's not something I thought much about, or even dreamed of. I always enjoyed the studio and the introspection. Creating things and recording them for eternity, so to speak. I have come to appreciate the live experience a lot more since, that goes without saying, but it's a more transient thing. Not as important as those records!
What was it like working together in the same room as Kris flew out to Portugal for a session as everything else was done remotely?
DC: It was very easy-going. We hit it off from the start. Kris jokes that he's half-Portuguese, himself, as he spent some years in Portugal growing up. So maybe that's why it was really easy for us to work together and to relate as human beings. I remember we just had fun and it was pretty chill. I was living in Braga which is a small town in the north of Portugal. The town itself is also pretty chill. Everything was really smooth and easy going. I don't remember ever being stressed about anything. It was just cool and easy.
Do you remember any stories about these sessions?
DC: No, well the only thing is Kris did come with his kids and his wife from the time. His son was three and his daughter was just a baby, so he was juggling recording sessions and being a father. I have a baby now, myself, and I know it demands a lot. It's fucking hard work, man! But when I played with Anathema in Oslo, Kris went to see me with his son. The last time I'd seen him he was three, baby-walking around Braga. So, about fifteen years later he's at my show, sitting at the grown-ups table, having adult conversations! It does put things into perspective and makes me feel old. [laughs]
Kris, could you fill in any blanks?
KR: I remember we went to a gig one night as Daniel was doing session live drums for a Portuguese band called R.A.M.P.–who I think were local heroes, or pretty big in Portugal. There was a big outdoor fest thing going on. That was a nice break from the studio and family proceedings. Otherwise it was pretty domestic. I had small kids, so they went to bed early. Early up. There was Portuguese coffee, always welcome. Some croquettes and straight to the studio, then family time and maybe some touristy stuff in the evening, a few Super Bocks. Nothing scandalous. That came later or before. Man, I could tell you some stories from Ulver on the road, but we never did that with Head Control System.
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The artwork is very striking–the model and the knife with the logo on it. What was the inspiration behind the art?
DC: My memory fails me as it's been such a long time and I haven't been in touch with some of these memories. If I remember correctly, we were just doing funny stuff on MySpace and some models had taken some photos with our logo. One of the models took that picture with the knife and we thought it was cool. The artwork was done by Pedro Daniel, a designer I knew, but I don't remember talking to him much as I think Kris was mostly in charge of the layout. I probably had some input too, of course. I can't remember if it was Pedro or Kris, but one of them thought it would be a good idea to put that knife photo on the cover.
KR: Well, the MySpace ladies was actually Daniel's thing. Getting all these girls to pose with the logo, sort of pre-social media influencer shenanigans! [laughs] I didn't object. Anyway, we put together the cover at the house of a friend of Daniel's a little further South in Portugal. Basically this fold-out collage, combining some different things.
What was the inspiration behind the title? It's a very striking, aggressive title.
DC: I remember Kris was doing a lot of wordplay, and we had a few other options back then. I think one was "Liminal Animal", and I think we had some other wordplay titles too, but Murder Nature struck the most. It's a cool title, and I am 99% sure that this was something Kris brought to the table, but I liked it from the start.
I remember Liminal Animat–that was in your MySpace bio.
DC: [laughs]
KR: It's still on Ulver's Facebook! It's a Coil reference, or a Coil-esque anagram. A lot of the lyrics started like that, these sort of hang-ups, just playing with words or idioms bouncing off each other; murder-mystery stream of consciousness.
The year 2006 was a while ago now, almost twenty years, and there hasn't been much correspondence from Head Control System since your Seal cover dropped. People don't know what the project's status is, so: what is Head Control System now?
DC: It was never really dead, because every once in a while me and Kris would flirt with the idea of doing another album. We were close to doing it a couple years ago, but it was just impossible to match our schedules. I was busy in the studio and with Anathema, Kris was busy with… everything! I do have a possible whole second album recorded so there's actually a shelved fully recorded, fully produced, Head Control System instrumental album just lacking the vocals. I'm secretly hoping one day we'll make it happen again. Who knows, maybe this reissue will help? Maybe the nostalgia will help us find the time.
KR: I feel kind of guilty about that because Daniel's actually already made the music. But I simply haven't found the window. The older I get the more useless I become at multitasking too. Obviously, if we were to do another one, it'll take time. People keep saying "Just release a new album already!" but that's quickly six months of your life, and that's six months I haven't had, to be honest.
Do you feel the inspiration, though?
KR: Both yes and no. I'm very proud of Murder Nature, I think it's an objectively great record! But it's also the kind of thing that… it belongs to a different time, and what both Daniel and I have been doing the past ten–fifteen years is different too. And that's life! I've been working on some new Ulver material for a couple years now, but it's hard to find the focus and get everyone on the same page. The idea of taking on another full album project in another headspace is a bit overwhelming for me. But again, when I listen back to Murder Nature, I am still wowed at how pro it all sounds. It's happened so many times that I'm in the studio with someone and we play some music and I'll pull that album out. No one knows about it, but every time people are like holy shit!
With this kind of resurgence in the "2000s-American-rock-and-metal" sound, I think a reissue like this would go over well, and who knows what will happen next!
KR: You know, Daniel and I, we've had long breaks in our communication over the years, but it's been really nice talking with him again recently and bonding over the simple joy of this reissue. We'll see what fuels the fire. Never say never, of course.
Is there anything you want to say about Head Control System?
DC: Nah. As I said before, I'm not the speaker type of guy. I'm more of a studio guy. Not so much into talking.
KR: I think I've said all there is to say, man. The bottom line is that I'm still fucking proud of this album, and feel childishly stoked about the opportunity to rerelease it.
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Murder Nature will be available on LP and 2CD from KScope Records on November 17th.
The Head Control System Story: A Retrospective (Interview)
[Editor's Note: the following is an extended version of what is being included as liner notes for the physical edition of Murder Nature. We thank KScope, Kris, and Daniel for allowing us to publish this here at Invisible Oranges.]
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To discuss Kristoffer Rygg and Daniel Cardoso's Head Control System project is to enter a time machine back to the mid-2000s, back when I was a teenager. A fledgling Ulver fan, having not even heard Cardoso's Sirius project at that point, I was obsessed with anything and everything Garm. Arcturus, (any) Ulver–you name it, I was sold. Head Control System was no different. A continuation of Cardoso's SinDRomE project, renamed by Rygg, Head Control System was a successful attempt at capturing the "rock" sound of its time, but with a greater experimental bent and distinctly European approach, setting it apart from American rock which dominated airwaves at the time.
Influenced by music like Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Queens of the Stone Age, but with Cardoso and Rygg's own plethora of influences backing this approach, Head Control System's sole album Murder Nature, released by The End Records (US) and Voices of Wonder/Jester Records (EUR) in 2006, was a departure for these two artists, both of whom at the time operated at separate ends of the musical spectrum (though both Rygg and Cardoso came from a black metal background). Smooth and rhythmic, Murder Nature took from Cardoso and Rygg's varied backgrounds and resulted in something wondrous, but also familiar and of its time. Touching on the then-dwindling nu-metal style in songs like "Masterpiece (of Art)", Cardoso and Rygg's own metal backgrounds sneak through in unsuspecting ways.
An international project, with Rygg operating from his home in Oslo, Norway, and Cardoso's studio then located in Braga, Portugal, Head Control System was tested by distance and internet collaboration. The result of Cardoso messaging Rygg on MySpace or by email (depending on which member you ask), Head Control System's humble early days as SinDRomE quickly exploded upon Rygg's eventual joining after hearing a handful of Cardoso's demos of what would eventually become Murder Nature.
Hot off the heels of recording Ulver's celebrated Blood Inside, Rygg and his family flew to Portugal for the Murder Nature vocal sessions. Spending punctuated days in the studio in order to keep his family entertained on what was essentially a "working vacation", Rygg would go so far as to keep his youngest in a BabyBjörn whilst recording. Using a similar (read as: extended) vocal range to Blood Inside, the harder, rock-inflicted edge Rygg imbued to his voice resulted in a heavier, more punchy performance than the UIver performances to which people had become accustomed in the band's tenure past their black metal Trilogie era.
Recorded and produced in his own studio, Cardoso doesn't remember much from the Head Control System days, though he insists the project is still mildly active, even after what amounts to nearly twenty years past Murder Nature's release. Having recorded a full second album's worth of material in the years since, it's been up to the ever-busy Rygg, who considers the project somewhere in the "dead-but-dreaming" realm, to finish this secret second record.
Personally, revisiting Murder Nature has been a delight, both nostalgically and from a measure of quality. Though alternative rock/metal wasn't what I expected from these artists, especially in retrospect as I become a more seasoned fan of both Cardoso and Rygg's works, Head Control System was (is?) one of those special bands which leaves a special mark on the music scene and is deserving of such a comprehensive edition. Go ahead and drop the needle (or set your CD player's dial) to your favorite track, be it "Baby Blue", "Masterpiece (of Art)", or any of the many infectious songs that comprise Murder Nature, and lose yourself in what is ultimately a fantastic rock record. It is a true masterpiece of art.
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I want to ask a big question first, because I've shown a few people Murder Nature and they all say the same thing–is Murder Nature a nu-metal album?
Daniel Cardoso: I wouldn't say so. Back then nu-metal was kind of a big deal but it wasn't exactly what I was listening to. I can see how people from the extreme metal scene would label Murder Nature a nu-metal album, but I'd never go that route myself. Maybe it fits that same type of nu-metal-ish sound but I don't think it fits within the same kind of genre.
Kristoffer Rygg: As of 2023, you mean? I honestly wouldn't know. It's kind of interesting to me how some of these guys like Tommy and Mark who wrote testimonials were into the album when it came out, which – not saying they're nu-metal–but it's interesting because we had high hopes for the album when it was released. It's so cool to hear from those guys so many years later that it resonated. We definitely thought it was as good as the big boys back then, you know. I remember tuning in to Queens of the Stone Age, for example, which is more groovy, cheeky, dare I say, sexy modern rock. Pretty hard to define. Something you'd just wanna blast from your car whilst cruising down the highway looking for your next victim, figuratively speaking.
I was reading reviews from around when Murder Nature was released and people didn't know what to call it. I found that really interesting.
DC: [laughs] I would liken it more towards Tool, A Perfect Circle, and to the new prog/djent scene that kinda started with Meshuggah, and has been proliferating through bands like TesseracT or Periphery. I think what we did back then fits more within that sort of genre. This reissue is happening on Kscope too, which has a lot of bands that gravitate towards modern prog metal or a prog rock type of sound.
I want to go all the way back to the beginning with SinDRomE. How did this band start?
DC: It was mostly just me laying some riffs on a guitar and drumming over it. Then I teamed up with this cool singer named Tobel Lopes, and we did some stuff that we were pretty happy with, but then for some reason we just went separate ways–perhaps because he was living far away from me and was from a bit of a different scene. We did work again later on different projects, though, he even joined me in Anathema for a while as a touring member.
How did Kris end up joining this band and turning it into Head Control System?
DC: It's a funny story. I remember when I was in Sirius, we had this conversation with Tomas "Samoth" (Emperor) about asking Kris to be a guest on a song. He told us it would be great, but he would probably say no. He's too busy and isn't the type of guy to get involved with new bands. Samoth painted this picture of him as this difficult-to-reach guy, which he was and still is. [laughs] Kris has this charisma and star quality that makes everyone feel like he is unreachable, and that's what we were told back then. When I was looking for a singer for what was still SinDRomE, I remember I just emailed Jester Records' general email address and introduced myself, saying I was in Sirius and was signed to Nocturnal Art Productions, et cetera. I had these songs and wanted to know if I could have direct contact with Kris. The reply was, "Hello Daniel, this is Kris. Shoot." Something like that, so he was replying directly to me, which was pretty cool. I sent him one song and said that I wanted to do this album and was looking for a singer. His reply was, "Yeah, this is nice. I kind of like the style because it isn't the usual kind of stuff people approach me with, but I'm busy and can't be involved in any other projects right now. But if you want, keep sending me songs." So I sent him a couple more songs, and I think I kept sending him songs and by the fifth or sixth song, I think he said he wanted to try some vocals. To me, it was like no fucking way.
KR: If I remember correctly, I think it was through MySpace. Those days were nice, it was suddenly very easy for musicians to connect and share some tunes. That's actually also how I got in contact with Daniel O'Sullivan a few years after this. Anyway, I think Daniel first reached out through MySpace and we started chatting. He sent me some demos and actually some videos of him playing. Needless to say, I was quite impressed by his skills, drumming and doing everything by himself. Tore (Ylwizaker) and I were just done with Blood Inside which is something we'd worked on and off with for three years or something, so it was a kind of auspicious moment to delve into something else for a while. I liked the prospect of being a hired gun, so to speak, and not being involved with all aspects of the production. Also, I liked Daniel. It's as simple as that.
How did the name Head Control System come to be?
DC: That was Kris. We still worked for a while under the SinDRomE name. I still have old demos and the file name was still SinDRomE and it already had Kris' vocals. I think it was when he visited me in Portugal to do some vocal sessions, one of the conversations we had sitting at a coffee place–he said the name SinDRomE was okay, but maybe we could have a stronger name? He came up with Head Control System, and it was a good name. I was never attached to SinDRomE or words in general. I'm the music kind of guy, not the lyrics or text kind of guy. SinDRomE was something I came up with when I was twenty. In hindsight, I'm glad we changed the name because I think throughout the years Head Control System still works well.
KR: I thought we brainstormed it together, but okay maybe I did come up with it. I didn't think SinDRomE–Severe Damage on Reason and Equilibrium–was that clever [laughs]. Not that Head Control System is, either, but it's got a bit more spunk. It could be some fast car mechanical program or device, or it might be a sexual thing. It was a random act of putting a few words together, see what pops! The lyrics came about much in the same way. Experimenting, associating, trying to get the syllables to dance to the music. They were all written with the movements of the music in mind.
The album was released in the US on The End Records label, which was a metal and progressive rock label (for the most part). How do you feel it was received among that crowd?
DC: It's hard to say. We never played live, we didn't do much promo. Social networking was still just MySpace. It was hard to tell how the album was going. Years later, I met unsuspecting people from the scene who told me "Wow, that album was killer!" but back then we couldn't know because we didn't get any relevant feedback from our listeners. I'm guessing the album didn't sell amazingly well, but it's no surprise considering we didn't do any promo and didn't play any shows. One thing I can say today though is that it did impact some people who later became big in the prog metal scene, and are now in pretty big bands, and that's something to be proud of.
KR: It might have been received better in the United States, but I do remember feeling disappointed by the lack of movement here in Europe.
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The next full recording you did, Kris, was Shadows of the Sun. What was it like working on this album considering what else you were working on?
KR: Well, with Blood Inside and Shadows of the Sun I was working closely with Tore [Ylwizaker]. Daniel and Tore are very different individuals. Different outlooks and technical approaches – obviously the singing style and general aesthetic is different too. There is a big stylistic shift between Blood Inside and Shadows of the Sun, of course. At the end of the day it's just about what you set your mind to, isn't it? What is the vision here?
Murder Nature was released with little fanfare, kind of coasting on notoriety and internet sharing rather than having a specific ad campaign. Why did you choose not to promote the album?
DC: We just weren't bothered with it. We just let go. Kris was always busy with Ulver and had already left Arcturus and Borknagar. He was involved with a lot of stuff and we didn't really worry too much about it. To be honest, I didn't see a big point in doing a lot of promo since we weren't doing shows. There was only so much one could do without playing the album live. Maybe that's why it didn't go farther in sales. On the other hand, it created this magic aura surrounding the album.
KR: We were naive, we probably thought it would sell itself, on the strength of the music alone, and maybe to some extent because Ulver had a good fan base. It wasn't really common to hire publicists back then, and I do think it fell between a few cracks – the extreme metal people didn't get it and the modern or alternative rock/metal crowd never even heard (about) it! We didn't understand that we probably should have had someone push for it to get played on radio, for example.
There was an underground following, myself being an Ulver fan who discovered Murder Nature from Kris' performance, but it was interesting to watch this go under the radar.
DC: It was indeed a bit under the radar when it came out, but ultimately it must have reached some people too. Throughout the years I've had several Head Control System "fans", for lack of a better word, asking me about a second album on social media, so there's that. Even today, if I post something about Head Control System I'm sure I'll get some random person asking, "When are you guys making another album?" Well, we can give them this reissue now and see how it goes, who knows what the future might bring.
Kris, what was the process of balancing being a father and being a recording artist at the time?
KR: There's a funny picture of me in Daniel's apartment (which was also his studio at the time) with my one-year-old daughter in a BabyBjörn carrying vessel. I'm standing trying to sing while she's crying her heart out. [laughs] It was quite a juggling process, but isn't it always?
How long did it take for you to finish the vocal sessions for this album?
KR: I think something like two–three months. Not necessarily every day, but you know, just focusing on getting the main ideas down, in Oslo. Then we went to Braga for ten days or a few weeks, maybe. That was very efficient, actually. Daniel is a very hands-on guy. We got a lot done there. I was using a Digitech multi-effects guitar processor that I liked to run at least some of the vocals through. I remember going back and doing some more tests, but I don't remember exactly how long it took. Maybe a few weeks or a month after Braga.
Was there ever any interest in pulling a band together and performing live?
DC: I was always a stage type of guy. I enjoy the studio environment, my day job is being a producer and it has been for the last twenty years or so, but what I love the most is playing on stage. However that was just not possible for Head Control System as Kris wasn't really available. I don't know if you remember this, but not even Ulver were playing live back then. A few years down the road, that's when he started playing live with Ulver. And then it was just too late, too hard and too expensive to try and match schedules and find people for a possible live representation of Murder Nature. But I do remember being at this Christmas party of our label (Voices of Wonder) in Norway and someone, the label owner possibly, was begging me to convince Kris to play live. I was like, "Sure, I'll try, but I don't think that's gonna happen." [laughs] I always respected Kris' will and reasoning behind not wanting to do any shows back then, though.
KR: It's a lot of work, man, at least if you want it to be special on stage. And it costs a lot of money to organize and get ready for a tour. Considering all those things, and the modest success of the album, it wasn't the first thing on my mind. Especially considering this was back then… 2006? Ulver started playing live a couple years later. I also played some gigs with Æthenor around 2008–2009, that's when I started to dip my toes in that format. I was opening up to the idea, but this comes down to time as well. Investment. We were just two guys in different countries, we would have to recruit at least two more. It's not something I thought much about, or even dreamed of. I always enjoyed the studio and the introspection. Creating things and recording them for eternity, so to speak. I have come to appreciate the live experience a lot more since, that goes without saying, but it's a more transient thing. Not as important as those records!
What was it like working together in the same room as Kris flew out to Portugal for a session as everything else was done remotely?
DC: It was very easy-going. We hit it off from the start. Kris jokes that he's half-Portuguese, himself, as he spent some years in Portugal growing up. So maybe that's why it was really easy for us to work together and to relate as human beings. I remember we just had fun and it was pretty chill. I was living in Braga which is a small town in the north of Portugal. The town itself is also pretty chill. Everything was really smooth and easy going. I don't remember ever being stressed about anything. It was just cool and easy.
Do you remember any stories about these sessions?
DC: No, well the only thing is Kris did come with his kids and his wife from the time. His son was three and his daughter was just a baby, so he was juggling recording sessions and being a father. I have a baby now, myself, and I know it demands a lot. It's fucking hard work, man! But when I played with Anathema in Oslo, Kris went to see me with his son. The last time I'd seen him he was three, baby-walking around Braga. So, about fifteen years later he's at my show, sitting at the grown-ups table, having adult conversations! It does put things into perspective and makes me feel old. [laughs]
Kris, could you fill in any blanks?
KR: I remember we went to a gig one night as Daniel was doing session live drums for a Portuguese band called R.A.M.P.–who I think were local heroes, or pretty big in Portugal. There was a big outdoor fest thing going on. That was a nice break from the studio and family proceedings. Otherwise it was pretty domestic. I had small kids, so they went to bed early. Early up. There was Portuguese coffee, always welcome. Some croquettes and straight to the studio, then family time and maybe some touristy stuff in the evening, a few Super Bocks. Nothing scandalous. That came later or before. Man, I could tell you some stories from Ulver on the road, but we never did that with Head Control System.
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The artwork is very striking–the model and the knife with the logo on it. What was the inspiration behind the art?
DC: My memory fails me as it's been such a long time and I haven't been in touch with some of these memories. If I remember correctly, we were just doing funny stuff on MySpace and some models had taken some photos with our logo. One of the models took that picture with the knife and we thought it was cool. The artwork was done by Pedro Daniel, a designer I knew, but I don't remember talking to him much as I think Kris was mostly in charge of the layout. I probably had some input too, of course. I can't remember if it was Pedro or Kris, but one of them thought it would be a good idea to put that knife photo on the cover.
KR: Well, the MySpace ladies was actually Daniel's thing. Getting all these girls to pose with the logo, sort of pre-social media influencer shenanigans! [laughs] I didn't object. Anyway, we put together the cover at the house of a friend of Daniel's a little further South in Portugal. Basically this fold-out collage, combining some different things.
What was the inspiration behind the title? It's a very striking, aggressive title.
DC: I remember Kris was doing a lot of wordplay, and we had a few other options back then. I think one was "Liminal Animal", and I think we had some other wordplay titles too, but Murder Nature struck the most. It's a cool title, and I am 99% sure that this was something Kris brought to the table, but I liked it from the start.
I remember Liminal Animat–that was in your MySpace bio.
DC: [laughs]
KR: It's still on Ulver's Facebook! It's a Coil reference, or a Coil-esque anagram. A lot of the lyrics started like that, these sort of hang-ups, just playing with words or idioms bouncing off each other; murder-mystery stream of consciousness.
The year 2006 was a while ago now, almost twenty years, and there hasn't been much correspondence from Head Control System since your Seal cover dropped. People don't know what the project's status is, so: what is Head Control System now?
DC: It was never really dead, because every once in a while me and Kris would flirt with the idea of doing another album. We were close to doing it a couple years ago, but it was just impossible to match our schedules. I was busy in the studio and with Anathema, Kris was busy with… everything! I do have a possible whole second album recorded so there's actually a shelved fully recorded, fully produced, Head Control System instrumental album just lacking the vocals. I'm secretly hoping one day we'll make it happen again. Who knows, maybe this reissue will help? Maybe the nostalgia will help us find the time.
KR: I feel kind of guilty about that because Daniel's actually already made the music. But I simply haven't found the window. The older I get the more useless I become at multitasking too. Obviously, if we were to do another one, it'll take time. People keep saying "Just release a new album already!" but that's quickly six months of your life, and that's six months I haven't had, to be honest.
Do you feel the inspiration, though?
KR: Both yes and no. I'm very proud of Murder Nature, I think it's an objectively great record! But it's also the kind of thing that… it belongs to a different time, and what both Daniel and I have been doing the past ten–fifteen years is different too. And that's life! I've been working on some new Ulver material for a couple years now, but it's hard to find the focus and get everyone on the same page. The idea of taking on another full album project in another headspace is a bit overwhelming for me. But again, when I listen back to Murder Nature, I am still wowed at how pro it all sounds. It's happened so many times that I'm in the studio with someone and we play some music and I'll pull that album out. No one knows about it, but every time people are like holy shit!
With this kind of resurgence in the "2000s-American-rock-and-metal" sound, I think a reissue like this would go over well, and who knows what will happen next!
KR: You know, Daniel and I, we've had long breaks in our communication over the years, but it's been really nice talking with him again recently and bonding over the simple joy of this reissue. We'll see what fuels the fire. Never say never, of course.
Is there anything you want to say about Head Control System?
DC: Nah. As I said before, I'm not the speaker type of guy. I'm more of a studio guy. Not so much into talking.
KR: I think I've said all there is to say, man. The bottom line is that I'm still fucking proud of this album, and feel childishly stoked about the opportunity to rerelease it.
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Murder Nature will be available on LP and 2CD from KScope Records on November 17th.
The Head Control System Story: A Retrospective (Interview)
[Editor's Note: the following is an extended version of what is being included as liner notes for the physical edition of Murder Nature. We thank KScope, Kris, and Daniel for allowing us to publish this here at Invisible Oranges.]
...
To discuss Kristoffer Rygg and Daniel Cardoso's Head Control System project is to enter a time machine back to the mid-2000s, back when I was a teenager. A fledgling Ulver fan, having not even heard Cardoso's Sirius project at that point, I was obsessed with anything and everything Garm. Arcturus, (any) Ulver–you name it, I was sold. Head Control System was no different. A continuation of Cardoso's SinDRomE project, renamed by Rygg, Head Control System was a successful attempt at capturing the "rock" sound of its time, but with a greater experimental bent and distinctly European approach, setting it apart from American rock which dominated airwaves at the time.
Influenced by music like Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Queens of the Stone Age, but with Cardoso and Rygg's own plethora of influences backing this approach, Head Control System's sole album Murder Nature, released by The End Records (US) and Voices of Wonder/Jester Records (EUR) in 2006, was a departure for these two artists, both of whom at the time operated at separate ends of the musical spectrum (though both Rygg and Cardoso came from a black metal background). Smooth and rhythmic, Murder Nature took from Cardoso and Rygg's varied backgrounds and resulted in something wondrous, but also familiar and of its time. Touching on the then-dwindling nu-metal style in songs like "Masterpiece (of Art)", Cardoso and Rygg's own metal backgrounds sneak through in unsuspecting ways.
An international project, with Rygg operating from his home in Oslo, Norway, and Cardoso's studio then located in Braga, Portugal, Head Control System was tested by distance and internet collaboration. The result of Cardoso messaging Rygg on MySpace or by email (depending on which member you ask), Head Control System's humble early days as SinDRomE quickly exploded upon Rygg's eventual joining after hearing a handful of Cardoso's demos of what would eventually become Murder Nature.
Hot off the heels of recording Ulver's celebrated Blood Inside, Rygg and his family flew to Portugal for the Murder Nature vocal sessions. Spending punctuated days in the studio in order to keep his family entertained on what was essentially a "working vacation", Rygg would go so far as to keep his youngest in a BabyBjörn whilst recording. Using a similar (read as: extended) vocal range to Blood Inside, the harder, rock-inflicted edge Rygg imbued to his voice resulted in a heavier, more punchy performance than the UIver performances to which people had become accustomed in the band's tenure past their black metal Trilogie era.
Recorded and produced in his own studio, Cardoso doesn't remember much from the Head Control System days, though he insists the project is still mildly active, even after what amounts to nearly twenty years past Murder Nature's release. Having recorded a full second album's worth of material in the years since, it's been up to the ever-busy Rygg, who considers the project somewhere in the "dead-but-dreaming" realm, to finish this secret second record.
Personally, revisiting Murder Nature has been a delight, both nostalgically and from a measure of quality. Though alternative rock/metal wasn't what I expected from these artists, especially in retrospect as I become a more seasoned fan of both Cardoso and Rygg's works, Head Control System was (is?) one of those special bands which leaves a special mark on the music scene and is deserving of such a comprehensive edition. Go ahead and drop the needle (or set your CD player's dial) to your favorite track, be it "Baby Blue", "Masterpiece (of Art)", or any of the many infectious songs that comprise Murder Nature, and lose yourself in what is ultimately a fantastic rock record. It is a true masterpiece of art.
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I want to ask a big question first, because I've shown a few people Murder Nature and they all say the same thing–is Murder Nature a nu-metal album?
Daniel Cardoso: I wouldn't say so. Back then nu-metal was kind of a big deal but it wasn't exactly what I was listening to. I can see how people from the extreme metal scene would label Murder Nature a nu-metal album, but I'd never go that route myself. Maybe it fits that same type of nu-metal-ish sound but I don't think it fits within the same kind of genre.
Kristoffer Rygg: As of 2023, you mean? I honestly wouldn't know. It's kind of interesting to me how some of these guys like Tommy and Mark who wrote testimonials were into the album when it came out, which – not saying they're nu-metal–but it's interesting because we had high hopes for the album when it was released. It's so cool to hear from those guys so many years later that it resonated. We definitely thought it was as good as the big boys back then, you know. I remember tuning in to Queens of the Stone Age, for example, which is more groovy, cheeky, dare I say, sexy modern rock. Pretty hard to define. Something you'd just wanna blast from your car whilst cruising down the highway looking for your next victim, figuratively speaking.
I was reading reviews from around when Murder Nature was released and people didn't know what to call it. I found that really interesting.
DC: [laughs] I would liken it more towards Tool, A Perfect Circle, and to the new prog/djent scene that kinda started with Meshuggah, and has been proliferating through bands like TesseracT or Periphery. I think what we did back then fits more within that sort of genre. This reissue is happening on Kscope too, which has a lot of bands that gravitate towards modern prog metal or a prog rock type of sound.
I want to go all the way back to the beginning with SinDRomE. How did this band start?
DC: It was mostly just me laying some riffs on a guitar and drumming over it. Then I teamed up with this cool singer named Tobel Lopes, and we did some stuff that we were pretty happy with, but then for some reason we just went separate ways–perhaps because he was living far away from me and was from a bit of a different scene. We did work again later on different projects, though, he even joined me in Anathema for a while as a touring member.
How did Kris end up joining this band and turning it into Head Control System?
DC: It's a funny story. I remember when I was in Sirius, we had this conversation with Tomas "Samoth" (Emperor) about asking Kris to be a guest on a song. He told us it would be great, but he would probably say no. He's too busy and isn't the type of guy to get involved with new bands. Samoth painted this picture of him as this difficult-to-reach guy, which he was and still is. [laughs] Kris has this charisma and star quality that makes everyone feel like he is unreachable, and that's what we were told back then. When I was looking for a singer for what was still SinDRomE, I remember I just emailed Jester Records' general email address and introduced myself, saying I was in Sirius and was signed to Nocturnal Art Productions, et cetera. I had these songs and wanted to know if I could have direct contact with Kris. The reply was, "Hello Daniel, this is Kris. Shoot." Something like that, so he was replying directly to me, which was pretty cool. I sent him one song and said that I wanted to do this album and was looking for a singer. His reply was, "Yeah, this is nice. I kind of like the style because it isn't the usual kind of stuff people approach me with, but I'm busy and can't be involved in any other projects right now. But if you want, keep sending me songs." So I sent him a couple more songs, and I think I kept sending him songs and by the fifth or sixth song, I think he said he wanted to try some vocals. To me, it was like no fucking way.
KR: If I remember correctly, I think it was through MySpace. Those days were nice, it was suddenly very easy for musicians to connect and share some tunes. That's actually also how I got in contact with Daniel O'Sullivan a few years after this. Anyway, I think Daniel first reached out through MySpace and we started chatting. He sent me some demos and actually some videos of him playing. Needless to say, I was quite impressed by his skills, drumming and doing everything by himself. Tore (Ylwizaker) and I were just done with Blood Inside which is something we'd worked on and off with for three years or something, so it was a kind of auspicious moment to delve into something else for a while. I liked the prospect of being a hired gun, so to speak, and not being involved with all aspects of the production. Also, I liked Daniel. It's as simple as that.
How did the name Head Control System come to be?
DC: That was Kris. We still worked for a while under the SinDRomE name. I still have old demos and the file name was still SinDRomE and it already had Kris' vocals. I think it was when he visited me in Portugal to do some vocal sessions, one of the conversations we had sitting at a coffee place–he said the name SinDRomE was okay, but maybe we could have a stronger name? He came up with Head Control System, and it was a good name. I was never attached to SinDRomE or words in general. I'm the music kind of guy, not the lyrics or text kind of guy. SinDRomE was something I came up with when I was twenty. In hindsight, I'm glad we changed the name because I think throughout the years Head Control System still works well.
KR: I thought we brainstormed it together, but okay maybe I did come up with it. I didn't think SinDRomE–Severe Damage on Reason and Equilibrium–was that clever [laughs]. Not that Head Control System is, either, but it's got a bit more spunk. It could be some fast car mechanical program or device, or it might be a sexual thing. It was a random act of putting a few words together, see what pops! The lyrics came about much in the same way. Experimenting, associating, trying to get the syllables to dance to the music. They were all written with the movements of the music in mind.
The album was released in the US on The End Records label, which was a metal and progressive rock label (for the most part). How do you feel it was received among that crowd?
DC: It's hard to say. We never played live, we didn't do much promo. Social networking was still just MySpace. It was hard to tell how the album was going. Years later, I met unsuspecting people from the scene who told me "Wow, that album was killer!" but back then we couldn't know because we didn't get any relevant feedback from our listeners. I'm guessing the album didn't sell amazingly well, but it's no surprise considering we didn't do any promo and didn't play any shows. One thing I can say today though is that it did impact some people who later became big in the prog metal scene, and are now in pretty big bands, and that's something to be proud of.
KR: It might have been received better in the United States, but I do remember feeling disappointed by the lack of movement here in Europe.
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The next full recording you did, Kris, was Shadows of the Sun. What was it like working on this album considering what else you were working on?
KR: Well, with Blood Inside and Shadows of the Sun I was working closely with Tore [Ylwizaker]. Daniel and Tore are very different individuals. Different outlooks and technical approaches – obviously the singing style and general aesthetic is different too. There is a big stylistic shift between Blood Inside and Shadows of the Sun, of course. At the end of the day it's just about what you set your mind to, isn't it? What is the vision here?
Murder Nature was released with little fanfare, kind of coasting on notoriety and internet sharing rather than having a specific ad campaign. Why did you choose not to promote the album?
DC: We just weren't bothered with it. We just let go. Kris was always busy with Ulver and had already left Arcturus and Borknagar. He was involved with a lot of stuff and we didn't really worry too much about it. To be honest, I didn't see a big point in doing a lot of promo since we weren't doing shows. There was only so much one could do without playing the album live. Maybe that's why it didn't go farther in sales. On the other hand, it created this magic aura surrounding the album.
KR: We were naive, we probably thought it would sell itself, on the strength of the music alone, and maybe to some extent because Ulver had a good fan base. It wasn't really common to hire publicists back then, and I do think it fell between a few cracks – the extreme metal people didn't get it and the modern or alternative rock/metal crowd never even heard (about) it! We didn't understand that we probably should have had someone push for it to get played on radio, for example.
There was an underground following, myself being an Ulver fan who discovered Murder Nature from Kris' performance, but it was interesting to watch this go under the radar.
DC: It was indeed a bit under the radar when it came out, but ultimately it must have reached some people too. Throughout the years I've had several Head Control System "fans", for lack of a better word, asking me about a second album on social media, so there's that. Even today, if I post something about Head Control System I'm sure I'll get some random person asking, "When are you guys making another album?" Well, we can give them this reissue now and see how it goes, who knows what the future might bring.
Kris, what was the process of balancing being a father and being a recording artist at the time?
KR: There's a funny picture of me in Daniel's apartment (which was also his studio at the time) with my one-year-old daughter in a BabyBjörn carrying vessel. I'm standing trying to sing while she's crying her heart out. [laughs] It was quite a juggling process, but isn't it always?
How long did it take for you to finish the vocal sessions for this album?
KR: I think something like two–three months. Not necessarily every day, but you know, just focusing on getting the main ideas down, in Oslo. Then we went to Braga for ten days or a few weeks, maybe. That was very efficient, actually. Daniel is a very hands-on guy. We got a lot done there. I was using a Digitech multi-effects guitar processor that I liked to run at least some of the vocals through. I remember going back and doing some more tests, but I don't remember exactly how long it took. Maybe a few weeks or a month after Braga.
Was there ever any interest in pulling a band together and performing live?
DC: I was always a stage type of guy. I enjoy the studio environment, my day job is being a producer and it has been for the last twenty years or so, but what I love the most is playing on stage. However that was just not possible for Head Control System as Kris wasn't really available. I don't know if you remember this, but not even Ulver were playing live back then. A few years down the road, that's when he started playing live with Ulver. And then it was just too late, too hard and too expensive to try and match schedules and find people for a possible live representation of Murder Nature. But I do remember being at this Christmas party of our label (Voices of Wonder) in Norway and someone, the label owner possibly, was begging me to convince Kris to play live. I was like, "Sure, I'll try, but I don't think that's gonna happen." [laughs] I always respected Kris' will and reasoning behind not wanting to do any shows back then, though.
KR: It's a lot of work, man, at least if you want it to be special on stage. And it costs a lot of money to organize and get ready for a tour. Considering all those things, and the modest success of the album, it wasn't the first thing on my mind. Especially considering this was back then… 2006? Ulver started playing live a couple years later. I also played some gigs with Æthenor around 2008–2009, that's when I started to dip my toes in that format. I was opening up to the idea, but this comes down to time as well. Investment. We were just two guys in different countries, we would have to recruit at least two more. It's not something I thought much about, or even dreamed of. I always enjoyed the studio and the introspection. Creating things and recording them for eternity, so to speak. I have come to appreciate the live experience a lot more since, that goes without saying, but it's a more transient thing. Not as important as those records!
What was it like working together in the same room as Kris flew out to Portugal for a session as everything else was done remotely?
DC: It was very easy-going. We hit it off from the start. Kris jokes that he's half-Portuguese, himself, as he spent some years in Portugal growing up. So maybe that's why it was really easy for us to work together and to relate as human beings. I remember we just had fun and it was pretty chill. I was living in Braga which is a small town in the north of Portugal. The town itself is also pretty chill. Everything was really smooth and easy going. I don't remember ever being stressed about anything. It was just cool and easy.
Do you remember any stories about these sessions?
DC: No, well the only thing is Kris did come with his kids and his wife from the time. His son was three and his daughter was just a baby, so he was juggling recording sessions and being a father. I have a baby now, myself, and I know it demands a lot. It's fucking hard work, man! But when I played with Anathema in Oslo, Kris went to see me with his son. The last time I'd seen him he was three, baby-walking around Braga. So, about fifteen years later he's at my show, sitting at the grown-ups table, having adult conversations! It does put things into perspective and makes me feel old. [laughs]
Kris, could you fill in any blanks?
KR: I remember we went to a gig one night as Daniel was doing session live drums for a Portuguese band called R.A.M.P.–who I think were local heroes, or pretty big in Portugal. There was a big outdoor fest thing going on. That was a nice break from the studio and family proceedings. Otherwise it was pretty domestic. I had small kids, so they went to bed early. Early up. There was Portuguese coffee, always welcome. Some croquettes and straight to the studio, then family time and maybe some touristy stuff in the evening, a few Super Bocks. Nothing scandalous. That came later or before. Man, I could tell you some stories from Ulver on the road, but we never did that with Head Control System.
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The artwork is very striking–the model and the knife with the logo on it. What was the inspiration behind the art?
DC: My memory fails me as it's been such a long time and I haven't been in touch with some of these memories. If I remember correctly, we were just doing funny stuff on MySpace and some models had taken some photos with our logo. One of the models took that picture with the knife and we thought it was cool. The artwork was done by Pedro Daniel, a designer I knew, but I don't remember talking to him much as I think Kris was mostly in charge of the layout. I probably had some input too, of course. I can't remember if it was Pedro or Kris, but one of them thought it would be a good idea to put that knife photo on the cover.
KR: Well, the MySpace ladies was actually Daniel's thing. Getting all these girls to pose with the logo, sort of pre-social media influencer shenanigans! [laughs] I didn't object. Anyway, we put together the cover at the house of a friend of Daniel's a little further South in Portugal. Basically this fold-out collage, combining some different things.
What was the inspiration behind the title? It's a very striking, aggressive title.
DC: I remember Kris was doing a lot of wordplay, and we had a few other options back then. I think one was "Liminal Animal", and I think we had some other wordplay titles too, but Murder Nature struck the most. It's a cool title, and I am 99% sure that this was something Kris brought to the table, but I liked it from the start.
I remember Liminal Animat–that was in your MySpace bio.
DC: [laughs]
KR: It's still on Ulver's Facebook! It's a Coil reference, or a Coil-esque anagram. A lot of the lyrics started like that, these sort of hang-ups, just playing with words or idioms bouncing off each other; murder-mystery stream of consciousness.
The year 2006 was a while ago now, almost twenty years, and there hasn't been much correspondence from Head Control System since your Seal cover dropped. People don't know what the project's status is, so: what is Head Control System now?
DC: It was never really dead, because every once in a while me and Kris would flirt with the idea of doing another album. We were close to doing it a couple years ago, but it was just impossible to match our schedules. I was busy in the studio and with Anathema, Kris was busy with… everything! I do have a possible whole second album recorded so there's actually a shelved fully recorded, fully produced, Head Control System instrumental album just lacking the vocals. I'm secretly hoping one day we'll make it happen again. Who knows, maybe this reissue will help? Maybe the nostalgia will help us find the time.
KR: I feel kind of guilty about that because Daniel's actually already made the music. But I simply haven't found the window. The older I get the more useless I become at multitasking too. Obviously, if we were to do another one, it'll take time. People keep saying "Just release a new album already!" but that's quickly six months of your life, and that's six months I haven't had, to be honest.
Do you feel the inspiration, though?
KR: Both yes and no. I'm very proud of Murder Nature, I think it's an objectively great record! But it's also the kind of thing that… it belongs to a different time, and what both Daniel and I have been doing the past ten–fifteen years is different too. And that's life! I've been working on some new Ulver material for a couple years now, but it's hard to find the focus and get everyone on the same page. The idea of taking on another full album project in another headspace is a bit overwhelming for me. But again, when I listen back to Murder Nature, I am still wowed at how pro it all sounds. It's happened so many times that I'm in the studio with someone and we play some music and I'll pull that album out. No one knows about it, but every time people are like holy shit!
With this kind of resurgence in the "2000s-American-rock-and-metal" sound, I think a reissue like this would go over well, and who knows what will happen next!
KR: You know, Daniel and I, we've had long breaks in our communication over the years, but it's been really nice talking with him again recently and bonding over the simple joy of this reissue. We'll see what fuels the fire. Never say never, of course.
Is there anything you want to say about Head Control System?
DC: Nah. As I said before, I'm not the speaker type of guy. I'm more of a studio guy. Not so much into talking.
KR: I think I've said all there is to say, man. The bottom line is that I'm still fucking proud of this album, and feel childishly stoked about the opportunity to rerelease it.
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Murder Nature will be available on LP and 2CD from KScope Records on November 17th.
The Head Control System Story: A Retrospective (Interview)
[Editor's Note: the following is an extended version of what is being included as liner notes for the physical edition of Murder Nature. We thank KScope, Kris, and Daniel for allowing us to publish this here at Invisible Oranges.]
...
To discuss Kristoffer Rygg and Daniel Cardoso's Head Control System project is to enter a time machine back to the mid-2000s, back when I was a teenager. A fledgling Ulver fan, having not even heard Cardoso's Sirius project at that point, I was obsessed with anything and everything Garm. Arcturus, (any) Ulver–you name it, I was sold. Head Control System was no different. A continuation of Cardoso's SinDRomE project, renamed by Rygg, Head Control System was a successful attempt at capturing the "rock" sound of its time, but with a greater experimental bent and distinctly European approach, setting it apart from American rock which dominated airwaves at the time.
Influenced by music like Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Queens of the Stone Age, but with Cardoso and Rygg's own plethora of influences backing this approach, Head Control System's sole album Murder Nature, released by The End Records (US) and Voices of Wonder/Jester Records (EUR) in 2006, was a departure for these two artists, both of whom at the time operated at separate ends of the musical spectrum (though both Rygg and Cardoso came from a black metal background). Smooth and rhythmic, Murder Nature took from Cardoso and Rygg's varied backgrounds and resulted in something wondrous, but also familiar and of its time. Touching on the then-dwindling nu-metal style in songs like "Masterpiece (of Art)", Cardoso and Rygg's own metal backgrounds sneak through in unsuspecting ways.
An international project, with Rygg operating from his home in Oslo, Norway, and Cardoso's studio then located in Braga, Portugal, Head Control System was tested by distance and internet collaboration. The result of Cardoso messaging Rygg on MySpace or by email (depending on which member you ask), Head Control System's humble early days as SinDRomE quickly exploded upon Rygg's eventual joining after hearing a handful of Cardoso's demos of what would eventually become Murder Nature.
Hot off the heels of recording Ulver's celebrated Blood Inside, Rygg and his family flew to Portugal for the Murder Nature vocal sessions. Spending punctuated days in the studio in order to keep his family entertained on what was essentially a "working vacation", Rygg would go so far as to keep his youngest in a BabyBjörn whilst recording. Using a similar (read as: extended) vocal range to Blood Inside, the harder, rock-inflicted edge Rygg imbued to his voice resulted in a heavier, more punchy performance than the UIver performances to which people had become accustomed in the band's tenure past their black metal Trilogie era.
Recorded and produced in his own studio, Cardoso doesn't remember much from the Head Control System days, though he insists the project is still mildly active, even after what amounts to nearly twenty years past Murder Nature's release. Having recorded a full second album's worth of material in the years since, it's been up to the ever-busy Rygg, who considers the project somewhere in the "dead-but-dreaming" realm, to finish this secret second record.
Personally, revisiting Murder Nature has been a delight, both nostalgically and from a measure of quality. Though alternative rock/metal wasn't what I expected from these artists, especially in retrospect as I become a more seasoned fan of both Cardoso and Rygg's works, Head Control System was (is?) one of those special bands which leaves a special mark on the music scene and is deserving of such a comprehensive edition. Go ahead and drop the needle (or set your CD player's dial) to your favorite track, be it "Baby Blue", "Masterpiece (of Art)", or any of the many infectious songs that comprise Murder Nature, and lose yourself in what is ultimately a fantastic rock record. It is a true masterpiece of art.
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I want to ask a big question first, because I've shown a few people Murder Nature and they all say the same thing–is Murder Nature a nu-metal album?
Daniel Cardoso: I wouldn't say so. Back then nu-metal was kind of a big deal but it wasn't exactly what I was listening to. I can see how people from the extreme metal scene would label Murder Nature a nu-metal album, but I'd never go that route myself. Maybe it fits that same type of nu-metal-ish sound but I don't think it fits within the same kind of genre.
Kristoffer Rygg: As of 2023, you mean? I honestly wouldn't know. It's kind of interesting to me how some of these guys like Tommy and Mark who wrote testimonials were into the album when it came out, which – not saying they're nu-metal–but it's interesting because we had high hopes for the album when it was released. It's so cool to hear from those guys so many years later that it resonated. We definitely thought it was as good as the big boys back then, you know. I remember tuning in to Queens of the Stone Age, for example, which is more groovy, cheeky, dare I say, sexy modern rock. Pretty hard to define. Something you'd just wanna blast from your car whilst cruising down the highway looking for your next victim, figuratively speaking.
I was reading reviews from around when Murder Nature was released and people didn't know what to call it. I found that really interesting.
DC: [laughs] I would liken it more towards Tool, A Perfect Circle, and to the new prog/djent scene that kinda started with Meshuggah, and has been proliferating through bands like TesseracT or Periphery. I think what we did back then fits more within that sort of genre. This reissue is happening on Kscope too, which has a lot of bands that gravitate towards modern prog metal or a prog rock type of sound.
I want to go all the way back to the beginning with SinDRomE. How did this band start?
DC: It was mostly just me laying some riffs on a guitar and drumming over it. Then I teamed up with this cool singer named Tobel Lopes, and we did some stuff that we were pretty happy with, but then for some reason we just went separate ways–perhaps because he was living far away from me and was from a bit of a different scene. We did work again later on different projects, though, he even joined me in Anathema for a while as a touring member.
How did Kris end up joining this band and turning it into Head Control System?
DC: It's a funny story. I remember when I was in Sirius, we had this conversation with Tomas "Samoth" (Emperor) about asking Kris to be a guest on a song. He told us it would be great, but he would probably say no. He's too busy and isn't the type of guy to get involved with new bands. Samoth painted this picture of him as this difficult-to-reach guy, which he was and still is. [laughs] Kris has this charisma and star quality that makes everyone feel like he is unreachable, and that's what we were told back then. When I was looking for a singer for what was still SinDRomE, I remember I just emailed Jester Records' general email address and introduced myself, saying I was in Sirius and was signed to Nocturnal Art Productions, et cetera. I had these songs and wanted to know if I could have direct contact with Kris. The reply was, "Hello Daniel, this is Kris. Shoot." Something like that, so he was replying directly to me, which was pretty cool. I sent him one song and said that I wanted to do this album and was looking for a singer. His reply was, "Yeah, this is nice. I kind of like the style because it isn't the usual kind of stuff people approach me with, but I'm busy and can't be involved in any other projects right now. But if you want, keep sending me songs." So I sent him a couple more songs, and I think I kept sending him songs and by the fifth or sixth song, I think he said he wanted to try some vocals. To me, it was like no fucking way.
KR: If I remember correctly, I think it was through MySpace. Those days were nice, it was suddenly very easy for musicians to connect and share some tunes. That's actually also how I got in contact with Daniel O'Sullivan a few years after this. Anyway, I think Daniel first reached out through MySpace and we started chatting. He sent me some demos and actually some videos of him playing. Needless to say, I was quite impressed by his skills, drumming and doing everything by himself. Tore (Ylwizaker) and I were just done with Blood Inside which is something we'd worked on and off with for three years or something, so it was a kind of auspicious moment to delve into something else for a while. I liked the prospect of being a hired gun, so to speak, and not being involved with all aspects of the production. Also, I liked Daniel. It's as simple as that.
How did the name Head Control System come to be?
DC: That was Kris. We still worked for a while under the SinDRomE name. I still have old demos and the file name was still SinDRomE and it already had Kris' vocals. I think it was when he visited me in Portugal to do some vocal sessions, one of the conversations we had sitting at a coffee place–he said the name SinDRomE was okay, but maybe we could have a stronger name? He came up with Head Control System, and it was a good name. I was never attached to SinDRomE or words in general. I'm the music kind of guy, not the lyrics or text kind of guy. SinDRomE was something I came up with when I was twenty. In hindsight, I'm glad we changed the name because I think throughout the years Head Control System still works well.
KR: I thought we brainstormed it together, but okay maybe I did come up with it. I didn't think SinDRomE–Severe Damage on Reason and Equilibrium–was that clever [laughs]. Not that Head Control System is, either, but it's got a bit more spunk. It could be some fast car mechanical program or device, or it might be a sexual thing. It was a random act of putting a few words together, see what pops! The lyrics came about much in the same way. Experimenting, associating, trying to get the syllables to dance to the music. They were all written with the movements of the music in mind.
The album was released in the US on The End Records label, which was a metal and progressive rock label (for the most part). How do you feel it was received among that crowd?
DC: It's hard to say. We never played live, we didn't do much promo. Social networking was still just MySpace. It was hard to tell how the album was going. Years later, I met unsuspecting people from the scene who told me "Wow, that album was killer!" but back then we couldn't know because we didn't get any relevant feedback from our listeners. I'm guessing the album didn't sell amazingly well, but it's no surprise considering we didn't do any promo and didn't play any shows. One thing I can say today though is that it did impact some people who later became big in the prog metal scene, and are now in pretty big bands, and that's something to be proud of.
KR: It might have been received better in the United States, but I do remember feeling disappointed by the lack of movement here in Europe.
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The next full recording you did, Kris, was Shadows of the Sun. What was it like working on this album considering what else you were working on?
KR: Well, with Blood Inside and Shadows of the Sun I was working closely with Tore [Ylwizaker]. Daniel and Tore are very different individuals. Different outlooks and technical approaches – obviously the singing style and general aesthetic is different too. There is a big stylistic shift between Blood Inside and Shadows of the Sun, of course. At the end of the day it's just about what you set your mind to, isn't it? What is the vision here?
Murder Nature was released with little fanfare, kind of coasting on notoriety and internet sharing rather than having a specific ad campaign. Why did you choose not to promote the album?
DC: We just weren't bothered with it. We just let go. Kris was always busy with Ulver and had already left Arcturus and Borknagar. He was involved with a lot of stuff and we didn't really worry too much about it. To be honest, I didn't see a big point in doing a lot of promo since we weren't doing shows. There was only so much one could do without playing the album live. Maybe that's why it didn't go farther in sales. On the other hand, it created this magic aura surrounding the album.
KR: We were naive, we probably thought it would sell itself, on the strength of the music alone, and maybe to some extent because Ulver had a good fan base. It wasn't really common to hire publicists back then, and I do think it fell between a few cracks – the extreme metal people didn't get it and the modern or alternative rock/metal crowd never even heard (about) it! We didn't understand that we probably should have had someone push for it to get played on radio, for example.
There was an underground following, myself being an Ulver fan who discovered Murder Nature from Kris' performance, but it was interesting to watch this go under the radar.
DC: It was indeed a bit under the radar when it came out, but ultimately it must have reached some people too. Throughout the years I've had several Head Control System "fans", for lack of a better word, asking me about a second album on social media, so there's that. Even today, if I post something about Head Control System I'm sure I'll get some random person asking, "When are you guys making another album?" Well, we can give them this reissue now and see how it goes, who knows what the future might bring.
Kris, what was the process of balancing being a father and being a recording artist at the time?
KR: There's a funny picture of me in Daniel's apartment (which was also his studio at the time) with my one-year-old daughter in a BabyBjörn carrying vessel. I'm standing trying to sing while she's crying her heart out. [laughs] It was quite a juggling process, but isn't it always?
How long did it take for you to finish the vocal sessions for this album?
KR: I think something like two–three months. Not necessarily every day, but you know, just focusing on getting the main ideas down, in Oslo. Then we went to Braga for ten days or a few weeks, maybe. That was very efficient, actually. Daniel is a very hands-on guy. We got a lot done there. I was using a Digitech multi-effects guitar processor that I liked to run at least some of the vocals through. I remember going back and doing some more tests, but I don't remember exactly how long it took. Maybe a few weeks or a month after Braga.
Was there ever any interest in pulling a band together and performing live?
DC: I was always a stage type of guy. I enjoy the studio environment, my day job is being a producer and it has been for the last twenty years or so, but what I love the most is playing on stage. However that was just not possible for Head Control System as Kris wasn't really available. I don't know if you remember this, but not even Ulver were playing live back then. A few years down the road, that's when he started playing live with Ulver. And then it was just too late, too hard and too expensive to try and match schedules and find people for a possible live representation of Murder Nature. But I do remember being at this Christmas party of our label (Voices of Wonder) in Norway and someone, the label owner possibly, was begging me to convince Kris to play live. I was like, "Sure, I'll try, but I don't think that's gonna happen." [laughs] I always respected Kris' will and reasoning behind not wanting to do any shows back then, though.
KR: It's a lot of work, man, at least if you want it to be special on stage. And it costs a lot of money to organize and get ready for a tour. Considering all those things, and the modest success of the album, it wasn't the first thing on my mind. Especially considering this was back then… 2006? Ulver started playing live a couple years later. I also played some gigs with Æthenor around 2008–2009, that's when I started to dip my toes in that format. I was opening up to the idea, but this comes down to time as well. Investment. We were just two guys in different countries, we would have to recruit at least two more. It's not something I thought much about, or even dreamed of. I always enjoyed the studio and the introspection. Creating things and recording them for eternity, so to speak. I have come to appreciate the live experience a lot more since, that goes without saying, but it's a more transient thing. Not as important as those records!
What was it like working together in the same room as Kris flew out to Portugal for a session as everything else was done remotely?
DC: It was very easy-going. We hit it off from the start. Kris jokes that he's half-Portuguese, himself, as he spent some years in Portugal growing up. So maybe that's why it was really easy for us to work together and to relate as human beings. I remember we just had fun and it was pretty chill. I was living in Braga which is a small town in the north of Portugal. The town itself is also pretty chill. Everything was really smooth and easy going. I don't remember ever being stressed about anything. It was just cool and easy.
Do you remember any stories about these sessions?
DC: No, well the only thing is Kris did come with his kids and his wife from the time. His son was three and his daughter was just a baby, so he was juggling recording sessions and being a father. I have a baby now, myself, and I know it demands a lot. It's fucking hard work, man! But when I played with Anathema in Oslo, Kris went to see me with his son. The last time I'd seen him he was three, baby-walking around Braga. So, about fifteen years later he's at my show, sitting at the grown-ups table, having adult conversations! It does put things into perspective and makes me feel old. [laughs]
Kris, could you fill in any blanks?
KR: I remember we went to a gig one night as Daniel was doing session live drums for a Portuguese band called R.A.M.P.–who I think were local heroes, or pretty big in Portugal. There was a big outdoor fest thing going on. That was a nice break from the studio and family proceedings. Otherwise it was pretty domestic. I had small kids, so they went to bed early. Early up. There was Portuguese coffee, always welcome. Some croquettes and straight to the studio, then family time and maybe some touristy stuff in the evening, a few Super Bocks. Nothing scandalous. That came later or before. Man, I could tell you some stories from Ulver on the road, but we never did that with Head Control System.
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The artwork is very striking–the model and the knife with the logo on it. What was the inspiration behind the art?
DC: My memory fails me as it's been such a long time and I haven't been in touch with some of these memories. If I remember correctly, we were just doing funny stuff on MySpace and some models had taken some photos with our logo. One of the models took that picture with the knife and we thought it was cool. The artwork was done by Pedro Daniel, a designer I knew, but I don't remember talking to him much as I think Kris was mostly in charge of the layout. I probably had some input too, of course. I can't remember if it was Pedro or Kris, but one of them thought it would be a good idea to put that knife photo on the cover.
KR: Well, the MySpace ladies was actually Daniel's thing. Getting all these girls to pose with the logo, sort of pre-social media influencer shenanigans! [laughs] I didn't object. Anyway, we put together the cover at the house of a friend of Daniel's a little further South in Portugal. Basically this fold-out collage, combining some different things.
What was the inspiration behind the title? It's a very striking, aggressive title.
DC: I remember Kris was doing a lot of wordplay, and we had a few other options back then. I think one was "Liminal Animal", and I think we had some other wordplay titles too, but Murder Nature struck the most. It's a cool title, and I am 99% sure that this was something Kris brought to the table, but I liked it from the start.
I remember Liminal Animat–that was in your MySpace bio.
DC: [laughs]
KR: It's still on Ulver's Facebook! It's a Coil reference, or a Coil-esque anagram. A lot of the lyrics started like that, these sort of hang-ups, just playing with words or idioms bouncing off each other; murder-mystery stream of consciousness.
The year 2006 was a while ago now, almost twenty years, and there hasn't been much correspondence from Head Control System since your Seal cover dropped. People don't know what the project's status is, so: what is Head Control System now?
DC: It was never really dead, because every once in a while me and Kris would flirt with the idea of doing another album. We were close to doing it a couple years ago, but it was just impossible to match our schedules. I was busy in the studio and with Anathema, Kris was busy with… everything! I do have a possible whole second album recorded so there's actually a shelved fully recorded, fully produced, Head Control System instrumental album just lacking the vocals. I'm secretly hoping one day we'll make it happen again. Who knows, maybe this reissue will help? Maybe the nostalgia will help us find the time.
KR: I feel kind of guilty about that because Daniel's actually already made the music. But I simply haven't found the window. The older I get the more useless I become at multitasking too. Obviously, if we were to do another one, it'll take time. People keep saying "Just release a new album already!" but that's quickly six months of your life, and that's six months I haven't had, to be honest.
Do you feel the inspiration, though?
KR: Both yes and no. I'm very proud of Murder Nature, I think it's an objectively great record! But it's also the kind of thing that… it belongs to a different time, and what both Daniel and I have been doing the past ten–fifteen years is different too. And that's life! I've been working on some new Ulver material for a couple years now, but it's hard to find the focus and get everyone on the same page. The idea of taking on another full album project in another headspace is a bit overwhelming for me. But again, when I listen back to Murder Nature, I am still wowed at how pro it all sounds. It's happened so many times that I'm in the studio with someone and we play some music and I'll pull that album out. No one knows about it, but every time people are like holy shit!
With this kind of resurgence in the "2000s-American-rock-and-metal" sound, I think a reissue like this would go over well, and who knows what will happen next!
KR: You know, Daniel and I, we've had long breaks in our communication over the years, but it's been really nice talking with him again recently and bonding over the simple joy of this reissue. We'll see what fuels the fire. Never say never, of course.
Is there anything you want to say about Head Control System?
DC: Nah. As I said before, I'm not the speaker type of guy. I'm more of a studio guy. Not so much into talking.
KR: I think I've said all there is to say, man. The bottom line is that I'm still fucking proud of this album, and feel childishly stoked about the opportunity to rerelease it.
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Murder Nature will be available on LP and 2CD from KScope Records on November 17th.
The Head Control System Story: A Retrospective (Interview)
[Editor's Note: the following is an extended version of what is being included as liner notes for the physical edition of Murder Nature. We thank KScope, Kris, and Daniel for allowing us to publish this here at Invisible Oranges.]
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To discuss Kristoffer Rygg and Daniel Cardoso's Head Control System project is to enter a time machine back to the mid-2000s, back when I was a teenager. A fledgling Ulver fan, having not even heard Cardoso's Sirius project at that point, I was obsessed with anything and everything Garm. Arcturus, (any) Ulver–you name it, I was sold. Head Control System was no different. A continuation of Cardoso's SinDRomE project, renamed by Rygg, Head Control System was a successful attempt at capturing the "rock" sound of its time, but with a greater experimental bent and distinctly European approach, setting it apart from American rock which dominated airwaves at the time.
Influenced by music like Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Queens of the Stone Age, but with Cardoso and Rygg's own plethora of influences backing this approach, Head Control System's sole album Murder Nature, released by The End Records (US) and Voices of Wonder/Jester Records (EUR) in 2006, was a departure for these two artists, both of whom at the time operated at separate ends of the musical spectrum (though both Rygg and Cardoso came from a black metal background). Smooth and rhythmic, Murder Nature took from Cardoso and Rygg's varied backgrounds and resulted in something wondrous, but also familiar and of its time. Touching on the then-dwindling nu-metal style in songs like "Masterpiece (of Art)", Cardoso and Rygg's own metal backgrounds sneak through in unsuspecting ways.
An international project, with Rygg operating from his home in Oslo, Norway, and Cardoso's studio then located in Braga, Portugal, Head Control System was tested by distance and internet collaboration. The result of Cardoso messaging Rygg on MySpace or by email (depending on which member you ask), Head Control System's humble early days as SinDRomE quickly exploded upon Rygg's eventual joining after hearing a handful of Cardoso's demos of what would eventually become Murder Nature.
Hot off the heels of recording Ulver's celebrated Blood Inside, Rygg and his family flew to Portugal for the Murder Nature vocal sessions. Spending punctuated days in the studio in order to keep his family entertained on what was essentially a "working vacation", Rygg would go so far as to keep his youngest in a BabyBjörn whilst recording. Using a similar (read as: extended) vocal range to Blood Inside, the harder, rock-inflicted edge Rygg imbued to his voice resulted in a heavier, more punchy performance than the UIver performances to which people had become accustomed in the band's tenure past their black metal Trilogie era.
Recorded and produced in his own studio, Cardoso doesn't remember much from the Head Control System days, though he insists the project is still mildly active, even after what amounts to nearly twenty years past Murder Nature's release. Having recorded a full second album's worth of material in the years since, it's been up to the ever-busy Rygg, who considers the project somewhere in the "dead-but-dreaming" realm, to finish this secret second record.
Personally, revisiting Murder Nature has been a delight, both nostalgically and from a measure of quality. Though alternative rock/metal wasn't what I expected from these artists, especially in retrospect as I become a more seasoned fan of both Cardoso and Rygg's works, Head Control System was (is?) one of those special bands which leaves a special mark on the music scene and is deserving of such a comprehensive edition. Go ahead and drop the needle (or set your CD player's dial) to your favorite track, be it "Baby Blue", "Masterpiece (of Art)", or any of the many infectious songs that comprise Murder Nature, and lose yourself in what is ultimately a fantastic rock record. It is a true masterpiece of art.
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I want to ask a big question first, because I've shown a few people Murder Nature and they all say the same thing–is Murder Nature a nu-metal album?
Daniel Cardoso: I wouldn't say so. Back then nu-metal was kind of a big deal but it wasn't exactly what I was listening to. I can see how people from the extreme metal scene would label Murder Nature a nu-metal album, but I'd never go that route myself. Maybe it fits that same type of nu-metal-ish sound but I don't think it fits within the same kind of genre.
Kristoffer Rygg: As of 2023, you mean? I honestly wouldn't know. It's kind of interesting to me how some of these guys like Tommy and Mark who wrote testimonials were into the album when it came out, which – not saying they're nu-metal–but it's interesting because we had high hopes for the album when it was released. It's so cool to hear from those guys so many years later that it resonated. We definitely thought it was as good as the big boys back then, you know. I remember tuning in to Queens of the Stone Age, for example, which is more groovy, cheeky, dare I say, sexy modern rock. Pretty hard to define. Something you'd just wanna blast from your car whilst cruising down the highway looking for your next victim, figuratively speaking.
I was reading reviews from around when Murder Nature was released and people didn't know what to call it. I found that really interesting.
DC: [laughs] I would liken it more towards Tool, A Perfect Circle, and to the new prog/djent scene that kinda started with Meshuggah, and has been proliferating through bands like TesseracT or Periphery. I think what we did back then fits more within that sort of genre. This reissue is happening on Kscope too, which has a lot of bands that gravitate towards modern prog metal or a prog rock type of sound.
I want to go all the way back to the beginning with SinDRomE. How did this band start?
DC: It was mostly just me laying some riffs on a guitar and drumming over it. Then I teamed up with this cool singer named Tobel Lopes, and we did some stuff that we were pretty happy with, but then for some reason we just went separate ways–perhaps because he was living far away from me and was from a bit of a different scene. We did work again later on different projects, though, he even joined me in Anathema for a while as a touring member.
How did Kris end up joining this band and turning it into Head Control System?
DC: It's a funny story. I remember when I was in Sirius, we had this conversation with Tomas "Samoth" (Emperor) about asking Kris to be a guest on a song. He told us it would be great, but he would probably say no. He's too busy and isn't the type of guy to get involved with new bands. Samoth painted this picture of him as this difficult-to-reach guy, which he was and still is. [laughs] Kris has this charisma and star quality that makes everyone feel like he is unreachable, and that's what we were told back then. When I was looking for a singer for what was still SinDRomE, I remember I just emailed Jester Records' general email address and introduced myself, saying I was in Sirius and was signed to Nocturnal Art Productions, et cetera. I had these songs and wanted to know if I could have direct contact with Kris. The reply was, "Hello Daniel, this is Kris. Shoot." Something like that, so he was replying directly to me, which was pretty cool. I sent him one song and said that I wanted to do this album and was looking for a singer. His reply was, "Yeah, this is nice. I kind of like the style because it isn't the usual kind of stuff people approach me with, but I'm busy and can't be involved in any other projects right now. But if you want, keep sending me songs." So I sent him a couple more songs, and I think I kept sending him songs and by the fifth or sixth song, I think he said he wanted to try some vocals. To me, it was like no fucking way.
KR: If I remember correctly, I think it was through MySpace. Those days were nice, it was suddenly very easy for musicians to connect and share some tunes. That's actually also how I got in contact with Daniel O'Sullivan a few years after this. Anyway, I think Daniel first reached out through MySpace and we started chatting. He sent me some demos and actually some videos of him playing. Needless to say, I was quite impressed by his skills, drumming and doing everything by himself. Tore (Ylwizaker) and I were just done with Blood Inside which is something we'd worked on and off with for three years or something, so it was a kind of auspicious moment to delve into something else for a while. I liked the prospect of being a hired gun, so to speak, and not being involved with all aspects of the production. Also, I liked Daniel. It's as simple as that.
How did the name Head Control System come to be?
DC: That was Kris. We still worked for a while under the SinDRomE name. I still have old demos and the file name was still SinDRomE and it already had Kris' vocals. I think it was when he visited me in Portugal to do some vocal sessions, one of the conversations we had sitting at a coffee place–he said the name SinDRomE was okay, but maybe we could have a stronger name? He came up with Head Control System, and it was a good name. I was never attached to SinDRomE or words in general. I'm the music kind of guy, not the lyrics or text kind of guy. SinDRomE was something I came up with when I was twenty. In hindsight, I'm glad we changed the name because I think throughout the years Head Control System still works well.
KR: I thought we brainstormed it together, but okay maybe I did come up with it. I didn't think SinDRomE–Severe Damage on Reason and Equilibrium–was that clever [laughs]. Not that Head Control System is, either, but it's got a bit more spunk. It could be some fast car mechanical program or device, or it might be a sexual thing. It was a random act of putting a few words together, see what pops! The lyrics came about much in the same way. Experimenting, associating, trying to get the syllables to dance to the music. They were all written with the movements of the music in mind.
The album was released in the US on The End Records label, which was a metal and progressive rock label (for the most part). How do you feel it was received among that crowd?
DC: It's hard to say. We never played live, we didn't do much promo. Social networking was still just MySpace. It was hard to tell how the album was going. Years later, I met unsuspecting people from the scene who told me "Wow, that album was killer!" but back then we couldn't know because we didn't get any relevant feedback from our listeners. I'm guessing the album didn't sell amazingly well, but it's no surprise considering we didn't do any promo and didn't play any shows. One thing I can say today though is that it did impact some people who later became big in the prog metal scene, and are now in pretty big bands, and that's something to be proud of.
KR: It might have been received better in the United States, but I do remember feeling disappointed by the lack of movement here in Europe.
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The next full recording you did, Kris, was Shadows of the Sun. What was it like working on this album considering what else you were working on?
KR: Well, with Blood Inside and Shadows of the Sun I was working closely with Tore [Ylwizaker]. Daniel and Tore are very different individuals. Different outlooks and technical approaches – obviously the singing style and general aesthetic is different too. There is a big stylistic shift between Blood Inside and Shadows of the Sun, of course. At the end of the day it's just about what you set your mind to, isn't it? What is the vision here?
Murder Nature was released with little fanfare, kind of coasting on notoriety and internet sharing rather than having a specific ad campaign. Why did you choose not to promote the album?
DC: We just weren't bothered with it. We just let go. Kris was always busy with Ulver and had already left Arcturus and Borknagar. He was involved with a lot of stuff and we didn't really worry too much about it. To be honest, I didn't see a big point in doing a lot of promo since we weren't doing shows. There was only so much one could do without playing the album live. Maybe that's why it didn't go farther in sales. On the other hand, it created this magic aura surrounding the album.
KR: We were naive, we probably thought it would sell itself, on the strength of the music alone, and maybe to some extent because Ulver had a good fan base. It wasn't really common to hire publicists back then, and I do think it fell between a few cracks – the extreme metal people didn't get it and the modern or alternative rock/metal crowd never even heard (about) it! We didn't understand that we probably should have had someone push for it to get played on radio, for example.
There was an underground following, myself being an Ulver fan who discovered Murder Nature from Kris' performance, but it was interesting to watch this go under the radar.
DC: It was indeed a bit under the radar when it came out, but ultimately it must have reached some people too. Throughout the years I've had several Head Control System "fans", for lack of a better word, asking me about a second album on social media, so there's that. Even today, if I post something about Head Control System I'm sure I'll get some random person asking, "When are you guys making another album?" Well, we can give them this reissue now and see how it goes, who knows what the future might bring.
Kris, what was the process of balancing being a father and being a recording artist at the time?
KR: There's a funny picture of me in Daniel's apartment (which was also his studio at the time) with my one-year-old daughter in a BabyBjörn carrying vessel. I'm standing trying to sing while she's crying her heart out. [laughs] It was quite a juggling process, but isn't it always?
How long did it take for you to finish the vocal sessions for this album?
KR: I think something like two–three months. Not necessarily every day, but you know, just focusing on getting the main ideas down, in Oslo. Then we went to Braga for ten days or a few weeks, maybe. That was very efficient, actually. Daniel is a very hands-on guy. We got a lot done there. I was using a Digitech multi-effects guitar processor that I liked to run at least some of the vocals through. I remember going back and doing some more tests, but I don't remember exactly how long it took. Maybe a few weeks or a month after Braga.
Was there ever any interest in pulling a band together and performing live?
DC: I was always a stage type of guy. I enjoy the studio environment, my day job is being a producer and it has been for the last twenty years or so, but what I love the most is playing on stage. However that was just not possible for Head Control System as Kris wasn't really available. I don't know if you remember this, but not even Ulver were playing live back then. A few years down the road, that's when he started playing live with Ulver. And then it was just too late, too hard and too expensive to try and match schedules and find people for a possible live representation of Murder Nature. But I do remember being at this Christmas party of our label (Voices of Wonder) in Norway and someone, the label owner possibly, was begging me to convince Kris to play live. I was like, "Sure, I'll try, but I don't think that's gonna happen." [laughs] I always respected Kris' will and reasoning behind not wanting to do any shows back then, though.
KR: It's a lot of work, man, at least if you want it to be special on stage. And it costs a lot of money to organize and get ready for a tour. Considering all those things, and the modest success of the album, it wasn't the first thing on my mind. Especially considering this was back then… 2006? Ulver started playing live a couple years later. I also played some gigs with Æthenor around 2008–2009, that's when I started to dip my toes in that format. I was opening up to the idea, but this comes down to time as well. Investment. We were just two guys in different countries, we would have to recruit at least two more. It's not something I thought much about, or even dreamed of. I always enjoyed the studio and the introspection. Creating things and recording them for eternity, so to speak. I have come to appreciate the live experience a lot more since, that goes without saying, but it's a more transient thing. Not as important as those records!
What was it like working together in the same room as Kris flew out to Portugal for a session as everything else was done remotely?
DC: It was very easy-going. We hit it off from the start. Kris jokes that he's half-Portuguese, himself, as he spent some years in Portugal growing up. So maybe that's why it was really easy for us to work together and to relate as human beings. I remember we just had fun and it was pretty chill. I was living in Braga which is a small town in the north of Portugal. The town itself is also pretty chill. Everything was really smooth and easy going. I don't remember ever being stressed about anything. It was just cool and easy.
Do you remember any stories about these sessions?
DC: No, well the only thing is Kris did come with his kids and his wife from the time. His son was three and his daughter was just a baby, so he was juggling recording sessions and being a father. I have a baby now, myself, and I know it demands a lot. It's fucking hard work, man! But when I played with Anathema in Oslo, Kris went to see me with his son. The last time I'd seen him he was three, baby-walking around Braga. So, about fifteen years later he's at my show, sitting at the grown-ups table, having adult conversations! It does put things into perspective and makes me feel old. [laughs]
Kris, could you fill in any blanks?
KR: I remember we went to a gig one night as Daniel was doing session live drums for a Portuguese band called R.A.M.P.–who I think were local heroes, or pretty big in Portugal. There was a big outdoor fest thing going on. That was a nice break from the studio and family proceedings. Otherwise it was pretty domestic. I had small kids, so they went to bed early. Early up. There was Portuguese coffee, always welcome. Some croquettes and straight to the studio, then family time and maybe some touristy stuff in the evening, a few Super Bocks. Nothing scandalous. That came later or before. Man, I could tell you some stories from Ulver on the road, but we never did that with Head Control System.
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The artwork is very striking–the model and the knife with the logo on it. What was the inspiration behind the art?
DC: My memory fails me as it's been such a long time and I haven't been in touch with some of these memories. If I remember correctly, we were just doing funny stuff on MySpace and some models had taken some photos with our logo. One of the models took that picture with the knife and we thought it was cool. The artwork was done by Pedro Daniel, a designer I knew, but I don't remember talking to him much as I think Kris was mostly in charge of the layout. I probably had some input too, of course. I can't remember if it was Pedro or Kris, but one of them thought it would be a good idea to put that knife photo on the cover.
KR: Well, the MySpace ladies was actually Daniel's thing. Getting all these girls to pose with the logo, sort of pre-social media influencer shenanigans! [laughs] I didn't object. Anyway, we put together the cover at the house of a friend of Daniel's a little further South in Portugal. Basically this fold-out collage, combining some different things.
What was the inspiration behind the title? It's a very striking, aggressive title.
DC: I remember Kris was doing a lot of wordplay, and we had a few other options back then. I think one was "Liminal Animal", and I think we had some other wordplay titles too, but Murder Nature struck the most. It's a cool title, and I am 99% sure that this was something Kris brought to the table, but I liked it from the start.
I remember Liminal Animal–that was in your MySpace bio.
DC: [laughs]
KR: It's still on Ulver's Facebook! It's a Coil reference, or a Coil-esque anagram. A lot of the lyrics started like that, these sort of hang-ups, just playing with words or idioms bouncing off each other; murder-mystery stream of consciousness.
The year 2006 was a while ago now, almost twenty years, and there hasn't been much correspondence from Head Control System since your Seal cover dropped. People don't know what the project's status is, so: what is Head Control System now?
DC: It was never really dead, because every once in a while me and Kris would flirt with the idea of doing another album. We were close to doing it a couple years ago, but it was just impossible to match our schedules. I was busy in the studio and with Anathema, Kris was busy with… everything! I do have a possible whole second album recorded so there's actually a shelved fully recorded, fully produced, Head Control System instrumental album just lacking the vocals. I'm secretly hoping one day we'll make it happen again. Who knows, maybe this reissue will help? Maybe the nostalgia will help us find the time.
KR: I feel kind of guilty about that because Daniel's actually already made the music. But I simply haven't found the window. The older I get the more useless I become at multitasking too. Obviously, if we were to do another one, it'll take time. People keep saying "Just release a new album already!" but that's quickly six months of your life, and that's six months I haven't had, to be honest.
Do you feel the inspiration, though?
KR: Both yes and no. I'm very proud of Murder Nature, I think it's an objectively great record! But it's also the kind of thing that… it belongs to a different time, and what both Daniel and I have been doing the past ten–fifteen years is different too. And that's life! I've been working on some new Ulver material for a couple years now, but it's hard to find the focus and get everyone on the same page. The idea of taking on another full album project in another headspace is a bit overwhelming for me. But again, when I listen back to Murder Nature, I am still wowed at how pro it all sounds. It's happened so many times that I'm in the studio with someone and we play some music and I'll pull that album out. No one knows about it, but every time people are like holy shit!
With this kind of resurgence in the "2000s-American-rock-and-metal" sound, I think a reissue like this would go over well, and who knows what will happen next!
KR: You know, Daniel and I, we've had long breaks in our communication over the years, but it's been really nice talking with him again recently and bonding over the simple joy of this reissue. We'll see what fuels the fire. Never say never, of course.
Is there anything you want to say about Head Control System?
DC: Nah. As I said before, I'm not the speaker type of guy. I'm more of a studio guy. Not so much into talking.
KR: I think I've said all there is to say, man. The bottom line is that I'm still fucking proud of this album, and feel childishly stoked about the opportunity to rerelease it.
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Murder Nature will be available on LP and 2CD from KScope Records on November 17th.
The Head Control System Story: A Retrospective (Interview)
[Editor's Note: the following is an extended version of what is being included as liner notes for the physical edition of Murder Nature. We thank KScope, Kris, and Daniel for allowing us to publish this here at Invisible Oranges.]
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To discuss Kristoffer Rygg and Daniel Cardoso's Head Control System project is to enter a time machine back to the mid-2000s, back when I was a teenager. A fledgling Ulver fan, having not even heard Cardoso's Sirius project at that point, I was obsessed with anything and everything Garm. Arcturus, (any) Ulver–you name it, I was sold. Head Control System was no different. A continuation of Cardoso's SinDRomE project, renamed by Rygg, Head Control System was a successful attempt at capturing the "rock" sound of its time, but with a greater experimental bent and distinctly European approach, setting it apart from American rock which dominated airwaves at the time.
Influenced by music like Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Queens of the Stone Age, but with Cardoso and Rygg's own plethora of influences backing this approach, Head Control System's sole album Murder Nature, released by The End Records (US) and Voices of Wonder/Jester Records (EUR) in 2006, was a departure for these two artists, both of whom at the time operated at separate ends of the musical spectrum (though both Rygg and Cardoso came from a black metal background). Smooth and rhythmic, Murder Nature took from Cardoso and Rygg's varied backgrounds and resulted in something wondrous, but also familiar and of its time. Touching on the then-dwindling nu-metal style in songs like "Masterpiece (of Art)", Cardoso and Rygg's own metal backgrounds sneak through in unsuspecting ways.
An international project, with Rygg operating from his home in Oslo, Norway, and Cardoso's studio then located in Braga, Portugal, Head Control System was tested by distance and internet collaboration. The result of Cardoso messaging Rygg on MySpace or by email (depending on which member you ask), Head Control System's humble early days as SinDRomE quickly exploded upon Rygg's eventual joining after hearing a handful of Cardoso's demos of what would eventually become Murder Nature.
Hot off the heels of recording Ulver's celebrated Blood Inside, Rygg and his family flew to Portugal for the Murder Nature vocal sessions. Spending punctuated days in the studio in order to keep his family entertained on what was essentially a "working vacation", Rygg would go so far as to keep his youngest in a BabyBjörn whilst recording. Using a similar (read as: extended) vocal range to Blood Inside, the harder, rock-inflicted edge Rygg imbued to his voice resulted in a heavier, more punchy performance than the UIver performances to which people had become accustomed in the band's tenure past their black metal Trilogie era.
Recorded and produced in his own studio, Cardoso doesn't remember much from the Head Control System days, though he insists the project is still mildly active, even after what amounts to nearly twenty years past Murder Nature's release. Having recorded a full second album's worth of material in the years since, it's been up to the ever-busy Rygg, who considers the project somewhere in the "dead-but-dreaming" realm, to finish this secret second record.
Personally, revisiting Murder Nature has been a delight, both nostalgically and from a measure of quality. Though alternative rock/metal wasn't what I expected from these artists, especially in retrospect as I become a more seasoned fan of both Cardoso and Rygg's works, Head Control System was (is?) one of those special bands which leaves a special mark on the music scene and is deserving of such a comprehensive edition. Go ahead and drop the needle (or set your CD player's dial) to your favorite track, be it "Baby Blue", "Masterpiece (of Art)", or any of the many infectious songs that comprise Murder Nature, and lose yourself in what is ultimately a fantastic rock record. It is a true masterpiece of art.
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I want to ask a big question first, because I've shown a few people Murder Nature and they all say the same thing–is Murder Nature a nu-metal album?
Daniel Cardoso: I wouldn't say so. Back then nu-metal was kind of a big deal but it wasn't exactly what I was listening to. I can see how people from the extreme metal scene would label Murder Nature a nu-metal album, but I'd never go that route myself. Maybe it fits that same type of nu-metal-ish sound but I don't think it fits within the same kind of genre.
Kristoffer Rygg: As of 2023, you mean? I honestly wouldn't know. It's kind of interesting to me how some of these guys like Tommy and Mark who wrote testimonials were into the album when it came out, which – not saying they're nu-metal–but it's interesting because we had high hopes for the album when it was released. It's so cool to hear from those guys so many years later that it resonated. We definitely thought it was as good as the big boys back then, you know. I remember tuning in to Queens of the Stone Age, for example, which is more groovy, cheeky, dare I say, sexy modern rock. Pretty hard to define. Something you'd just wanna blast from your car whilst cruising down the highway looking for your next victim, figuratively speaking.
I was reading reviews from around when Murder Nature was released and people didn't know what to call it. I found that really interesting.
DC: [laughs] I would liken it more towards Tool, A Perfect Circle, and to the new prog/djent scene that kinda started with Meshuggah, and has been proliferating through bands like TesseracT or Periphery. I think what we did back then fits more within that sort of genre. This reissue is happening on Kscope too, which has a lot of bands that gravitate towards modern prog metal or a prog rock type of sound.
I want to go all the way back to the beginning with SinDRomE. How did this band start?
DC: It was mostly just me laying some riffs on a guitar and drumming over it. Then I teamed up with this cool singer named Tobel Lopes, and we did some stuff that we were pretty happy with, but then for some reason we just went separate ways–perhaps because he was living far away from me and was from a bit of a different scene. We did work again later on different projects, though, he even joined me in Anathema for a while as a touring member.
How did Kris end up joining this band and turning it into Head Control System?
DC: It's a funny story. I remember when I was in Sirius, we had this conversation with Tomas "Samoth" (Emperor) about asking Kris to be a guest on a song. He told us it would be great, but he would probably say no. He's too busy and isn't the type of guy to get involved with new bands. Samoth painted this picture of him as this difficult-to-reach guy, which he was and still is. [laughs] Kris has this charisma and star quality that makes everyone feel like he is unreachable, and that's what we were told back then. When I was looking for a singer for what was still SinDRomE, I remember I just emailed Jester Records' general email address and introduced myself, saying I was in Sirius and was signed to Nocturnal Art Productions, et cetera. I had these songs and wanted to know if I could have direct contact with Kris. The reply was, "Hello Daniel, this is Kris. Shoot." Something like that, so he was replying directly to me, which was pretty cool. I sent him one song and said that I wanted to do this album and was looking for a singer. His reply was, "Yeah, this is nice. I kind of like the style because it isn't the usual kind of stuff people approach me with, but I'm busy and can't be involved in any other projects right now. But if you want, keep sending me songs." So I sent him a couple more songs, and I think I kept sending him songs and by the fifth or sixth song, I think he said he wanted to try some vocals. To me, it was like no fucking way.
KR: If I remember correctly, I think it was through MySpace. Those days were nice, it was suddenly very easy for musicians to connect and share some tunes. That's actually also how I got in contact with Daniel O'Sullivan a few years after this. Anyway, I think Daniel first reached out through MySpace and we started chatting. He sent me some demos and actually some videos of him playing. Needless to say, I was quite impressed by his skills, drumming and doing everything by himself. Tore (Ylwizaker) and I were just done with Blood Inside which is something we'd worked on and off with for three years or something, so it was a kind of auspicious moment to delve into something else for a while. I liked the prospect of being a hired gun, so to speak, and not being involved with all aspects of the production. Also, I liked Daniel. It's as simple as that.
How did the name Head Control System come to be?
DC: That was Kris. We still worked for a while under the SinDRomE name. I still have old demos and the file name was still SinDRomE and it already had Kris' vocals. I think it was when he visited me in Portugal to do some vocal sessions, one of the conversations we had sitting at a coffee place–he said the name SinDRomE was okay, but maybe we could have a stronger name? He came up with Head Control System, and it was a good name. I was never attached to SinDRomE or words in general. I'm the music kind of guy, not the lyrics or text kind of guy. SinDRomE was something I came up with when I was twenty. In hindsight, I'm glad we changed the name because I think throughout the years Head Control System still works well.
KR: I thought we brainstormed it together, but okay maybe I did come up with it. I didn't think SinDRomE–Severe Damage on Reason and Equilibrium–was that clever [laughs]. Not that Head Control System is, either, but it's got a bit more spunk. It could be some fast car mechanical program or device, or it might be a sexual thing. It was a random act of putting a few words together, see what pops! The lyrics came about much in the same way. Experimenting, associating, trying to get the syllables to dance to the music. They were all written with the movements of the music in mind.
The album was released in the US on The End Records label, which was a metal and progressive rock label (for the most part). How do you feel it was received among that crowd?
DC: It's hard to say. We never played live, we didn't do much promo. Social networking was still just MySpace. It was hard to tell how the album was going. Years later, I met unsuspecting people from the scene who told me "Wow, that album was killer!" but back then we couldn't know because we didn't get any relevant feedback from our listeners. I'm guessing the album didn't sell amazingly well, but it's no surprise considering we didn't do any promo and didn't play any shows. One thing I can say today though is that it did impact some people who later became big in the prog metal scene, and are now in pretty big bands, and that's something to be proud of.
KR: It might have been received better in the United States, but I do remember feeling disappointed by the lack of movement here in Europe.
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The next full recording you did, Kris, was Shadows of the Sun. What was it like working on this album considering what else you were working on?
KR: Well, with Blood Inside and Shadows of the Sun I was working closely with Tore [Ylwizaker]. Daniel and Tore are very different individuals. Different outlooks and technical approaches – obviously the singing style and general aesthetic is different too. There is a big stylistic shift between Blood Inside and Shadows of the Sun, of course. At the end of the day it's just about what you set your mind to, isn't it? What is the vision here?
Murder Nature was released with little fanfare, kind of coasting on notoriety and internet sharing rather than having a specific ad campaign. Why did you choose not to promote the album?
DC: We just weren't bothered with it. We just let go. Kris was always busy with Ulver and had already left Arcturus and Borknagar. He was involved with a lot of stuff and we didn't really worry too much about it. To be honest, I didn't see a big point in doing a lot of promo since we weren't doing shows. There was only so much one could do without playing the album live. Maybe that's why it didn't go farther in sales. On the other hand, it created this magic aura surrounding the album.
KR: We were naive, we probably thought it would sell itself, on the strength of the music alone, and maybe to some extent because Ulver had a good fan base. It wasn't really common to hire publicists back then, and I do think it fell between a few cracks – the extreme metal people didn't get it and the modern or alternative rock/metal crowd never even heard (about) it! We didn't understand that we probably should have had someone push for it to get played on radio, for example.
There was an underground following, myself being an Ulver fan who discovered Murder Nature from Kris' performance, but it was interesting to watch this go under the radar.
DC: It was indeed a bit under the radar when it came out, but ultimately it must have reached some people too. Throughout the years I've had several Head Control System "fans", for lack of a better word, asking me about a second album on social media, so there's that. Even today, if I post something about Head Control System I'm sure I'll get some random person asking, "When are you guys making another album?" Well, we can give them this reissue now and see how it goes, who knows what the future might bring.
Kris, what was the process of balancing being a father and being a recording artist at the time?
KR: There's a funny picture of me in Daniel's apartment (which was also his studio at the time) with my one-year-old daughter in a BabyBjörn carrying vessel. I'm standing trying to sing while she's crying her heart out. [laughs] It was quite a juggling process, but isn't it always?
How long did it take for you to finish the vocal sessions for this album?
KR: I think something like two–three months. Not necessarily every day, but you know, just focusing on getting the main ideas down, in Oslo. Then we went to Braga for ten days or a few weeks, maybe. That was very efficient, actually. Daniel is a very hands-on guy. We got a lot done there. I was using a Digitech multi-effects guitar processor that I liked to run at least some of the vocals through. I remember going back and doing some more tests, but I don't remember exactly how long it took. Maybe a few weeks or a month after Braga.
Was there ever any interest in pulling a band together and performing live?
DC: I was always a stage type of guy. I enjoy the studio environment, my day job is being a producer and it has been for the last twenty years or so, but what I love the most is playing on stage. However that was just not possible for Head Control System as Kris wasn't really available. I don't know if you remember this, but not even Ulver were playing live back then. A few years down the road, that's when he started playing live with Ulver. And then it was just too late, too hard and too expensive to try and match schedules and find people for a possible live representation of Murder Nature. But I do remember being at this Christmas party of our label (Voices of Wonder) in Norway and someone, the label owner possibly, was begging me to convince Kris to play live. I was like, "Sure, I'll try, but I don't think that's gonna happen." [laughs] I always respected Kris' will and reasoning behind not wanting to do any shows back then, though.
KR: It's a lot of work, man, at least if you want it to be special on stage. And it costs a lot of money to organize and get ready for a tour. Considering all those things, and the modest success of the album, it wasn't the first thing on my mind. Especially considering this was back then… 2006? Ulver started playing live a couple years later. I also played some gigs with Æthenor around 2008–2009, that's when I started to dip my toes in that format. I was opening up to the idea, but this comes down to time as well. Investment. We were just two guys in different countries, we would have to recruit at least two more. It's not something I thought much about, or even dreamed of. I always enjoyed the studio and the introspection. Creating things and recording them for eternity, so to speak. I have come to appreciate the live experience a lot more since, that goes without saying, but it's a more transient thing. Not as important as those records!
What was it like working together in the same room as Kris flew out to Portugal for a session as everything else was done remotely?
DC: It was very easy-going. We hit it off from the start. Kris jokes that he's half-Portuguese, himself, as he spent some years in Portugal growing up. So maybe that's why it was really easy for us to work together and to relate as human beings. I remember we just had fun and it was pretty chill. I was living in Braga which is a small town in the north of Portugal. The town itself is also pretty chill. Everything was really smooth and easy going. I don't remember ever being stressed about anything. It was just cool and easy.
Do you remember any stories about these sessions?
DC: No, well the only thing is Kris did come with his kids and his wife from the time. His son was three and his daughter was just a baby, so he was juggling recording sessions and being a father. I have a baby now, myself, and I know it demands a lot. It's fucking hard work, man! But when I played with Anathema in Oslo, Kris went to see me with his son. The last time I'd seen him he was three, baby-walking around Braga. So, about fifteen years later he's at my show, sitting at the grown-ups table, having adult conversations! It does put things into perspective and makes me feel old. [laughs]
Kris, could you fill in any blanks?
KR: I remember we went to a gig one night as Daniel was doing session live drums for a Portuguese band called R.A.M.P.–who I think were local heroes, or pretty big in Portugal. There was a big outdoor fest thing going on. That was a nice break from the studio and family proceedings. Otherwise it was pretty domestic. I had small kids, so they went to bed early. Early up. There was Portuguese coffee, always welcome. Some croquettes and straight to the studio, then family time and maybe some touristy stuff in the evening, a few Super Bocks. Nothing scandalous. That came later or before. Man, I could tell you some stories from Ulver on the road, but we never did that with Head Control System.
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The artwork is very striking–the model and the knife with the logo on it. What was the inspiration behind the art?
DC: My memory fails me as it's been such a long time and I haven't been in touch with some of these memories. If I remember correctly, we were just doing funny stuff on MySpace and some models had taken some photos with our logo. One of the models took that picture with the knife and we thought it was cool. The artwork was done by Pedro Daniel, a designer I knew, but I don't remember talking to him much as I think Kris was mostly in charge of the layout. I probably had some input too, of course. I can't remember if it was Pedro or Kris, but one of them thought it would be a good idea to put that knife photo on the cover.
KR: Well, the MySpace ladies was actually Daniel's thing. Getting all these girls to pose with the logo, sort of pre-social media influencer shenanigans! [laughs] I didn't object. Anyway, we put together the cover at the house of a friend of Daniel's a little further South in Portugal. Basically this fold-out collage, combining some different things.
What was the inspiration behind the title? It's a very striking, aggressive title.
DC: I remember Kris was doing a lot of wordplay, and we had a few other options back then. I think one was "Liminal Animal", and I think we had some other wordplay titles too, but Murder Nature struck the most. It's a cool title, and I am 99% sure that this was something Kris brought to the table, but I liked it from the start.
I remember Liminal Animal–that was in your MySpace bio.
DC: [laughs]
KR: It's still on Ulver's Facebook! It's a Coil reference, or a Coil-esque anagram. A lot of the lyrics started like that, these sort of hang-ups, just playing with words or idioms bouncing off each other; murder-mystery stream of consciousness.
The year 2006 was a while ago now, almost twenty years, and there hasn't been much correspondence from Head Control System since your Seal cover dropped. People don't know what the project's status is, so: what is Head Control System now?
DC: It was never really dead, because every once in a while me and Kris would flirt with the idea of doing another album. We were close to doing it a couple years ago, but it was just impossible to match our schedules. I was busy in the studio and with Anathema, Kris was busy with… everything! I do have a possible whole second album recorded so there's actually a shelved fully recorded, fully produced, Head Control System instrumental album just lacking the vocals. I'm secretly hoping one day we'll make it happen again. Who knows, maybe this reissue will help? Maybe the nostalgia will help us find the time.
KR: I feel kind of guilty about that because Daniel's actually already made the music. But I simply haven't found the window. The older I get the more useless I become at multitasking too. Obviously, if we were to do another one, it'll take time. People keep saying "Just release a new album already!" but that's quickly six months of your life, and that's six months I haven't had, to be honest.
Do you feel the inspiration, though?
KR: Both yes and no. I'm very proud of Murder Nature, I think it's an objectively great record! But it's also the kind of thing that… it belongs to a different time, and what both Daniel and I have been doing the past ten–fifteen years is different too. And that's life! I've been working on some new Ulver material for a couple years now, but it's hard to find the focus and get everyone on the same page. The idea of taking on another full album project in another headspace is a bit overwhelming for me. But again, when I listen back to Murder Nature, I am still wowed at how pro it all sounds. It's happened so many times that I'm in the studio with someone and we play some music and I'll pull that album out. No one knows about it, but every time people are like holy shit!
With this kind of resurgence in the "2000s-American-rock-and-metal" sound, I think a reissue like this would go over well, and who knows what will happen next!
KR: You know, Daniel and I, we've had long breaks in our communication over the years, but it's been really nice talking with him again recently and bonding over the simple joy of this reissue. We'll see what fuels the fire. Never say never, of course.
Is there anything you want to say about Head Control System?
DC: Nah. As I said before, I'm not the speaker type of guy. I'm more of a studio guy. Not so much into talking.
KR: I think I've said all there is to say, man. The bottom line is that I'm still fucking proud of this album, and feel childishly stoked about the opportunity to rerelease it.
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Murder Nature will be available on LP and 2CD from KScope Records on November 17th.
Cannibal Corpse & Mayhem
Mayhem
Mayhem
Mayhem
Mayhem
Mayhem
Mayhem
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It’s only right that the newly converted were taken to CHRCH. As their lead singer, Eva, donned a black veil, I was reminded of a Audrey Wollen image that gets passed around on my twitter feed every now and then. It reads:
“BEWARE MALE ARTISTS MAKING ARTWORK ABOUT EMPTINESS NOTHING DOES NOT BELONG TO YOU GIRLS OWN THE VOID BACK OFF FUCKERS!!!!”
CHRCH make music that would horrify passersby, but is spiritually fulfilling to those in the know. In the dense waves of distortion is something healing, behind Eve’s haunting wails something profoundly beautiful. This is deathly music, but it doesn’t wallow. It awes you and humbles you with its scale and scope.
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The Head Control System Story: A Retrospective (Interview)
[Editor's Note: the following is an extended version of what is being included as liner notes for the physical edition of Murder Nature. We thank KScope, Kris, and Daniel for allowing us to publish this here at Invisible Oranges.]
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To discuss Kristoffer Rygg and Daniel Cardoso's Head Control System project is to enter a time machine back to the mid-2000s, back when I was a teenager. A fledgling Ulver fan, having not even heard Cardoso's Sirius project at that point, I was obsessed with anything and everything Garm. Arcturus, (any) Ulver–you name it, I was sold. Head Control System was no different. A continuation of Cardoso's SinDRomE project, renamed by Rygg, Head Control System was a successful attempt at capturing the "rock" sound of its time, but with a greater experimental bent and distinctly European approach, setting it apart from American rock which dominated airwaves at the time.
Influenced by music like Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Queens of the Stone Age, but with Cardoso and Rygg's own plethora of influences backing this approach, Head Control System's sole album Murder Nature, released by The End Records (US) and Voices of Wonder/Jester Records (EUR) in 2006, was a departure for these two artists, both of whom at the time operated at separate ends of the musical spectrum (though both Rygg and Cardoso came from a black metal background). Smooth and rhythmic, Murder Nature took from Cardoso and Rygg's varied backgrounds and resulted in something wondrous, but also familiar and of its time. Touching on the then-dwindling nu-metal style in songs like "Masterpiece (of Art)", Cardoso and Rygg's own metal backgrounds sneak through in unsuspecting ways.
An international project, with Rygg operating from his home in Oslo, Norway, and Cardoso's studio then located in Braga, Portugal, Head Control System was tested by distance and internet collaboration. The result of Cardoso messaging Rygg on MySpace or by email (depending on which member you ask), Head Control System's humble early days as SinDRomE quickly exploded upon Rygg's eventual joining after hearing a handful of Cardoso's demos of what would eventually become Murder Nature.
Hot off the heels of recording Ulver's celebrated Blood Inside, Rygg and his family flew to Portugal for the Murder Nature vocal sessions. Spending punctuated days in the studio in order to keep his family entertained on what was essentially a "working vacation", Rygg would go so far as to keep his youngest in a BabyBjörn whilst recording. Using a similar (read as: extended) vocal range to Blood Inside, the harder, rock-inflicted edge Rygg imbued to his voice resulted in a heavier, more punchy performance than the UIver performances to which people had become accustomed in the band's tenure past their black metal Trilogie era.
Recorded and produced in his own studio, Cardoso doesn't remember much from the Head Control System days, though he insists the project is still mildly active, even after what amounts to nearly twenty years past Murder Nature's release. Having recorded a full second album's worth of material in the years since, it's been up to the ever-busy Rygg, who considers the project somewhere in the "dead-but-dreaming" realm, to finish this secret second record.
Personally, revisiting Murder Nature has been a delight, both nostalgically and from a measure of quality. Though alternative rock/metal wasn't what I expected from these artists, especially in retrospect as I become a more seasoned fan of both Cardoso and Rygg's works, Head Control System was (is?) one of those special bands which leaves a special mark on the music scene and is deserving of such a comprehensive edition. Go ahead and drop the needle (or set your CD player's dial) to your favorite track, be it "Baby Blue", "Masterpiece (of Art)", or any of the many infectious songs that comprise Murder Nature, and lose yourself in what is ultimately a fantastic rock record. It is a true masterpiece of art.
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I want to ask a big question first, because I've shown a few people Murder Nature and they all say the same thing–is Murder Nature a nu-metal album?
Daniel Cardoso: I wouldn't say so. Back then nu-metal was kind of a big deal but it wasn't exactly what I was listening to. I can see how people from the extreme metal scene would label Murder Nature a nu-metal album, but I'd never go that route myself. Maybe it fits that same type of nu-metal-ish sound but I don't think it fits within the same kind of genre.
Kristoffer Rygg: As of 2023, you mean? I honestly wouldn't know. It's kind of interesting to me how some of these guys like Tommy and Mark who wrote testimonials were into the album when it came out, which – not saying they're nu-metal–but it's interesting because we had high hopes for the album when it was released. It's so cool to hear from those guys so many years later that it resonated. We definitely thought it was as good as the big boys back then, you know. I remember tuning in to Queens of the Stone Age, for example, which is more groovy, cheeky, dare I say, sexy modern rock. Pretty hard to define. Something you'd just wanna blast from your car whilst cruising down the highway looking for your next victim, figuratively speaking.
I was reading reviews from around when Murder Nature was released and people didn't know what to call it. I found that really interesting.
DC: [laughs] I would liken it more towards Tool, A Perfect Circle, and to the new prog/djent scene that kinda started with Meshuggah, and has been proliferating through bands like TesseracT or Periphery. I think what we did back then fits more within that sort of genre. This reissue is happening on Kscope too, which has a lot of bands that gravitate towards modern prog metal or a prog rock type of sound.
I want to go all the way back to the beginning with SinDRomE. How did this band start?
DC: It was mostly just me laying some riffs on a guitar and drumming over it. Then I teamed up with this cool singer named Tobel Lopes, and we did some stuff that we were pretty happy with, but then for some reason we just went separate ways–perhaps because he was living far away from me and was from a bit of a different scene. We did work again later on different projects, though, he even joined me in Anathema for a while as a touring member.
How did Kris end up joining this band and turning it into Head Control System?
DC: It's a funny story. I remember when I was in Sirius, we had this conversation with Tomas "Samoth" (Emperor) about asking Kris to be a guest on a song. He told us it would be great, but he would probably say no. He's too busy and isn't the type of guy to get involved with new bands. Samoth painted this picture of him as this difficult-to-reach guy, which he was and still is. [laughs] Kris has this charisma and star quality that makes everyone feel like he is unreachable, and that's what we were told back then. When I was looking for a singer for what was still SinDRomE, I remember I just emailed Jester Records' general email address and introduced myself, saying I was in Sirius and was signed to Nocturnal Art Productions, et cetera. I had these songs and wanted to know if I could have direct contact with Kris. The reply was, "Hello Daniel, this is Kris. Shoot." Something like that, so he was replying directly to me, which was pretty cool. I sent him one song and said that I wanted to do this album and was looking for a singer. His reply was, "Yeah, this is nice. I kind of like the style because it isn't the usual kind of stuff people approach me with, but I'm busy and can't be involved in any other projects right now. But if you want, keep sending me songs." So I sent him a couple more songs, and I think I kept sending him songs and by the fifth or sixth song, I think he said he wanted to try some vocals. To me, it was like no fucking way.
KR: If I remember correctly, I think it was through MySpace. Those days were nice, it was suddenly very easy for musicians to connect and share some tunes. That's actually also how I got in contact with Daniel O'Sullivan a few years after this. Anyway, I think Daniel first reached out through MySpace and we started chatting. He sent me some demos and actually some videos of him playing. Needless to say, I was quite impressed by his skills, drumming and doing everything by himself. Tore (Ylwizaker) and I were just done with Blood Inside which is something we'd worked on and off with for three years or something, so it was a kind of auspicious moment to delve into something else for a while. I liked the prospect of being a hired gun, so to speak, and not being involved with all aspects of the production. Also, I liked Daniel. It's as simple as that.
How did the name Head Control System come to be?
DC: That was Kris. We still worked for a while under the SinDRomE name. I still have old demos and the file name was still SinDRomE and it already had Kris' vocals. I think it was when he visited me in Portugal to do some vocal sessions, one of the conversations we had sitting at a coffee place–he said the name SinDRomE was okay, but maybe we could have a stronger name? He came up with Head Control System, and it was a good name. I was never attached to SinDRomE or words in general. I'm the music kind of guy, not the lyrics or text kind of guy. SinDRomE was something I came up with when I was twenty. In hindsight, I'm glad we changed the name because I think throughout the years Head Control System still works well.
KR: I thought we brainstormed it together, but okay maybe I did come up with it. I didn't think SinDRomE–Severe Damage on Reason and Equilibrium–was that clever [laughs]. Not that Head Control System is, either, but it's got a bit more spunk. It could be some fast car mechanical program or device, or it might be a sexual thing. It was a random act of putting a few words together, see what pops! The lyrics came about much in the same way. Experimenting, associating, trying to get the syllables to dance to the music. They were all written with the movements of the music in mind.
The album was released in the US on The End Records label, which was a metal and progressive rock label (for the most part). How do you feel it was received among that crowd?
DC: It's hard to say. We never played live, we didn't do much promo. Social networking was still just MySpace. It was hard to tell how the album was going. Years later, I met unsuspecting people from the scene who told me "Wow, that album was killer!" but back then we couldn't know because we didn't get any relevant feedback from our listeners. I'm guessing the album didn't sell amazingly well, but it's no surprise considering we didn't do any promo and didn't play any shows. One thing I can say today though is that it did impact some people who later became big in the prog metal scene, and are now in pretty big bands, and that's something to be proud of.
KR: It might have been received better in the United States, but I do remember feeling disappointed by the lack of movement here in Europe.
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The next full recording you did, Kris, was Shadows of the Sun. What was it like working on this album considering what else you were working on?
KR: Well, with Blood Inside and Shadows of the Sun I was working closely with Tore [Ylwizaker]. Daniel and Tore are very different individuals. Different outlooks and technical approaches – obviously the singing style and general aesthetic is different too. There is a big stylistic shift between Blood Inside and Shadows of the Sun, of course. At the end of the day it's just about what you set your mind to, isn't it? What is the vision here?
Murder Nature was released with little fanfare, kind of coasting on notoriety and internet sharing rather than having a specific ad campaign. Why did you choose not to promote the album?
DC: We just weren't bothered with it. We just let go. Kris was always busy with Ulver and had already left Arcturus and Borknagar. He was involved with a lot of stuff and we didn't really worry too much about it. To be honest, I didn't see a big point in doing a lot of promo since we weren't doing shows. There was only so much one could do without playing the album live. Maybe that's why it didn't go farther in sales. On the other hand, it created this magic aura surrounding the album.
KR: We were naive, we probably thought it would sell itself, on the strength of the music alone, and maybe to some extent because Ulver had a good fan base. It wasn't really common to hire publicists back then, and I do think it fell between a few cracks – the extreme metal people didn't get it and the modern or alternative rock/metal crowd never even heard (about) it! We didn't understand that we probably should have had someone push for it to get played on radio, for example.
There was an underground following, myself being an Ulver fan who discovered Murder Nature from Kris' performance, but it was interesting to watch this go under the radar.
DC: It was indeed a bit under the radar when it came out, but ultimately it must have reached some people too. Throughout the years I've had several Head Control System "fans", for lack of a better word, asking me about a second album on social media, so there's that. Even today, if I post something about Head Control System I'm sure I'll get some random person asking, "When are you guys making another album?" Well, we can give them this reissue now and see how it goes, who knows what the future might bring.
Kris, what was the process of balancing being a father and being a recording artist at the time?
KR: There's a funny picture of me in Daniel's apartment (which was also his studio at the time) with my one-year-old daughter in a BabyBjörn carrying vessel. I'm standing trying to sing while she's crying her heart out. [laughs] It was quite a juggling process, but isn't it always?
How long did it take for you to finish the vocal sessions for this album?
KR: I think something like two–three months. Not necessarily every day, but you know, just focusing on getting the main ideas down, in Oslo. Then we went to Braga for ten days or a few weeks, maybe. That was very efficient, actually. Daniel is a very hands-on guy. We got a lot done there. I was using a Digitech multi-effects guitar processor that I liked to run at least some of the vocals through. I remember going back and doing some more tests, but I don't remember exactly how long it took. Maybe a few weeks or a month after Braga.
Was there ever any interest in pulling a band together and performing live?
DC: I was always a stage type of guy. I enjoy the studio environment, my day job is being a producer and it has been for the last twenty years or so, but what I love the most is playing on stage. However that was just not possible for Head Control System as Kris wasn't really available. I don't know if you remember this, but not even Ulver were playing live back then. A few years down the road, that's when he started playing live with Ulver. And then it was just too late, too hard and too expensive to try and match schedules and find people for a possible live representation of Murder Nature. But I do remember being at this Christmas party of our label (Voices of Wonder) in Norway and someone, the label owner possibly, was begging me to convince Kris to play live. I was like, "Sure, I'll try, but I don't think that's gonna happen." [laughs] I always respected Kris' will and reasoning behind not wanting to do any shows back then, though.
KR: It's a lot of work, man, at least if you want it to be special on stage. And it costs a lot of money to organize and get ready for a tour. Considering all those things, and the modest success of the album, it wasn't the first thing on my mind. Especially considering this was back then… 2006? Ulver started playing live a couple years later. I also played some gigs with Æthenor around 2008–2009, that's when I started to dip my toes in that format. I was opening up to the idea, but this comes down to time as well. Investment. We were just two guys in different countries, we would have to recruit at least two more. It's not something I thought much about, or even dreamed of. I always enjoyed the studio and the introspection. Creating things and recording them for eternity, so to speak. I have come to appreciate the live experience a lot more since, that goes without saying, but it's a more transient thing. Not as important as those records!
What was it like working together in the same room as Kris flew out to Portugal for a session as everything else was done remotely?
DC: It was very easy-going. We hit it off from the start. Kris jokes that he's half-Portuguese, himself, as he spent some years in Portugal growing up. So maybe that's why it was really easy for us to work together and to relate as human beings. I remember we just had fun and it was pretty chill. I was living in Braga which is a small town in the north of Portugal. The town itself is also pretty chill. Everything was really smooth and easy going. I don't remember ever being stressed about anything. It was just cool and easy.
Do you remember any stories about these sessions?
DC: No, well the only thing is Kris did come with his kids and his wife from the time. His son was three and his daughter was just a baby, so he was juggling recording sessions and being a father. I have a baby now, myself, and I know it demands a lot. It's fucking hard work, man! But when I played with Anathema in Oslo, Kris went to see me with his son. The last time I'd seen him he was three, baby-walking around Braga. So, about fifteen years later he's at my show, sitting at the grown-ups table, having adult conversations! It does put things into perspective and makes me feel old. [laughs]
Kris, could you fill in any blanks?
KR: I remember we went to a gig one night as Daniel was doing session live drums for a Portuguese band called R.A.M.P.–who I think were local heroes, or pretty big in Portugal. There was a big outdoor fest thing going on. That was a nice break from the studio and family proceedings. Otherwise it was pretty domestic. I had small kids, so they went to bed early. Early up. There was Portuguese coffee, always welcome. Some croquettes and straight to the studio, then family time and maybe some touristy stuff in the evening, a few Super Bocks. Nothing scandalous. That came later or before. Man, I could tell you some stories from Ulver on the road, but we never did that with Head Control System.
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The artwork is very striking–the model and the knife with the logo on it. What was the inspiration behind the art?
DC: My memory fails me as it's been such a long time and I haven't been in touch with some of these memories. If I remember correctly, we were just doing funny stuff on MySpace and some models had taken some photos with our logo. One of the models took that picture with the knife and we thought it was cool. The artwork was done by Pedro Daniel, a designer I knew, but I don't remember talking to him much as I think Kris was mostly in charge of the layout. I probably had some input too, of course. I can't remember if it was Pedro or Kris, but one of them thought it would be a good idea to put that knife photo on the cover.
KR: Well, the MySpace ladies was actually Daniel's thing. Getting all these girls to pose with the logo, sort of pre-social media influencer shenanigans! [laughs] I didn't object. Anyway, we put together the cover at the house of a friend of Daniel's a little further South in Portugal. Basically this fold-out collage, combining some different things.
What was the inspiration behind the title? It's a very striking, aggressive title.
DC: I remember Kris was doing a lot of wordplay, and we had a few other options back then. I think one was "Liminal Animal", and I think we had some other wordplay titles too, but Murder Nature struck the most. It's a cool title, and I am 99% sure that this was something Kris brought to the table, but I liked it from the start.
I remember Liminal Animat–that was in your MySpace bio.
DC: [laughs]
KR: It's still on Ulver's Facebook! It's a Coil reference, or a Coil-esque anagram. A lot of the lyrics started like that, these sort of hang-ups, just playing with words or idioms bouncing off each other; murder-mystery stream of consciousness.
The year 2006 was a while ago now, almost twenty years, and there hasn't been much correspondence from Head Control System since your Seal cover dropped. People don't know what the project's status is, so: what is Head Control System now?
DC: It was never really dead, because every once in a while me and Kris would flirt with the idea of doing another album. We were close to doing it a couple years ago, but it was just impossible to match our schedules. I was busy in the studio and with Anathema, Kris was busy with… everything! I do have a possible whole second album recorded so there's actually a shelved fully recorded, fully produced, Head Control System instrumental album just lacking the vocals. I'm secretly hoping one day we'll make it happen again. Who knows, maybe this reissue will help? Maybe the nostalgia will help us find the time.
KR: I feel kind of guilty about that because Daniel's actually already made the music. But I simply haven't found the window. The older I get the more useless I become at multitasking too. Obviously, if we were to do another one, it'll take time. People keep saying "Just release a new album already!" but that's quickly six months of your life, and that's six months I haven't had, to be honest.
Do you feel the inspiration, though?
KR: Both yes and no. I'm very proud of Murder Nature, I think it's an objectively great record! But it's also the kind of thing that… it belongs to a different time, and what both Daniel and I have been doing the past ten–fifteen years is different too. And that's life! I've been working on some new Ulver material for a couple years now, but it's hard to find the focus and get everyone on the same page. The idea of taking on another full album project in another headspace is a bit overwhelming for me. But again, when I listen back to Murder Nature, I am still wowed at how pro it all sounds. It's happened so many times that I'm in the studio with someone and we play some music and I'll pull that album out. No one knows about it, but every time people are like holy shit!
With this kind of resurgence in the "2000s-American-rock-and-metal" sound, I think a reissue like this would go over well, and who knows what will happen next!
KR: You know, Daniel and I, we've had long breaks in our communication over the years, but it's been really nice talking with him again recently and bonding over the simple joy of this reissue. We'll see what fuels the fire. Never say never, of course.
Is there anything you want to say about Head Control System?
DC: Nah. As I said before, I'm not the speaker type of guy. I'm more of a studio guy. Not so much into talking.
KR: I think I've said all there is to say, man. The bottom line is that I'm still fucking proud of this album, and feel childishly stoked about the opportunity to rerelease it.
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Murder Nature will be available on LP and 2CD from KScope Records on November 17th.
The Head Control System Story: A Retrospective (Interview)
[Editor's Note: the following is an extended version of what is being included as liner notes for the physical edition of Murder Nature. We thank KScope, Kris, and Daniel for allowing us to publish this here at Invisible Oranges.]
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To discuss Kristoffer Rygg and Daniel Cardoso's Head Control System project is to enter a time machine back to the mid-2000s, back when I was a teenager. A fledgling Ulver fan, having not even heard Cardoso's Sirius project at that point, I was obsessed with anything and everything Garm. Arcturus, (any) Ulver–you name it, I was sold. Head Control System was no different. A continuation of Cardoso's SinDRomE project, renamed by Rygg, Head Control System was a successful attempt at capturing the "rock" sound of its time, but with a greater experimental bent and distinctly European approach, setting it apart from American rock which dominated airwaves at the time.
Influenced by music like Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Queens of the Stone Age, but with Cardoso and Rygg's own plethora of influences backing this approach, Head Control System's sole album Murder Nature, released by The End Records (US) and Voices of Wonder/Jester Records (EUR) in 2006, was a departure for these two artists, both of whom at the time operated at separate ends of the musical spectrum (though both Rygg and Cardoso came from a black metal background). Smooth and rhythmic, Murder Nature took from Cardoso and Rygg's varied backgrounds and resulted in something wondrous, but also familiar and of its time. Touching on the then-dwindling nu-metal style in songs like "Masterpiece (of Art)", Cardoso and Rygg's own metal backgrounds sneak through in unsuspecting ways.
An international project, with Rygg operating from his home in Oslo, Norway, and Cardoso's studio then located in Braga, Portugal, Head Control System was tested by distance and internet collaboration. The result of Cardoso messaging Rygg on MySpace or by email (depending on which member you ask), Head Control System's humble early days as SinDRomE quickly exploded upon Rygg's eventual joining after hearing a handful of Cardoso's demos of what would eventually become Murder Nature.
Hot off the heels of recording Ulver's celebrated Blood Inside, Rygg and his family flew to Portugal for the Murder Nature vocal sessions. Spending punctuated days in the studio in order to keep his family entertained on what was essentially a "working vacation", Rygg would go so far as to keep his youngest in a BabyBjörn whilst recording. Using a similar (read as: extended) vocal range to Blood Inside, the harder, rock-inflicted edge Rygg imbued to his voice resulted in a heavier, more punchy performance than the UIver performances to which people had become accustomed in the band's tenure past their black metal Trilogie era.
Recorded and produced in his own studio, Cardoso doesn't remember much from the Head Control System days, though he insists the project is still mildly active, even after what amounts to nearly twenty years past Murder Nature's release. Having recorded a full second album's worth of material in the years since, it's been up to the ever-busy Rygg, who considers the project somewhere in the "dead-but-dreaming" realm, to finish this secret second record.
Personally, revisiting Murder Nature has been a delight, both nostalgically and from a measure of quality. Though alternative rock/metal wasn't what I expected from these artists, especially in retrospect as I become a more seasoned fan of both Cardoso and Rygg's works, Head Control System was (is?) one of those special bands which leaves a special mark on the music scene and is deserving of such a comprehensive edition. Go ahead and drop the needle (or set your CD player's dial) to your favorite track, be it "Baby Blue", "Masterpiece (of Art)", or any of the many infectious songs that comprise Murder Nature, and lose yourself in what is ultimately a fantastic rock record. It is a true masterpiece of art.
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I want to ask a big question first, because I've shown a few people Murder Nature and they all say the same thing–is Murder Nature a nu-metal album?
Daniel Cardoso: I wouldn't say so. Back then nu-metal was kind of a big deal but it wasn't exactly what I was listening to. I can see how people from the extreme metal scene would label Murder Nature a nu-metal album, but I'd never go that route myself. Maybe it fits that same type of nu-metal-ish sound but I don't think it fits within the same kind of genre.
Kristoffer Rygg: As of 2023, you mean? I honestly wouldn't know. It's kind of interesting to me how some of these guys like Tommy and Mark who wrote testimonials were into the album when it came out, which – not saying they're nu-metal–but it's interesting because we had high hopes for the album when it was released. It's so cool to hear from those guys so many years later that it resonated. We definitely thought it was as good as the big boys back then, you know. I remember tuning in to Queens of the Stone Age, for example, which is more groovy, cheeky, dare I say, sexy modern rock. Pretty hard to define. Something you'd just wanna blast from your car whilst cruising down the highway looking for your next victim, figuratively speaking.
I was reading reviews from around when Murder Nature was released and people didn't know what to call it. I found that really interesting.
DC: [laughs] I would liken it more towards Tool, A Perfect Circle, and to the new prog/djent scene that kinda started with Meshuggah, and has been proliferating through bands like TesseracT or Periphery. I think what we did back then fits more within that sort of genre. This reissue is happening on Kscope too, which has a lot of bands that gravitate towards modern prog metal or a prog rock type of sound.
I want to go all the way back to the beginning with SinDRomE. How did this band start?
DC: It was mostly just me laying some riffs on a guitar and drumming over it. Then I teamed up with this cool singer named Tobel Lopes, and we did some stuff that we were pretty happy with, but then for some reason we just went separate ways–perhaps because he was living far away from me and was from a bit of a different scene. We did work again later on different projects, though, he even joined me in Anathema for a while as a touring member.
How did Kris end up joining this band and turning it into Head Control System?
DC: It's a funny story. I remember when I was in Sirius, we had this conversation with Tomas "Samoth" (Emperor) about asking Kris to be a guest on a song. He told us it would be great, but he would probably say no. He's too busy and isn't the type of guy to get involved with new bands. Samoth painted this picture of him as this difficult-to-reach guy, which he was and still is. [laughs] Kris has this charisma and star quality that makes everyone feel like he is unreachable, and that's what we were told back then. When I was looking for a singer for what was still SinDRomE, I remember I just emailed Jester Records' general email address and introduced myself, saying I was in Sirius and was signed to Nocturnal Art Productions, et cetera. I had these songs and wanted to know if I could have direct contact with Kris. The reply was, "Hello Daniel, this is Kris. Shoot." Something like that, so he was replying directly to me, which was pretty cool. I sent him one song and said that I wanted to do this album and was looking for a singer. His reply was, "Yeah, this is nice. I kind of like the style because it isn't the usual kind of stuff people approach me with, but I'm busy and can't be involved in any other projects right now. But if you want, keep sending me songs." So I sent him a couple more songs, and I think I kept sending him songs and by the fifth or sixth song, I think he said he wanted to try some vocals. To me, it was like no fucking way.
KR: If I remember correctly, I think it was through MySpace. Those days were nice, it was suddenly very easy for musicians to connect and share some tunes. That's actually also how I got in contact with Daniel O'Sullivan a few years after this. Anyway, I think Daniel first reached out through MySpace and we started chatting. He sent me some demos and actually some videos of him playing. Needless to say, I was quite impressed by his skills, drumming and doing everything by himself. Tore (Ylwizaker) and I were just done with Blood Inside which is something we'd worked on and off with for three years or something, so it was a kind of auspicious moment to delve into something else for a while. I liked the prospect of being a hired gun, so to speak, and not being involved with all aspects of the production. Also, I liked Daniel. It's as simple as that.
How did the name Head Control System come to be?
DC: That was Kris. We still worked for a while under the SinDRomE name. I still have old demos and the file name was still SinDRomE and it already had Kris' vocals. I think it was when he visited me in Portugal to do some vocal sessions, one of the conversations we had sitting at a coffee place–he said the name SinDRomE was okay, but maybe we could have a stronger name? He came up with Head Control System, and it was a good name. I was never attached to SinDRomE or words in general. I'm the music kind of guy, not the lyrics or text kind of guy. SinDRomE was something I came up with when I was twenty. In hindsight, I'm glad we changed the name because I think throughout the years Head Control System still works well.
KR: I thought we brainstormed it together, but okay maybe I did come up with it. I didn't think SinDRomE–Severe Damage on Reason and Equilibrium–was that clever [laughs]. Not that Head Control System is, either, but it's got a bit more spunk. It could be some fast car mechanical program or device, or it might be a sexual thing. It was a random act of putting a few words together, see what pops! The lyrics came about much in the same way. Experimenting, associating, trying to get the syllables to dance to the music. They were all written with the movements of the music in mind.
The album was released in the US on The End Records label, which was a metal and progressive rock label (for the most part). How do you feel it was received among that crowd?
DC: It's hard to say. We never played live, we didn't do much promo. Social networking was still just MySpace. It was hard to tell how the album was going. Years later, I met unsuspecting people from the scene who told me "Wow, that album was killer!" but back then we couldn't know because we didn't get any relevant feedback from our listeners. I'm guessing the album didn't sell amazingly well, but it's no surprise considering we didn't do any promo and didn't play any shows. One thing I can say today though is that it did impact some people who later became big in the prog metal scene, and are now in pretty big bands, and that's something to be proud of.
KR: It might have been received better in the United States, but I do remember feeling disappointed by the lack of movement here in Europe.
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The next full recording you did, Kris, was Shadows of the Sun. What was it like working on this album considering what else you were working on?
KR: Well, with Blood Inside and Shadows of the Sun I was working closely with Tore [Ylwizaker]. Daniel and Tore are very different individuals. Different outlooks and technical approaches – obviously the singing style and general aesthetic is different too. There is a big stylistic shift between Blood Inside and Shadows of the Sun, of course. At the end of the day it's just about what you set your mind to, isn't it? What is the vision here?
Murder Nature was released with little fanfare, kind of coasting on notoriety and internet sharing rather than having a specific ad campaign. Why did you choose not to promote the album?
DC: We just weren't bothered with it. We just let go. Kris was always busy with Ulver and had already left Arcturus and Borknagar. He was involved with a lot of stuff and we didn't really worry too much about it. To be honest, I didn't see a big point in doing a lot of promo since we weren't doing shows. There was only so much one could do without playing the album live. Maybe that's why it didn't go farther in sales. On the other hand, it created this magic aura surrounding the album.
KR: We were naive, we probably thought it would sell itself, on the strength of the music alone, and maybe to some extent because Ulver had a good fan base. It wasn't really common to hire publicists back then, and I do think it fell between a few cracks – the extreme metal people didn't get it and the modern or alternative rock/metal crowd never even heard (about) it! We didn't understand that we probably should have had someone push for it to get played on radio, for example.
There was an underground following, myself being an Ulver fan who discovered Murder Nature from Kris' performance, but it was interesting to watch this go under the radar.
DC: It was indeed a bit under the radar when it came out, but ultimately it must have reached some people too. Throughout the years I've had several Head Control System "fans", for lack of a better word, asking me about a second album on social media, so there's that. Even today, if I post something about Head Control System I'm sure I'll get some random person asking, "When are you guys making another album?" Well, we can give them this reissue now and see how it goes, who knows what the future might bring.
Kris, what was the process of balancing being a father and being a recording artist at the time?
KR: There's a funny picture of me in Daniel's apartment (which was also his studio at the time) with my one-year-old daughter in a BabyBjörn carrying vessel. I'm standing trying to sing while she's crying her heart out. [laughs] It was quite a juggling process, but isn't it always?
How long did it take for you to finish the vocal sessions for this album?
KR: I think something like two–three months. Not necessarily every day, but you know, just focusing on getting the main ideas down, in Oslo. Then we went to Braga for ten days or a few weeks, maybe. That was very efficient, actually. Daniel is a very hands-on guy. We got a lot done there. I was using a Digitech multi-effects guitar processor that I liked to run at least some of the vocals through. I remember going back and doing some more tests, but I don't remember exactly how long it took. Maybe a few weeks or a month after Braga.
Was there ever any interest in pulling a band together and performing live?
DC: I was always a stage type of guy. I enjoy the studio environment, my day job is being a producer and it has been for the last twenty years or so, but what I love the most is playing on stage. However that was just not possible for Head Control System as Kris wasn't really available. I don't know if you remember this, but not even Ulver were playing live back then. A few years down the road, that's when he started playing live with Ulver. And then it was just too late, too hard and too expensive to try and match schedules and find people for a possible live representation of Murder Nature. But I do remember being at this Christmas party of our label (Voices of Wonder) in Norway and someone, the label owner possibly, was begging me to convince Kris to play live. I was like, "Sure, I'll try, but I don't think that's gonna happen." [laughs] I always respected Kris' will and reasoning behind not wanting to do any shows back then, though.
KR: It's a lot of work, man, at least if you want it to be special on stage. And it costs a lot of money to organize and get ready for a tour. Considering all those things, and the modest success of the album, it wasn't the first thing on my mind. Especially considering this was back then… 2006? Ulver started playing live a couple years later. I also played some gigs with Æthenor around 2008–2009, that's when I started to dip my toes in that format. I was opening up to the idea, but this comes down to time as well. Investment. We were just two guys in different countries, we would have to recruit at least two more. It's not something I thought much about, or even dreamed of. I always enjoyed the studio and the introspection. Creating things and recording them for eternity, so to speak. I have come to appreciate the live experience a lot more since, that goes without saying, but it's a more transient thing. Not as important as those records!
What was it like working together in the same room as Kris flew out to Portugal for a session as everything else was done remotely?
DC: It was very easy-going. We hit it off from the start. Kris jokes that he's half-Portuguese, himself, as he spent some years in Portugal growing up. So maybe that's why it was really easy for us to work together and to relate as human beings. I remember we just had fun and it was pretty chill. I was living in Braga which is a small town in the north of Portugal. The town itself is also pretty chill. Everything was really smooth and easy going. I don't remember ever being stressed about anything. It was just cool and easy.
Do you remember any stories about these sessions?
DC: No, well the only thing is Kris did come with his kids and his wife from the time. His son was three and his daughter was just a baby, so he was juggling recording sessions and being a father. I have a baby now, myself, and I know it demands a lot. It's fucking hard work, man! But when I played with Anathema in Oslo, Kris went to see me with his son. The last time I'd seen him he was three, baby-walking around Braga. So, about fifteen years later he's at my show, sitting at the grown-ups table, having adult conversations! It does put things into perspective and makes me feel old. [laughs]
Kris, could you fill in any blanks?
KR: I remember we went to a gig one night as Daniel was doing session live drums for a Portuguese band called R.A.M.P.–who I think were local heroes, or pretty big in Portugal. There was a big outdoor fest thing going on. That was a nice break from the studio and family proceedings. Otherwise it was pretty domestic. I had small kids, so they went to bed early. Early up. There was Portuguese coffee, always welcome. Some croquettes and straight to the studio, then family time and maybe some touristy stuff in the evening, a few Super Bocks. Nothing scandalous. That came later or before. Man, I could tell you some stories from Ulver on the road, but we never did that with Head Control System.
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The artwork is very striking–the model and the knife with the logo on it. What was the inspiration behind the art?
DC: My memory fails me as it's been such a long time and I haven't been in touch with some of these memories. If I remember correctly, we were just doing funny stuff on MySpace and some models had taken some photos with our logo. One of the models took that picture with the knife and we thought it was cool. The artwork was done by Pedro Daniel, a designer I knew, but I don't remember talking to him much as I think Kris was mostly in charge of the layout. I probably had some input too, of course. I can't remember if it was Pedro or Kris, but one of them thought it would be a good idea to put that knife photo on the cover.
KR: Well, the MySpace ladies was actually Daniel's thing. Getting all these girls to pose with the logo, sort of pre-social media influencer shenanigans! [laughs] I didn't object. Anyway, we put together the cover at the house of a friend of Daniel's a little further South in Portugal. Basically this fold-out collage, combining some different things.
What was the inspiration behind the title? It's a very striking, aggressive title.
DC: I remember Kris was doing a lot of wordplay, and we had a few other options back then. I think one was "Liminal Animal", and I think we had some other wordplay titles too, but Murder Nature struck the most. It's a cool title, and I am 99% sure that this was something Kris brought to the table, but I liked it from the start.
I remember Liminal Animat–that was in your MySpace bio.
DC: [laughs]
KR: It's still on Ulver's Facebook! It's a Coil reference, or a Coil-esque anagram. A lot of the lyrics started like that, these sort of hang-ups, just playing with words or idioms bouncing off each other; murder-mystery stream of consciousness.
The year 2006 was a while ago now, almost twenty years, and there hasn't been much correspondence from Head Control System since your Seal cover dropped. People don't know what the project's status is, so: what is Head Control System now?
DC: It was never really dead, because every once in a while me and Kris would flirt with the idea of doing another album. We were close to doing it a couple years ago, but it was just impossible to match our schedules. I was busy in the studio and with Anathema, Kris was busy with… everything! I do have a possible whole second album recorded so there's actually a shelved fully recorded, fully produced, Head Control System instrumental album just lacking the vocals. I'm secretly hoping one day we'll make it happen again. Who knows, maybe this reissue will help? Maybe the nostalgia will help us find the time.
KR: I feel kind of guilty about that because Daniel's actually already made the music. But I simply haven't found the window. The older I get the more useless I become at multitasking too. Obviously, if we were to do another one, it'll take time. People keep saying "Just release a new album already!" but that's quickly six months of your life, and that's six months I haven't had, to be honest.
Do you feel the inspiration, though?
KR: Both yes and no. I'm very proud of Murder Nature, I think it's an objectively great record! But it's also the kind of thing that… it belongs to a different time, and what both Daniel and I have been doing the past ten–fifteen years is different too. And that's life! I've been working on some new Ulver material for a couple years now, but it's hard to find the focus and get everyone on the same page. The idea of taking on another full album project in another headspace is a bit overwhelming for me. But again, when I listen back to Murder Nature, I am still wowed at how pro it all sounds. It's happened so many times that I'm in the studio with someone and we play some music and I'll pull that album out. No one knows about it, but every time people are like holy shit!
With this kind of resurgence in the "2000s-American-rock-and-metal" sound, I think a reissue like this would go over well, and who knows what will happen next!
KR: You know, Daniel and I, we've had long breaks in our communication over the years, but it's been really nice talking with him again recently and bonding over the simple joy of this reissue. We'll see what fuels the fire. Never say never, of course.
Is there anything you want to say about Head Control System?
DC: Nah. As I said before, I'm not the speaker type of guy. I'm more of a studio guy. Not so much into talking.
KR: I think I've said all there is to say, man. The bottom line is that I'm still fucking proud of this album, and feel childishly stoked about the opportunity to rerelease it.
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Murder Nature will be available on LP and 2CD from KScope Records on November 17th.
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Elsewhere on the Neumos mainstage, Marissa Nadler was setting up the inverse of CHRCH’s earth engulfing sound. Armed with three guitars, one acoustic, two electric, Nadler stood alone. This is what the Boston based songwriter does best. After years of honing her live set on the road, Nadler has gained the ability to silence and hold command over any crowd. Though she proved her metal bona fides by covering Danzig’s “Blood & Tears” along with Black Sabbath’s “Solitude”, it was her original material that won the day. It shouldn’t matter what genre a song like “Drive” belongs to, melodies that strong work in any context. Nadler’s music wasn’t just a welcome addition to festival because of how well her slow pace matched the doom band’s billed next to her, but because it was so appreciably different from the rest of the bill. By pulling the walls inward with songs about addiction, depression, and desperation, Nadler established an intimacy that the festival’s final acts could build from. As the last notes of her acoustic guitar faded into silence, a new sound emerged; thundering applause.
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Soon after, a different kind of thunder struck the Neumos stage, following a much graver silence. For months YOB frontman Mike Scheidt had been sidelined by acute diverticulitis, a truly nasty intestinal disease. That he can perform live is a minor miracle. That he is alive at all is a much greater one. Greeted on stage by a roar from the crowd, Scheidt saluted the room with his hands placed palm to palm, as if in prayer. Then YOB proceeded to blow the roof off. Once they kicked into “Prepare The Ground”, a Sabbath shuffle expanded to cosmic proportions, the content of the air changed. It had been crystallized, each molecule frozen under the weight of distortion. YOB’s music has always had a spiritual component on record but live it takes on an additional level of transcendent intensity. The repetition is meditative, the volume high enough to shake loose any lingering anxieties. All that’s left is your body and its the walls of sound enveloping it. “Belief shaken to the core/Upon the sight of the other shore” Scheidt intoned in his trademark strained falsetto, the words taking on a deeper significance in light of what he has overcome.
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Prophecy Fest 2023
Prophecy Fest 2023
Prophecy Fest 2023
Photo Credit: elulu photo
Prophecy Fest 2023
Photo Credit: elulu photo
The Head Control System Story: A Retrospective (Interview)
[Editor's Note: the following is an extended version of what is being included as liner notes for the physical edition of Murder Nature. We thank KScope, Kris, and Daniel for allowing us to publish this here at Invisible Oranges.]
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To discuss Kristoffer Rygg and Daniel Cardoso's Head Control System project is to enter a time machine back to the mid-2000s, back when I was a teenager. A fledgling Ulver fan, having not even heard Cardoso's Sirius project at that point, I was obsessed with anything and everything Garm. Arcturus, (any) Ulver–you name it, I was sold. Head Control System was no different. A continuation of Cardoso's SinDRomE project, renamed by Rygg, Head Control System was a successful attempt at capturing the "rock" sound of its time, but with a greater experimental bent and distinctly European approach, setting it apart from American rock which dominated airwaves at the time.
Influenced by music like Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Queens of the Stone Age, but with Cardoso and Rygg's own plethora of influences backing this approach, Head Control System's sole album Murder Nature, released by The End Records (US) and Voices of Wonder/Jester Records (EUR) in 2006, was a departure for these two artists, both of whom at the time operated at separate ends of the musical spectrum (though both Rygg and Cardoso came from a black metal background). Smooth and rhythmic, Murder Nature took from Cardoso and Rygg's varied backgrounds and resulted in something wondrous, but also familiar and of its time. Touching on the then-dwindling nu-metal style in songs like "Masterpiece (of Art)", Cardoso and Rygg's own metal backgrounds sneak through in unsuspecting ways.
An international project, with Rygg operating from his home in Oslo, Norway, and Cardoso's studio then located in Braga, Portugal, Head Control System was tested by distance and internet collaboration. The result of Cardoso messaging Rygg on MySpace or by email (depending on which member you ask), Head Control System's humble early days as SinDRomE quickly exploded upon Rygg's eventual joining after hearing a handful of Cardoso's demos of what would eventually become Murder Nature.
Hot off the heels of recording Ulver's celebrated Blood Inside, Rygg and his family flew to Portugal for the Murder Nature vocal sessions. Spending punctuated days in the studio in order to keep his family entertained on what was essentially a "working vacation", Rygg would go so far as to keep his youngest in a BabyBjörn whilst recording. Using a similar (read as: extended) vocal range to Blood Inside, the harder, rock-inflicted edge Rygg imbued to his voice resulted in a heavier, more punchy performance than the UIver performances to which people had become accustomed in the band's tenure past their black metal Trilogie era.
Recorded and produced in his own studio, Cardoso doesn't remember much from the Head Control System days, though he insists the project is still mildly active, even after what amounts to nearly twenty years past Murder Nature's release. Having recorded a full second album's worth of material in the years since, it's been up to the ever-busy Rygg, who considers the project somewhere in the "dead-but-dreaming" realm, to finish this secret second record.
Personally, revisiting Murder Nature has been a delight, both nostalgically and from a measure of quality. Though alternative rock/metal wasn't what I expected from these artists, especially in retrospect as I become a more seasoned fan of both Cardoso and Rygg's works, Head Control System was (is?) one of those special bands which leaves a special mark on the music scene and is deserving of such a comprehensive edition. Go ahead and drop the needle (or set your CD player's dial) to your favorite track, be it "Baby Blue", "Masterpiece (of Art)", or any of the many infectious songs that comprise Murder Nature, and lose yourself in what is ultimately a fantastic rock record. It is a true masterpiece of art.
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I want to ask a big question first, because I've shown a few people Murder Nature and they all say the same thing–is Murder Nature a nu-metal album?
Daniel Cardoso: I wouldn't say so. Back then nu-metal was kind of a big deal but it wasn't exactly what I was listening to. I can see how people from the extreme metal scene would label Murder Nature a nu-metal album, but I'd never go that route myself. Maybe it fits that same type of nu-metal-ish sound but I don't think it fits within the same kind of genre.
Kristoffer Rygg: As of 2023, you mean? I honestly wouldn't know. It's kind of interesting to me how some of these guys like Tommy and Mark who wrote testimonials were into the album when it came out, which – not saying they're nu-metal–but it's interesting because we had high hopes for the album when it was released. It's so cool to hear from those guys so many years later that it resonated. We definitely thought it was as good as the big boys back then, you know. I remember tuning in to Queens of the Stone Age, for example, which is more groovy, cheeky, dare I say, sexy modern rock. Pretty hard to define. Something you'd just wanna blast from your car whilst cruising down the highway looking for your next victim, figuratively speaking.
I was reading reviews from around when Murder Nature was released and people didn't know what to call it. I found that really interesting.
DC: [laughs] I would liken it more towards Tool, A Perfect Circle, and to the new prog/djent scene that kinda started with Meshuggah, and has been proliferating through bands like TesseracT or Periphery. I think what we did back then fits more within that sort of genre. This reissue is happening on Kscope too, which has a lot of bands that gravitate towards modern prog metal or a prog rock type of sound.
I want to go all the way back to the beginning with SinDRomE. How did this band start?
DC: It was mostly just me laying some riffs on a guitar and drumming over it. Then I teamed up with this cool singer named Tobel Lopes, and we did some stuff that we were pretty happy with, but then for some reason we just went separate ways–perhaps because he was living far away from me and was from a bit of a different scene. We did work again later on different projects, though, he even joined me in Anathema for a while as a touring member.
How did Kris end up joining this band and turning it into Head Control System?
DC: It's a funny story. I remember when I was in Sirius, we had this conversation with Tomas "Samoth" (Emperor) about asking Kris to be a guest on a song. He told us it would be great, but he would probably say no. He's too busy and isn't the type of guy to get involved with new bands. Samoth painted this picture of him as this difficult-to-reach guy, which he was and still is. [laughs] Kris has this charisma and star quality that makes everyone feel like he is unreachable, and that's what we were told back then. When I was looking for a singer for what was still SinDRomE, I remember I just emailed Jester Records' general email address and introduced myself, saying I was in Sirius and was signed to Nocturnal Art Productions, et cetera. I had these songs and wanted to know if I could have direct contact with Kris. The reply was, "Hello Daniel, this is Kris. Shoot." Something like that, so he was replying directly to me, which was pretty cool. I sent him one song and said that I wanted to do this album and was looking for a singer. His reply was, "Yeah, this is nice. I kind of like the style because it isn't the usual kind of stuff people approach me with, but I'm busy and can't be involved in any other projects right now. But if you want, keep sending me songs." So I sent him a couple more songs, and I think I kept sending him songs and by the fifth or sixth song, I think he said he wanted to try some vocals. To me, it was like no fucking way.
KR: If I remember correctly, I think it was through MySpace. Those days were nice, it was suddenly very easy for musicians to connect and share some tunes. That's actually also how I got in contact with Daniel O'Sullivan a few years after this. Anyway, I think Daniel first reached out through MySpace and we started chatting. He sent me some demos and actually some videos of him playing. Needless to say, I was quite impressed by his skills, drumming and doing everything by himself. Tore (Ylwizaker) and I were just done with Blood Inside which is something we'd worked on and off with for three years or something, so it was a kind of auspicious moment to delve into something else for a while. I liked the prospect of being a hired gun, so to speak, and not being involved with all aspects of the production. Also, I liked Daniel. It's as simple as that.
How did the name Head Control System come to be?
DC: That was Kris. We still worked for a while under the SinDRomE name. I still have old demos and the file name was still SinDRomE and it already had Kris' vocals. I think it was when he visited me in Portugal to do some vocal sessions, one of the conversations we had sitting at a coffee place–he said the name SinDRomE was okay, but maybe we could have a stronger name? He came up with Head Control System, and it was a good name. I was never attached to SinDRomE or words in general. I'm the music kind of guy, not the lyrics or text kind of guy. SinDRomE was something I came up with when I was twenty. In hindsight, I'm glad we changed the name because I think throughout the years Head Control System still works well.
KR: I thought we brainstormed it together, but okay maybe I did come up with it. I didn't think SinDRomE–Severe Damage on Reason and Equilibrium–was that clever [laughs]. Not that Head Control System is, either, but it's got a bit more spunk. It could be some fast car mechanical program or device, or it might be a sexual thing. It was a random act of putting a few words together, see what pops! The lyrics came about much in the same way. Experimenting, associating, trying to get the syllables to dance to the music. They were all written with the movements of the music in mind.
The album was released in the US on The End Records label, which was a metal and progressive rock label (for the most part). How do you feel it was received among that crowd?
DC: It's hard to say. We never played live, we didn't do much promo. Social networking was still just MySpace. It was hard to tell how the album was going. Years later, I met unsuspecting people from the scene who told me "Wow, that album was killer!" but back then we couldn't know because we didn't get any relevant feedback from our listeners. I'm guessing the album didn't sell amazingly well, but it's no surprise considering we didn't do any promo and didn't play any shows. One thing I can say today though is that it did impact some people who later became big in the prog metal scene, and are now in pretty big bands, and that's something to be proud of.
KR: It might have been received better in the United States, but I do remember feeling disappointed by the lack of movement here in Europe.
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The next full recording you did, Kris, was Shadows of the Sun. What was it like working on this album considering what else you were working on?
KR: Well, with Blood Inside and Shadows of the Sun I was working closely with Tore [Ylwizaker]. Daniel and Tore are very different individuals. Different outlooks and technical approaches – obviously the singing style and general aesthetic is different too. There is a big stylistic shift between Blood Inside and Shadows of the Sun, of course. At the end of the day it's just about what you set your mind to, isn't it? What is the vision here?
Murder Nature was released with little fanfare, kind of coasting on notoriety and internet sharing rather than having a specific ad campaign. Why did you choose not to promote the album?
DC: We just weren't bothered with it. We just let go. Kris was always busy with Ulver and had already left Arcturus and Borknagar. He was involved with a lot of stuff and we didn't really worry too much about it. To be honest, I didn't see a big point in doing a lot of promo since we weren't doing shows. There was only so much one could do without playing the album live. Maybe that's why it didn't go farther in sales. On the other hand, it created this magic aura surrounding the album.
KR: We were naive, we probably thought it would sell itself, on the strength of the music alone, and maybe to some extent because Ulver had a good fan base. It wasn't really common to hire publicists back then, and I do think it fell between a few cracks – the extreme metal people didn't get it and the modern or alternative rock/metal crowd never even heard (about) it! We didn't understand that we probably should have had someone push for it to get played on radio, for example.
There was an underground following, myself being an Ulver fan who discovered Murder Nature from Kris' performance, but it was interesting to watch this go under the radar.
DC: It was indeed a bit under the radar when it came out, but ultimately it must have reached some people too. Throughout the years I've had several Head Control System "fans", for lack of a better word, asking me about a second album on social media, so there's that. Even today, if I post something about Head Control System I'm sure I'll get some random person asking, "When are you guys making another album?" Well, we can give them this reissue now and see how it goes, who knows what the future might bring.
Kris, what was the process of balancing being a father and being a recording artist at the time?
KR: There's a funny picture of me in Daniel's apartment (which was also his studio at the time) with my one-year-old daughter in a BabyBjörn carrying vessel. I'm standing trying to sing while she's crying her heart out. [laughs] It was quite a juggling process, but isn't it always?
How long did it take for you to finish the vocal sessions for this album?
KR: I think something like two–three months. Not necessarily every day, but you know, just focusing on getting the main ideas down, in Oslo. Then we went to Braga for ten days or a few weeks, maybe. That was very efficient, actually. Daniel is a very hands-on guy. We got a lot done there. I was using a Digitech multi-effects guitar processor that I liked to run at least some of the vocals through. I remember going back and doing some more tests, but I don't remember exactly how long it took. Maybe a few weeks or a month after Braga.
Was there ever any interest in pulling a band together and performing live?
DC: I was always a stage type of guy. I enjoy the studio environment, my day job is being a producer and it has been for the last twenty years or so, but what I love the most is playing on stage. However that was just not possible for Head Control System as Kris wasn't really available. I don't know if you remember this, but not even Ulver were playing live back then. A few years down the road, that's when he started playing live with Ulver. And then it was just too late, too hard and too expensive to try and match schedules and find people for a possible live representation of Murder Nature. But I do remember being at this Christmas party of our label (Voices of Wonder) in Norway and someone, the label owner possibly, was begging me to convince Kris to play live. I was like, "Sure, I'll try, but I don't think that's gonna happen." [laughs] I always respected Kris' will and reasoning behind not wanting to do any shows back then, though.
KR: It's a lot of work, man, at least if you want it to be special on stage. And it costs a lot of money to organize and get ready for a tour. Considering all those things, and the modest success of the album, it wasn't the first thing on my mind. Especially considering this was back then… 2006? Ulver started playing live a couple years later. I also played some gigs with Æthenor around 2008–2009, that's when I started to dip my toes in that format. I was opening up to the idea, but this comes down to time as well. Investment. We were just two guys in different countries, we would have to recruit at least two more. It's not something I thought much about, or even dreamed of. I always enjoyed the studio and the introspection. Creating things and recording them for eternity, so to speak. I have come to appreciate the live experience a lot more since, that goes without saying, but it's a more transient thing. Not as important as those records!
What was it like working together in the same room as Kris flew out to Portugal for a session as everything else was done remotely?
DC: It was very easy-going. We hit it off from the start. Kris jokes that he's half-Portuguese, himself, as he spent some years in Portugal growing up. So maybe that's why it was really easy for us to work together and to relate as human beings. I remember we just had fun and it was pretty chill. I was living in Braga which is a small town in the north of Portugal. The town itself is also pretty chill. Everything was really smooth and easy going. I don't remember ever being stressed about anything. It was just cool and easy.
Do you remember any stories about these sessions?
DC: No, well the only thing is Kris did come with his kids and his wife from the time. His son was three and his daughter was just a baby, so he was juggling recording sessions and being a father. I have a baby now, myself, and I know it demands a lot. It's fucking hard work, man! But when I played with Anathema in Oslo, Kris went to see me with his son. The last time I'd seen him he was three, baby-walking around Braga. So, about fifteen years later he's at my show, sitting at the grown-ups table, having adult conversations! It does put things into perspective and makes me feel old. [laughs]
Kris, could you fill in any blanks?
KR: I remember we went to a gig one night as Daniel was doing session live drums for a Portuguese band called R.A.M.P.–who I think were local heroes, or pretty big in Portugal. There was a big outdoor fest thing going on. That was a nice break from the studio and family proceedings. Otherwise it was pretty domestic. I had small kids, so they went to bed early. Early up. There was Portuguese coffee, always welcome. Some croquettes and straight to the studio, then family time and maybe some touristy stuff in the evening, a few Super Bocks. Nothing scandalous. That came later or before. Man, I could tell you some stories from Ulver on the road, but we never did that with Head Control System.
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The artwork is very striking–the model and the knife with the logo on it. What was the inspiration behind the art?
DC: My memory fails me as it's been such a long time and I haven't been in touch with some of these memories. If I remember correctly, we were just doing funny stuff on MySpace and some models had taken some photos with our logo. One of the models took that picture with the knife and we thought it was cool. The artwork was done by Pedro Daniel, a designer I knew, but I don't remember talking to him much as I think Kris was mostly in charge of the layout. I probably had some input too, of course. I can't remember if it was Pedro or Kris, but one of them thought it would be a good idea to put that knife photo on the cover.
KR: Well, the MySpace ladies was actually Daniel's thing. Getting all these girls to pose with the logo, sort of pre-social media influencer shenanigans! [laughs] I didn't object. Anyway, we put together the cover at the house of a friend of Daniel's a little further South in Portugal. Basically this fold-out collage, combining some different things.
What was the inspiration behind the title? It's a very striking, aggressive title.
DC: I remember Kris was doing a lot of wordplay, and we had a few other options back then. I think one was "Liminal Animal", and I think we had some other wordplay titles too, but Murder Nature struck the most. It's a cool title, and I am 99% sure that this was something Kris brought to the table, but I liked it from the start.
I remember Liminal Animal–that was in your MySpace bio.
DC: [laughs]
KR: It's still on Ulver's Facebook! It's a Coil reference, or a Coil-esque anagram. A lot of the lyrics started like that, these sort of hang-ups, just playing with words or idioms bouncing off each other; murder-mystery stream of consciousness.
The year 2006 was a while ago now, almost twenty years, and there hasn't been much correspondence from Head Control System since your Seal cover dropped. People don't know what the project's status is, so: what is Head Control System now?
DC: It was never really dead, because every once in a while me and Kris would flirt with the idea of doing another album. We were close to doing it a couple years ago, but it was just impossible to match our schedules. I was busy in the studio and with Anathema, Kris was busy with… everything! I do have a possible whole second album recorded so there's actually a shelved fully recorded, fully produced, Head Control System instrumental album just lacking the vocals. I'm secretly hoping one day we'll make it happen again. Who knows, maybe this reissue will help? Maybe the nostalgia will help us find the time.
KR: I feel kind of guilty about that because Daniel's actually already made the music. But I simply haven't found the window. The older I get the more useless I become at multitasking too. Obviously, if we were to do another one, it'll take time. People keep saying "Just release a new album already!" but that's quickly six months of your life, and that's six months I haven't had, to be honest.
Do you feel the inspiration, though?
KR: Both yes and no. I'm very proud of Murder Nature, I think it's an objectively great record! But it's also the kind of thing that… it belongs to a different time, and what both Daniel and I have been doing the past ten–fifteen years is different too. And that's life! I've been working on some new Ulver material for a couple years now, but it's hard to find the focus and get everyone on the same page. The idea of taking on another full album project in another headspace is a bit overwhelming for me. But again, when I listen back to Murder Nature, I am still wowed at how pro it all sounds. It's happened so many times that I'm in the studio with someone and we play some music and I'll pull that album out. No one knows about it, but every time people are like holy shit!
With this kind of resurgence in the "2000s-American-rock-and-metal" sound, I think a reissue like this would go over well, and who knows what will happen next!
KR: You know, Daniel and I, we've had long breaks in our communication over the years, but it's been really nice talking with him again recently and bonding over the simple joy of this reissue. We'll see what fuels the fire. Never say never, of course.
Is there anything you want to say about Head Control System?
DC: Nah. As I said before, I'm not the speaker type of guy. I'm more of a studio guy. Not so much into talking.
KR: I think I've said all there is to say, man. The bottom line is that I'm still fucking proud of this album, and feel childishly stoked about the opportunity to rerelease it.
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Murder Nature will be available on LP and 2CD from KScope on November 17th.
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At the end of the set Scheidt gave another palm-to-palm prayer in gratitude and humility, and a second salute, his arms raised in defiance, shouting wordless. In that moment he was alive and so were we, our very existence spitting in the face of death. We stood at the edge of a painted line, and feared not what waited on the other side.
P.S. We Need To Talk About Coven
When I’m in the mood to sound really obnoxious, I like to call myself a Black Sabbath fundamentalist. By this I mean that I trace everything essential about heavy metal’s identity and sound to the original Black Sabbath lineup, specifically the classic six album run at the start of their career. This is heavy metal’s old testament. It’s the bedrock for everything you need to know about the genre. (By extension, Dio Sabbath is the New Testament and Tony Martin Sabbath is like, Mormonism or some shit. See, I told you I was obnoxious).
Seeing Coven suggested that this worldview might be a tad limited. From the very beginning of their set, the audience at Northwest Terror Fest was treated to a spectacle. Clothed in robes and shrouded in smoke, the members of the band surrounded a massive coffin at the stage and chanted “Hail Satan” until frontwoman Jinx Dawson emerged with a mirrored mask that would make both Kanye West and Attila Csihar jealous. But instead of the po-faced demeanor you’d expect from a modern band making such a dramatic entrance, Coven’s set was… really fun? Like, “shake your hips and clap along” fun. Coven’s performance was filled to the brim with winky melodrama, the kind of pure camp that black metal bands wouldn’t be caught dead near. Some of this is simply a matter of musical tone. Instead of Black Sabbath’s slowed down blues rock, Coven come from the lineage of psychedelia. The sound is sunny and upbeat, punctuated by organ stabs and soft folk interludes.
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Laster at Prophecy Fest 2023
Laster at Prophecy Fest 2023
Laster at Prophecy Fest 2023
Laster at Prophecy Fest 2023
My Dying Bride at Prophecy Fest 2023
My Dying Bride at Prophecy Fest 2023
My Dying Bride at Prophecy Fest 2023
Novembers Doom at Prophecy Fest 2023
Novembers Doom at Prophecy Fest 2023
Novembers Doom at Prophecy Fest 2023
Novembers Doom at Prophecy Fest 2023
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Calling this heavy metal in the purest sense would be ahistorical, but I couldn’t help but wonder what our little genre would look like if oriented around treated Coven’s Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls instead of Black Sabbath, Paranoid. Perhaps not too different. Coven’s set didn’t feel like a non sequitur. Looking back on the previous two days, it wasn’t hard to catch glimpses of Coven in Young And In The Way’s rock swagger, YOB’s doom shuffle, or CHRCH’s ritualistic void-gazing, and holy shit is that an attempt at a blast beat that I hear on “Dignitaries Of Hell”. Yet Coven still don’t feel like an accepted part of metal’s canon. They still have to fight for recognition while clowns like Gene Simmons attempt to trademark and co-opt their imagery. Maybe it’s for the best that Coven still feel like a secret. Unlike Sabbath, Maiden & Priest, Coven aren’t handed down to you from on high by the arbitors of taste, instead you have to discover them on your own. Their very existence feels like a subversion of the known and accepted history of heavy metal. Instead of viewing Satan as a source of fear like Black Sabbath, they portray it as a source of power and freedom, as a way to live deliciously. A path to freedom.
I think I’d like Coven’s alternative metal history quite a bit.
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