Label Update

I've just updated the Label section of the blog with information on all the upcoming releases, as well as streams/sample tracks for all of them bar one. They are coming together nicely, and I think will reflect the effort S4D has made into improving the general aesthetic of its releases. Looking to an April release for most if not all of the scheduled releases.

In addition to that, work has begun on S4D#3. One interview has been conducted and transposed, one more is yet to come and then a possible third. Issue will feature the usual reviews but also some more genre/band specific articles, maybe show reviews as well as some guest contribution. Jeroen of Antediluvian is designing the cover as well as various sections of the zine.

Grandmother 'Family Time' Now Streaming

Grandmother's debut record Family Time is now streaming and available for digital download here. Copies on CD and cassette will be available in the upcoming update


Grandmother - Family Time.

Mammon Interview

‘I am a false prophet, God is a superstition’

This is the interview I conducted with David of Mammon in June 2011, which was originally published in S4D#1. Mammon are a blackened doom band from Canberra, Australia, who've made waves with their demo, entitled Demiurge.

Hey David, can you tell us a bit about Mammon’s inception?

Max and I had played in bands before and were playing in a band at the time which was going nowhere. In early 2009, we decided with another friend, Tom, that we wanted to do a 3-piece metal band. From there, we basically induced large amounts of marijuana and occasionally emerged from our bong den to jam riffs. After maybe 6 months of that we got a new drummer, Ken, started smoking less weed at band practice and began to get shit done. We recorded Demiurge at the end of 2010/start of 2011 with this lineup. Ken has since gone overseas and we are now working on a new record with a new drummer, Finch, who recorded Demiurge.

While the music on Demiurge is not all together experimental or anything, I find it hard to categorise Mammon into a specific genre – there’s elements of sludge, post-metal as well as both hardcore and black metal. What have you got say about this? Was there a specific template in mind when you were writing the music, or did it just come out?

Despite being initially conceived of as a doom/black metal band, the music never took on that sort of template. We’ve retained the idea of focusing on atmosphere and of stripping the band down to its essentials but we have never played doom or black metal in the traditional sense. Instead, it has informed the ethos we have worked with. We all listen to a lot of different music and have all spent time playing in hardcore bands. As we focus our writing around concepts, we’ve been able to focus more on how to evoke and express that concept, which has allowed us to incorporate a greater variety of styles, rather than remaining reliant on a specific genre template.

In terms of style, where do you draw your influences from? Do you and the other members share a similar taste in music?
We draw from a myriad of influences, musical and otherwise. Writers such as Baron D’Holbach and Michel Onfray influence our work as much as the music of bands such as Fall of Efrafa, Burning Witch or Leviathan. We share somewhat similar musical taste. Our original drummer was heavily into black metal and doom. Ken listened to a lot more hardcore and crust, such as Tragedy. Finch is very into bands like Botch and Dillinger Escape Plan. Max and I share pretty similar taste. We’re both into doom and sludge, and I probably listen to more black metal, while he listens to more death metal, but we tend to enjoy the same bands. On the whole, I think we all tend to enjoy music that’s heavy and has a strong focus on atmosphere.

What’s the underground scene like in Canberra?

It’s very small but surprisingly fertile. There are a number of high quality bands from Canberra, such as 4 Dead, Pod People, Dead Kings and I Exist, who have all helped foster quite a healthy scene. Ultimately, though, the scene consists of a small handful of individuals, who tend to play in a number of bands – I Exist share members with Pod People and Life and Limb, who share members with Dead Kings, who share members with 4 Dead and Sense and Goodness, who share members with Mammon and The Reverend Jesse Custer.

Demiurge was released as a CD-R, which you were nice enough to send free to anybody who wanted. Did they go quickly?

We’ve sort of produced CDs as demand has required. The initial run was of 49 which we released at a show in April and we got rid of all of them that night, which was a good start. Since then I think we’ve put out maybe 85 more, which has been really positive. We’re still sending copies out, too.

What was the recording process like for Demiurge? Was it DIY or did you do it in a studio?

It was all done DIY. Finch did all the recording and we used his equipment. Drums and bass were recorded in a rehearsal room before Ken left for Japan. Guitars and vocals were recorded after that in Max and Finch’s houses. This required some pretty inventive Tetris-like manipulations of household space but we managed to work it all out. It was a more positive experience doing it DIY, because of the pride associated with having created something entirely of your own volition, rather than involving outside assistance. It was also a lot simpler.

Mammon was started with a specific concept, a concept revolving around a rigid opposition to organised religion. Can you elaborate on this a bit more?

I think that Mammon’s concept goes beyond just being a rigid opposition to religion. I would say, instead, that the concept involves the preservation and advocacy of autonomy, respect for human rights, progression of secular and rational moral discourse, and the rejection of abjection and totalitarianism. The concept is defined not only by what it stands against, but also by what it stands for: a naturalist world-view. We are opposed to intrusions by religion into all discourse – moral, social, political, or otherwise – as we believe it is an immoral force that serves to put in place an archaic and irrational form of morality that serves only to promote humanity’s enslavement and is greatly opposed to its wellbeing. It is irrational and highly dangerous, as it promotes sexism, xenophobia and a nihilistic view of life. It is conducive only to the degradation of our species.

What do you think of naturalism?

The adoption of naturalism – the view that the natural world is of the greatest importance and that the preservation of it and the beings in it must be promoted – is a moral necessity. It epitomises the rejection of religious nihilism and fatalism in this life in exchange for the lies of transcendence, and advocates the embrace and celebration of the present. In emphasising the finality, and thus the importance, of this life, it also highlights the need to fight against those who would attempt to diminish the importance of this life and destroy one’s opportunity for happiness and well-being through bigoted archaic moral principles.

While Australia is a ‘secular’ state, at least in comparison to other particular Western democracies, there are still a lot of religious elements in politics. Is there any political emphasis in Mammon’s music?

As a band we are apolitical. Obviously, though, we strongly advocate secularism and oppose the intrusion of religion and regressive religious morality into politics. While it is not something that is overtly dealt with in the music, we are all opposed towards projects such as the Schools Chaplaincy Program and the refusal to grant equal rights to homosexual relationships. Parties such as the Christian Democrats, Family First and the Protectionist Party reflect the intrusion of religious conservatism into Australian politics and show that Australia still has a long way to go in terms of becoming a truly secular state. While we do have an atheist, female Prime Minister, the continued illegality of homosexual marriage shows that Australian politics has clearly not moved away from religious dogmatism. We are instead in support of a post-Christian secularism, as championed by Michel Onfray, in which a reliance on religious dogma and practices is dismissed in favour of a worldview and value system that is derived entirely from critical analysis and rational discourse.

Demiurge’s artwork was done by an artist named Jacob Rolfe. Can you tell us a bit about the meaning behind the art, and whether we can expect to see Jacob working on more Mammon records?

The artwork was essentially intended to embody the visual representation of our lyrical thing. As ‘demiurge’ means creator and originator of evil, the artwork represents revealed religion to be this demiurge, in the form of a great serpent (ironically, a beast associated with the devil and evil – implying that it is truly the holy and sacred that are most evil). The snake entwined through the church emphasises this relationship. We’ll definitely be getting Jacob to work on the future Mammon records. He’s an excellent artist, as well as a friend who I’ve known for years. His work for Demiurge perfectly evoked what we wanted it to represent.

Will this general concept be a continuous aspect of Mammon?

The band name was chosen due to its religious connotations and its ironic reference to theocratic greed (that organised religion, which has created ‘God’, truly represents Mammon – the embodiment of greed) so I think that our atheism, in its anti-theistic and naturalist forms, will be a constant theme in Mammon’s music. It is something we truly believe in and believe that it is necessary to fight for.

You’ve mentioned that Mammon is recording new material. Will this be a vinyl release, and do you think Demiurge will ever re-released on wax?

Our upcoming record has gone through so many different permutations that at this point I’m almost unwilling to say anything definitive about its release. However, it is currently our intention to be releasing it as a 12” that consists of one large song broken into two sections. At this point, it’s unlikely that we’ll release Demiurge on wax; it’s more likely to get a limited run cassette release. In the future though, if we have other shorter recordings, we may release Demiurge with these prospective recordings as a collection on wax.

Do you collect vinyl? If so/if not, what’s your opinion of the format’s revival in recent years, particularly with underground music?

I think we would all shy away from being dubbed ‘collectors’ as I’m sure there are far more dedicated vinyl enthusiasts, but we certainly all pick up a fair bit. We’re all very supportive of its revival. It offers a far greater opportunity to explore the potential of artwork and packaging, allowing a more cohesive piece of work to be produced. It also requires greater commitment on the part of the listener, as there are simply more physical steps in listening to vinyl and it forces the listener to listen through the whole album, as opposed to flicking through mp3s. This promotes greater connection with and immersion in the music, as well as encouraging bands to focus more on writing entire records that can take the listener on a journey.

We’ll finish off the interview with a tried and tested method – your five favourite records.

Max (in no order):
“left hand path” – entombed
“damaged” – black flag
“LA” – flying lotus
“black sabbath” – black sabbath
“loveless” – my bloody valentine

Finch (what he’s currently listening to non-stop):
“Miss machine” – The dillinger escape plan
“You fail me” – Converge
“Nuclear sad nuclear” –The number twelve looks like you
“Manhater” – Robotosaurus
“Night Hag” – Night hag

David (five favourite records I own physical copies of):
“What it Takes to Move Forward” – Empire! Empire! (I was a Lonely Estate)
“Of Malice and the Magnum Heart” – Misery Signals
“Fas – Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum” – Deathspell Omega
“Chronoclast: Selected Essays on Time’s Reckoning and Auto-Cannibalism” – Buried Inside
“Chaos Is Me” – Orchid

Thanks for answering my questions, any final comments?

Thanks so much for the interview. It’s so heartening to see such a thriving DIY community and we’re all grateful for the opportunity that people like you have given us to be a part of it. We’re always happy to continue these discussions and speak to anyone interested in similar issues. Please feel free to contact us at mammonband@hotmail.com as we are always keen to further any sort of discourse around these topics. Thank you.

SMM - Context

An "ambient" compilation by Ghostly International that I picked up blindly a week or so ago. The faggots over at pitchfork are calling this "post-ambient" so... yeah. Whatever, this album features some artists that readers of this blog may be familiar with (the Fun Years, Aidan Baker), and a whole host of others that I didn't know. This album is more on the minimalist classical side of ambient music, there aren't a whole lot of drones or enveloping atmospheres here. Instead, careful, minimal melodies and the silence that dwells in the spaces between the notes creates a very varied "feel". Sometimes uplifting, sometimes despondent, sometimes poignant, sometimes soothing, this compilation has a lot of different motifs, but doesn't sound like a mish-mash. The tracks are very well sequenced and flow together. If I didn't know it was a comp, its believable that this is all the work of a single artist. Kudos to Jeff Owens at Ghostly International for curating this work. This is the kind of record you put on at the end of the day, and kind of leave behind everything that happened.

As for what SMM means, I don't know. GI says that its "an unknown acronym used to evaporate the already-unspooling musical boundaries between classical minimalism, electronic and drone composition, film soundtracks, and fragile imaginary landscapes." I'd say that's a good description, but it doesn't capture the feeling of this record. The emotional imprints that these sounds leave are as powerful as they are varied.

mediafire mp3 320

John Flannelly - Spaced

from the label:
"Proving the power of modern audio programs as tools for composition, "non-musician" John Flannelly channels the spirits of retro space-travel without ever picking up an instrument, save for a simple synthesizer on select passages. Created almost entirely with the free program Audacity, Spaced presents sounds alien yet familiar, retro yet full-frequency, obnoxious but curiously intriguing. While coming off as seemingly schizophrenic at times, the songs bounce back and forth between explorations of planetary surfaces and a lone spacemans thoughts seamlessly, weaving a unique journey into the lo-fidelity of outer space."

basically a tripped out, lo-fi NES influenced by Tangerine Dream

i was lucky enough to get the last in print copy at TD's CD's and LP's
(Bloomington, IN readers of this blog, if you don't support this establishment, shame on you!)

download for free (or donate) in any high quality format you want at the labels bandcamp

Auris Apothecary - the Marketplace - AAX-040: John Flannelly - Spaced

Lo-fi by Default - Sampler

Lo-fi by Default is a DIY label that eschews genre bounds and brings together artists from all around the world who follow a line of DIY, lo-fi recording practices. Their roster contains artists in styles ranging from math rock, post-punk, hardcore, electronic music, hip-hop and chillwave, though that's barely scratching the surface. You can hear 10 different artists across the 18 songs on this compilation, all of which are genuine in their DIY expression - the pretension that can come with being 'lo-fi' is not a valid criticism here.

I would have liked to go through some of the bands here in various detail but I've decided I won't bore you (or simply because I have little time to continue writing this blurb). What I can say with certainty is that there actually wasn't a single artist on here that I didn't find compositionally or at the least thematically interesting. Some definite highlights were the mid-west emo interpretation of John Lithgoat, the lo-fi, fuzz-meshed jangly post-punk of The Latecomers, the garage pop sensibilities of Turning Jew or the droney shoegaze of Metropolitan Intent. I could have kept going with the wordy descriptions but I'd like to leave a little of the surprise of discovery to the rest of you.

If DIY/lo-fi music interests you, if you are in a band that follows a similar recording aesthetic or if you get a little wet over compilations, Lo-fi by Default's sampler is most worthy of being picked apart.

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1. Negative Feedback Loop - Intro (Demo)
2. Adult Video Arcade - Natural//Shaven
3. John Lithgoat - Hotcakes
4. The Latecomers - A Walk on the Coldfront
5. Kamas - My Second Chance
6. Metropolitan Intent - Proto Evanelium 2
7. Starnoise - Somewhere Else
8. Turning Jew - Not Really Your Father
9. Marigold Bones - 3 Step
10. The Floor's Trick - Laugh
11. TBATLR - Again
12. Kamas - Free
13. Starnoise - No One
14. Metropolitan Intent - Midnight Wander (Excerpt)
15. The Latecomers - Wooden Man
16. Turning Jew - Hands
17. TBATLR - Armadillo Dance
18. John Lithgoat - Jampoline

Other Music - Incidents Out of Context

Wow. This is music treads the careful line between being challenging and engaging and does so magnificently. Compositionally, these pieces are intricate and complicated but are still very accessible and interesting. The second track "Music With Too Many Parts" is probably the most "experimental" song in terms of songwriting; they use a scale of fourteen unequal intervals per octave. It also sounds like an Eastern European scale, there are some notes here that you just don't here on a regular basis when listening to music based in Western European scales, keys, etc. "It is It" (parts one and two) both feature tempo and time signature changes that are impressive and striking, yet occur so effortlessly and naturally. "The Spirit is Willing" shows off their syth and drum syncopation skillz. And the title track, well, I'll let you discover that one for yourself.

The actual textures of the instruments themselves are as interesting as the songwriting. 80s synth voices that would be cheesy otherwise fit nicely in here and sound great. In addition to synth, bass, and flute, there are many unorthodox instruments at play here, such as the marimba and other things that I've never even heard of. Upon first listen to this record, I actually chuckled to myself a few times just out of sheer surprise. And apparently this band uses 'just intonation' tuning a lot, which is really complicated and makes cool sounds so if you really wanna know click here

the link can be found below

mediafirez




EDIT: While I haven't been able to find a full rip of their other release, Prime Numbers, you can hear three of the songs here: http://www.dbdoty.com/OM/OMRecordings.html

Rations - How Much Land Does a Man Need? 7"

'His servant picked up the spade and dug a grave long enough for Pahom to lie in, and buried him in it. Six feet from head to his heels was all he needed'

Rations are a Long Island NY punk group, and How Much Land Does a Man Need? is their second release. I've actually struggled to think about things to talk about in this review, as I hadn't previously heard of this band nor do I know too much about the style of music they play. Nonetheless, since receiving this 7" a little over a week ago I've played it about 3 times a day, every day.

The 5 songs here consist of mid-paced and well-defined punk music with a strong melodic edge. Some might (loosely) call it pop-punk, but I personally don't see too much of a pop aesthetic in these songs. Regardless, the 7" shows great musicianship and while the songs themselves are not compositionally complex, they are absolutely not generic. Perhaps we should avoid my shitty descriptions and let you all hear it for yourselves - you can stream the title track at this bandcamp page.

Rations' songs just have a little something that makes every moment poignant no matter what you're doing, provided the record is spinning. I've been lying in bed looking up out of my windows at the sky or doing something as mundane as eating cereal and I've just stopped to reflect. The music has a definite authenticity that allows you to lose yourself in it without any worry of anxiety or negativity. Put in simpler terms, I would call How Much Land Does a Man Need? a 'feel-good' record.

The 7" comes with a 12 page booklet designed by the guitarist, who also runs one of the 10 labels who've co-released the record. 1000 copies were pressed, so they're currently in abundance and you would do well to pick one up. This comes with my strongest recommendation.

Perth's Jerk Store Records is selling them for $5 postage paid anywhere in Australia, or $3 in person. If you're from down here, definitely do not miss the opportunity as I'm not entirely sure how many copies Alex has. Those of you from other parts of the world, here's a list of each label involved and its whereabouts - I'll let you do the googling.

Jerk Store Records & Fanzine (AUS)
Drunken Sailor Records (UK)
Lost Cat Records (USA)
86'd Records (USA)
Rad Girlfriend Records (USA)
Intense Human Victories (USA?)
Square of Opposition Records (USA)
Pavones Records (CAN)
Messner Records (SWE)
Eager Beaver Records (Jap)

Red Nightfall - Red Nightfall

While I'm most certainly a sucker for genre labels, it just so happens that sometimes I'll come across a record that will make me avoid categorising at all costs - while it's so very easy to label a band or record, putting a box around something simply means that that particular thing cannot venture beyond the boundaries of that box (at least in the boxer's mind). This sort of discussion is usually up in the air, and while it's easy to 'box' almost any type of music, sometimes it's just better to forget your critical faculty and enjoy the emotive side a piece of music has to offer. For the first time in a long time I did just that with Red Nightfall's debut LP, and I like to think that it fostered a stronger connection with the music. Initial listens of the album made me realise that if I were to write a review talking about how they're an indie rock band and how they either fit in or deviate from the typical tenets of the style, I would not be doing the Toronto based quartet any justice.

The band label themselves as both 'sad bastard indie-rock' and similar to 'early Pink Floyd or King Crimson'. While I believe the former description fits perfectly, I personally do not hear any Floyd or Crimson at all. Maybe I'm listening out for the wrong things? Regardless, I'll be taking this review down the sad bastard track; Red Nightfall as a record consists of 9 stripped down and sombre songs which more often than not build up in intensity as they progress. Generally speaking this is an indie-rock record, but there are folk, slowcore and perhaps even loose post-rock elements thrown into the mix, all which collude to give Red Nightfall a distinct character.

Instrumentally, this record is immaculate - rather than give a detailed description of what each member does and sounds like, I'm going to point out two particular elements which stick out to me as defining facets of Red Nightfall. Firstly, Addison Siemko's vocals suit the solemn and often melancholic atmosphere perfectly, and his ability to convey a completely different mood with the slightest change in his voice allows a great deal of introspection on the listener's behalf. The second notable thing is Patrick Illian's bass lines. The way they give life and urgency to the songs needs to be heard rather than described, so I'll just say that the bass' prominence in the mix is dearly welcomed.

I've done nothing but praise this album so far, so I'd like to end things on a more realistic note. I really enjoy this record, and I can state with no inhibitions that Red Nightfall are definitely onto something. Nonetheless, I think the band could spend a little more time fine-tuning their 'album-craft', if that makes any sense. Individual songs on the record are great - in fact, I don't think there are any that I didn't care for (double negative deal with it), but writing a collection of songs and putting them in an album is different to writing an album. I feel that Red Nightfall could very easily construct a highly cohesive record which oozes thematic continuity, but that's not quite the case here. All 9 songs have their own emotional 'rides', but when I pop this into the player, I feel that I'm sitting there listening to a song at a time rather than all 9 in a row.

All of that aside, this is a great record and being their debut it's a bit much to criticise them for such minute details. If artists such as The National, Vic Chessnutt or Jeff Buckley are your thing, Red Nightfall is well worth hearing. You can listen to the band at their bandcamp, as well as ordering both physical and digital copies.

XfrankgrimesX - Pretty Buzzy

'XfrankgrimesX once again delves into the depressing nature of modern life, covering a diverse range of topics including vending machines stealing your money, getting nits and looking like Robert Smith when you cut off your dreads, the horror of public transport and pizza places that still can't cut eight even slices'.

XfrankgrimesX have followed up their Old Grimey EP with another release of short, raging powerviolence numbers, all with some really great samples. Pretty Buzzy has a more crisp and sharp sound than the Old Grimey EP, but the song structure is mostly the same. One thing which stook out to me however is that Pretty Buzzy has a few songs that employ some slower and doomier parts, though in the loosest possible sense. It still fits within the overall XfrankgrimesX sound however.

Another nifty little surprise here is a cover of Iron Lung's Sexless/No Sex, and though this cover is musically faithful, they lyrics have been slightly altered - the song is now called Snackless//No Snacks. While I would not say that XfrankgrimesX are a groundbreaking band, they have a certain charm to them which I simply cannot ignore. Their songs are basic but well written, and overall they're just hilarious. Their use of samples is perfect - we have more Simpsons ones on Pretty Buzzy, but one of the best lines from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is used too.

According to their bandcamp Pretty Buzzy is XfrankgrimesX's second and 'final' release. I'm not entirely sure if the band is dead or not, but all I can say is go listen to Pretty Buzzy (it's streaming on their bandcamp) and contact the band for physical copies. Support.

XfrankgrimesX

SHACKL∑S - Maunder

Up and coming hardcore punx from Byron Bay are putting out a 7" on Arrest Records. I wouldn't go so far to say that Arrest Records hosts the best of Australian hardcore (a lot of it is generic and totally forgettable) but they've made a name for themselves nationally and if they keep putting out records from quality bands like Shackles then I'll keep up the support.

Shackles have been around for a while and have played shows, put out a demo etc. etc. They first came to my attention through Sean's Skullfucked blog, as he has some level of involvement with the band (putting out one of their demo tapes).

As far as I know this is their first vinyl recording and it's extremely solid. Reminds me a bit of Taipan, playing heavy handed hardcore with metallic flourishes and even hints of powerviolence (though it's not overt). 11 tracks here, and overall the 7" is a ripper.

You can stream it for free from the Arrest Records bandcamp.
You can also put in a preorder for the record at the same place.

2011

1. Tim Hecker - Ravedeath, 1972

Tim Hecker's forays into dissonance have undergone something of a maturation, the result being Ravedeath, 1972. I won't go into specifics - one will take from ambient music something else entirely from what another does. All that needs to be said is that this is essential listening, ambient fan or otherwise, and perhaps Hecker's best work yet.

2. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake

Let England Shake is without a doubt Harvey's most eloquent record. A singular theme, which is represented in both lyric and composition, is maintained throughout, creating a thematically dense and cohesive record. If there's a pop album that you need to hear in 2011, it's this one.

3. Fell Voices - Fell Voices

Fell Voices' second LP is again another excellent addition to the band's discography - many blogstalkers would have already heard the two tracks on here previously, as they were put in on a limited edition tour promo last year, but to have them out on LP was the band's original intention. This is again 'Casciadian' black metal, but much more authentic than a lot of the scene's other bands. Fell Voices are easily the most consistent of the groups that are associated with this style, and these two tracks are probably their best. Though it may seem daunting having over 40 minutes spread out over two tracks, the music here is highly engaging and very replayable. I've spun this record countless times since receiving it - it inarguably deserves the accolades that I or anyone else give it.

4. Soul Swallower - Devoured

I didn't know about Devoured until its release, and even when I first heard it I wasn't overly impressed. Still, I got my hands on the LP and before long I was playing it regularly. Sharing members with Mind Eraser, this group have been in hiding for several years while working on this LP, and their efforts have not been in vain. Heavy-handed hardcore with occasional PV elements thrusts this into any punk lover's conscience, and the songs themselves are all fantastic. One of easiest albums to listen start to finish in one sitting. Last but not least, those riffs. Goddamn.

5. Antediluvian - Through the Cervix of Hawaah

This was a bit of a late addition to my 2011 musical sphere, but I didn't expect this record to go past without my attention. After their great demo from ealier this year, I had high expectations and they have definitely been met. This is tentatively my favourite death metal record of the year, though I have not absorbed this to the same extent that I have Blaspherian and Cianide's releases. Taking a Portal-esque aesthetic and combining it with their own unique take on esoteric and occult black/death, Antediluvian have made a record which will easily be remembered for the rest of the decade.

6. Loss - Despond

Loss has taken their sweet time putting out an LP, but we've finally been blessed with one of the best funeral doom records in a long time. Despond takes everything the band has been working towards over the last decade and puts it all into one unforgiving and despondent album. Three earlier tracks have been rerecorded and put into a cohesive slab of funeral doom that is easily the best thing the genre has seen since Stabat Mater’s self-titled. I doubt Despond will be topped in 2011 in terms of doom, though Worship is set to record its third LP later this year which will surely give it a run for its money. Vile gutturals, downcast melodies and a richly textured composition, this has everything it needs to be great. Perhaps now Loss will finally get the recognition it deserves.

7. Blaspherian - Infernal Warriors of Death

It took them four years of what I assume was profane contemplation, but Blaspherian have finally returned to the fold with the release of their first LP Infernal Warriors of Death. Earlier material such as Allegiance to the Will of Damnation certainly made a name for these Texan blasphemers, but I feel safe in saying that this is record is what the band has been working towards since its inception. Blaspherian model a very dense style of death metal on this record, one which is structurally impressive and very long-lasting - their method of contructing a motif and then making subtle variations in said motif is engaging and welcome. Overall, there is little to criticise on Infernal Warriors of Death, and a lot that will make fans of death metal gush over its cohesion.

8. The Men - Leave Home

The Men's first LP Immaculada was a really great record, one which I spin regularly, so Leave Home had a lot of expectations to meet. To put it bluntly, this easily matches the debut and in many respects exceeds it. The Men mix noise rock and hardcore with varying degress of intensity, incorporating influences from a host of other styles as well (from shoegaze to no-wave). While a lot of this record is ecentric in many ways, it is immediately appealing and doesn't get old.

9. Total Control - Henge Beat

Henge Beat is the long-awaited long player from Melbourne's premier synth punk group Total Control. After toying with their fans for several years with numerous EPs, the band have collected themselves and released an extraordinarly cohesive record to usher in the next stage of Total Control. Henge Beat takes the overly jarring synth punk from earlier releases and puts it into a much more palatable format. Several songs have been rerecorded, such as 'Retiree', and sound just as good as the earlier takes (if not better). Total Control essentially takes the energy of punk music and combines it with electronic tenets, at times giving it a strong (yet modern) post-punk vibe. The record excels when it is juxtaposing between its varying elements, and while being relatively short, encourages constant listening. Not to be missed.

10. Helta Skelta - Helta Skelta

I only got this LP several weeks ago but it hasn't left my player since I first heard it. Having released an excellent demo tape a couple of years ago, Perth's Helta Skelta seemingly went into hiding but popped back to life some time ago with the announcement of this LP. I knew it was going to be good, but I didn't think it would be as addictive as it is. Jangly surf punk meets 80s hardcore, in the best possible sense. Seeing them live just after I got the LP further cements my opinion that Helta Skelta is on the same level as both Extortion and Suffer.

Honourable Mentions

Seidr - For Winter Fire
Ash Borer - Ash Borer
Mournful Congregation - The Book of Kings
Scapegoat - Scapegoat
Corrupted - Garten der Unbewusstheit
Mental Powers - HOMOH
Dirty Beaches - Badlands
Grouper - A I A
Grinning Death's Head - Black Sun Rising
Preterite - Pillar of Winds
Bad Life - The Day You Die
Sutekh Hexen - Luciform
Meth Drinker - Meth Drinker
Martial Canterel - You Today
The UV Race - Homo

EP/Compilation/Demo/Split (in no particular order)

Cremation Lily - Cremation Lily 1 & 2
Strongblood - The Beaten Paths of Youth
Total Abuse - Prison Sweat
God Harvest - Demo 2011
Cervix - Life Fucker Tour 2011
Tim Hecker - Dropped Pianos
Prosanctus Inferi - Red streams of Flesh
Wreck and Reference - Black Cassette
Blessed Offal - Blessed Offal
Internal Rot - Internal Rot
Cruciamentum - Engulfed in Desolation
Antediluvian - Revelations in Excrement
Bloodclot Faggots - Bloodclot Faggots
Willing Feet - Willing Feet
Crime Desire - Alone in a Dream
Crazy Spirit - I'm Dead
Iron Lung/Mind Eraser/Hatred Surge/Scapegoat - Brutal Supremacy
Grave Upheaval/Encoffination - Split
Sump/Sexdrome - Split
Abe Sada/Sub Ordnance - Redux/Organ Grinder

Other records I enjoyed over the year can be seen in this list.

Tenement - The Blind Wink

There are days where nostalgia grips me so strongly that I'm rendered incapable of doing anything but putting on my favourite albums of yesteryear or just lying on the couch and rewatching early Scrubs episodes. What I listen to really depends on whether or not I want to get out of my fuzzy, sentimental stupor - if I'd rather lie there comatose, I'll spin something like Disintegration, but if I want to smile in teary bliss then I'll put on --. Nothing you idiots, happy music is for faggots.

Okay, not really. But to be perfectly honest, I'm usually overcome with melancholy in these aforementioned 'episodes' I experience, and most of the time my musical therapy matches that mood. This is where Tenement comes in - their second LP The Blind Wink was only released this year, but it feels like I grew up listening to this record. After about three listens, I felt like I already knew the songs and that I had already bonded with them over the years. This isn't because they imitate anybody (though obviously their influences are displayed proudly on their sleeves) nor is it because their music is generic in any kind of way - it's simply because they've perfectly captured the youthful exuberance that the fuzzy pop/punk of the 90s impressed upon an entire generation.

The Blind Wink takes on board a host of previous styles - as Amos from the band states, 'it runs the gamut of fuzz pop like the Swirlies, punk/pop like the Descendents, and more minimalist Big Star styled pop songs'. The overall punk feel to the record is probably the most pronounced aspect, but the incorporation of various indie rock tenets really complements Tenement's sound. Bands like Grandaddy or even Built to Spill are channelled through the music, reinforcing The Blind Wink's even greater grounding in the 90s.

If you're 22 and embittered by your vanishing youth, this album is probably perfect for you. While it makes me feel like a child again, it does it in a way that is far from childish. With mature composition and a mature approach to the genre, The Blind Wink's entire purpose is to recreate the naivity and optimism only someone half my age could have. And believe me, they have succeeded.

The Blind Wink can be streamed from Tenement's bandcamp page.
Cassette version can be bought at Dead Broke Records.
Vinly version will soon be available at Cowabunga Records.
Follow Tenement at their blog.

Scorpion Violente - Uberschleiss

Here's a little "synth pop" for you guys. Always thought that calling modern bands that use analog synths and a little noise experimentation "synth pop" was a little strange. Nevertheless, these are some great tunes. Fuzzed out analog synths dance on top of almost garagey/grimey beats. The beats are very strong in this music, they really give some songs the umph that is commonly missing amoung peer artists that take a minimalist approach (Lust for Youth). While LFY is one of my current favorite bands out, Scorpion Violente, with their more aggressive take on synthpop, set themselves apart from all of the cool shit currently coming out of Denmark and Sweden.

The beats do become repetitive, however. The title track is a perfect example of this. The beat isn't bad, it just can't sustain a four and a half minute song with only minor variations. There are several songs here that would be better off if a minute or two had been trimmed off.

The vocals may be an issue for some. Its typical of post-punk: moaning and reverb-laden. Newcomers might be turned off by the style, but if you listen through the whole record, they are easy to adjust to and you might actually end up liking it.

Overall, this album is refreshing. The more aggressive style (like some contrepoison tracks) makes it stand out against the other projects that are currently cranking out cassettes on posh isolation, ark tapes, release the bats, utmarken and avant!.

http://www.mediafire.com/?xhg86oy2sqtcibl (Scorpion Violente)

P.S. i'm also including a 7" by His Electro Blue Voice entitled "fog". This release isn't really representative of their discography, as guitar is the prominent instrument used here. However, it's pretty fucking cool. If anyone comes across a link to their new ep "dead sons" (its got more synth and a touch of noisey filtering) it would be great if you could post it. Below you'll find a link to their bandcamp where you can stream all of their releases.

http://hiselectrobluevoice.bandcamp.com/

http://www.mediafire.com/?xdbrnnkjx4wow8b (His Electro Blue Voice)

Craig Colorusso - Sun Boxes

Sun Boxes is a 7" comprising of two reasonably short field recordings. The catch is that these recordings were done through solar panels, which give off ambient texture depending on the amount and consistency of its input. I've chosen not to speak at length about this record, but to simply say that not only is the concept behind it excellent, the music itself is absolutely exceptional. Soothing tones that warp and pulse to the rhythm of something we cannot see and can barely feel.

listen

download

Neat Beats - Cosmic Surgery

Coming out on Hop Skip Jump Records (who put out the great Moonbeams record earlier this year) is the project of Alvin Fenner, suitably called Neat Beats. Cosmic Surgery is his first LP under the Neat Beats moniker, yet the maturity displayed here gives off the impression that Fenner has been doing this for a long time.

Cosmic Surgery is an electronic record, but it does not fall into the traps that often put me off the genre - there is no meandering, there is no identity crisis - and it doesn't actually try to be anything more than it is. Inarticulate visions of grandeur (the new M83 anyone?) would have ruined this record - Fenner keeps it thematically simple but compositionally coherent. At a fundamental level, this is an album of beats and samples. Fenner probably spent a good portion of his time splicing and dicing samples until he felt that the songs had actually become more than the sum of their parts, and I feel he has completely succeeded.

Whether you look at Cosmic Surgery as an electronic record, or as an 'instrumental hip-hop' album, the songs are all remarkably well crafted - there are very few albums of this kind I feel comfortable listening to while I'm doing nothing else, but Cosmic Surgery is one. Songs like 'Video Game Characters' or 'The Machine Destroys Everything' have strong pop elements which work entirely in their favour, but Fenner retains flow across the record by delivering different moods with each song. 'Turning on the Large Hadron Collider' and 'I Love You, Vashti...' are perhaps more solemn in relation to the aforementioned tracks, yet sit alongside them with marked continuity.

What perhaps characterises Cosmic Surgery is best explained in one of its tags - 'downtempo'. This is music to relax to, music to chill to, music to take drugs to. Offering technical descriptions of the music here seems almost pointless - despite there being a high level of musicianship displayed - because this is all about mood, and Fenner has undoubtedly hit the spot. I could talk at length about how this record makes me feel or the best way to listen to it, but nothing really would compare to the words of the artist:

'Cosmic Surgery by Neat Beats is a compilation of emotionally obscured and forgotten sounds warped and rewoven into an experimental downtempo beat album that takes hints from DJ Shadow, The Microphones, Animal Collective, Prefuse 73, and Flying Lotus, to name a few. I'd suggest waiting for a rainy day, smoking a cigarette indoors and throwing this record on...'

Download and/or buy here.

Also check out Hop Skip Jump Records - Alvin runs it with Ryan of Moonbeams.

S4D#1 Still Available

Just a quick update for all you followers - S4D#1 sold out sometime ago but these three distros still have copies available:

For the US:

God Harvest Bigcartel

For Australia:

Coffin Cuts (WA)
No Patience (SA)

If you missed out and want one, hit up these guys. God Harvest have some sweet shirts available, so pick one of those up if you can. Coffin Cuts and No Patience have extensive catalogues, check them out too.

Plenty of copies of #2 left - order at slaysfordays@hotmail.com

Label + Distro Update

Just a post to let people who have already ordered the God Destroyer tape know that I haven't received the inserts for the tape yet, but should do so very soon. Most if not all the orders without a GD tape have gone out.

Got some new distro stuff in too. Doomed Beast is an Australian heavy metal band, playing solid riffs with an occult atmosphere. I have a few copies of their debut demo tape available. Along with that, I received some extra copies of Australian experimental/blackened/industrial project Oxygen Abortion. I've haven't quite absorbed their music just yet, so I can't quite describe it. I have copies of their first EP and a compilation release of their first album + EP.

In addition to that, I also have some 7"s available. I won't go into details, but you can read their descriptions on the distro page.

Kronofogden - Rid I Natt

It was only earlier this year that I realised Scandinavian hardcore wasn't left behind in the 80s. Bands like Heratys and the like are still carrying on, perhaps, as some will argue, without originality or the same inspiration that made the style so great. However, like any 'revival' that's taking place, the band's records that are being produced should be judged on their own merits and not so much on whether they are refreshing to the style or just plain derivative. Kronofogden belong to the former - this tape isn't by any means a 'highlight' for me, but there's just a shit ton of Euro raging to be heard across these 15 songs. If you worship Totalitar on a regular basis, this is probably for you. A CD-R version is available because the tape was severely limited, but I do know that Coffin Cut Records still has a few cassettes available.

try
buy

ByVolume #1 - Oct 2011

A new web publication which I have contributed towards has recently released its first issue. ByVolume is a contributor based publication and will hopefully be releasing issues regularly. Currently the PDF will simply be hosted on the site, but a print version may appear for future issues. The first one contains reviews of new material from M83, Wilco and Low as well as a few others, gig reviews and various articles such as an analysis of Thrice and a close look at Aidan Baker's work in 2011. The first issue came out really well, thanks to Adam for putting it all together. Check it out.

ByVolume