anarchofreaksproduction AFP 015, 2010. 20 copies.
This massive wall box set brings together 4 HNW artists into one massive wall marathon not to be missed.
Concrete Threat offers an hour long slab of unchanging, hissing wall. The track really displays the guttural, ripping qualities that can be achieved with the DOD Death Metal pedal.
White Gimp Mask opens up his disc with a wall that centers around a constant buzzing, almost as if something were to be electrocuted, or grounded incorrectly. The buzzing plants the track firmly- creating a massive base to the track. Surrounding the buzz is a sort of swirling inconsistant hiss that seems to have two parts to it- a high-end scraping and pulling, and a lower-end vortex of circular void, dragging along into nothing. The wall remains unchanging until the final few seconds, when it begins to slowly wind down into a low-end rumble before cutting off into the next track.
The second untitled White Gimp Mask track picks up in a similar sonic vein, a boosted-mids wall, this time without the buzz. Instead, an almost constant bobbling or rattling like sound takes the foreground in the track. It slowly gains a little more high-end within the first two minutes. It then becomes another stagnant, massive slab of thick, unrelenting wall. Around the 21 minute mark some very huge bass rumbles interrupt the otherwise unmoving wall before returning to the same constant static. Within the last few seconds the bass subsides and the track is reduced to nothing.
Dead Body Collection fills his disc with an hour and two minute long cut of blown out-bass style wall. Like White Gimp Mask's disc, there is a nice contrast between low rumbles and high static. The track stays firm throughout the whole hour with very little variation. Towards the 50 minute mark the higher pitched static becomes ever-so-slightly more intense and wild, thrashing and wailing about before abruptly coming to an end. Silence becomes deafening.
Å's disc opens up with 'Rest', a feedback laden wall that consists of a central high-pitched drone, with plenty of static crackle on top. Following suit with the other tracks, it remains constant with little to no variation. It is a different approach to wall, and a challenging listen. The track smoothly transitions into 'In'.
The feedback is cut, and like White Gimp Mask's first track, a constant buzzing takes its place. Mid to low-end rumble joins the scooped-mids buzzing for another 20 minute assault that fades into 'Peace'.
This track has a bit more gain and high end than 'In', but still continues with the same mid to low-end rumble. From time to time the higher end static becomes extremely dense and then fades back to its original form.
The smoothness of the transitions between tracks sounds like they could be strung together as one piece, which, assuming the title "Rest In Piece' was the intent. The intentionality of breaking the mammoth wall into three parts and adding variations into each is a great execution.
The photography on the front is well executed and looks pro. The DOD Death Metal mini instruction manual is a nice touch/nice read while digesting the disc. The pin, a knob from the Death Metal pedal with HNW typeset above is also a nice touch. My only complaint with packaging is that more could have been done with the discs (sprayed, screened, etc) instead of the minimal marking on the white discs. The contrast between the dark cover and the white discs is a bit distracting, but other than that a solid release.
Overall this box set takes some time to digest- 4 hours of DOD Death Metal worshiping, monolithic, lifeless HNW. Slowly it creeps into your head and over the four discs spirals your sanity into nothing. Long live DOD Death Metal. Long live DEATH METAL V/A 4xCDr.
3.5/5
BLOGSPOT
1/18/2011
11/08/2010
C.C.C.C.: Live At Velvet Sun CS
NEON BLOSSOM 2010
The cassette opens up with a deep power drone with angelic vocals and contrasting harsh electronics- moving and crushing at the same time. Both the vocals fade along with the drone and all that is left is a static his and mid-range crunchy gurgle before moving into a pulsating, churning, glitchy background. The transitions between sounds are well executed and not awkward at all. Oscillators wail and scream while heaps of garbage toss and turn in the background.
A near wall begins to form before cutting out- coming back quieter, moving, chopping, hissing. The sounds become increasingly more dense. The high pitched electronics provide a nice range of depth over the grey wall beneath. All I can keep imagining is a submarine being hit by a torpedo- waves of water cascading in- bursting. Faster and faster the water pours into the sinking vessel. Sirens roar and warn the doomed passengers of their premature death.
The pouncing of the wall in parts creates a powerful almost kick-drum pouding- heavy, unrelenting. Again the water starts pouring in- harder, and more intense. Reverb soaked ghostly hollow sounds begin to moan and subside. The water is filling the vessel higher and higher.
Monotonous moaning begins before cutting off- the water pounds once more and fades into higher pitched oscillator shrieks. Feedback. Agony. Harsh noise blasts and more feedback. Bring the feedback.
Intense screaming can be heard briefly before they turn into reverberated moaning. More feedback. Subtle oscillations. And then the wall fades once more. A less than perfect drone is accompanied by more vocals that grow farther and farther away. Strung out reverberated blasts turn into electronic oscillator abuse. Everything becomes more and more distant.
All that's left is oscillators that turn more and more cosmic before fading into nothing.
A fantastic deep journey into the harsh realm of CCCC. For fans of ASTRO, HNW, and general synth abuse. HIGHLY recommended.
5/5
The cassette opens up with a deep power drone with angelic vocals and contrasting harsh electronics- moving and crushing at the same time. Both the vocals fade along with the drone and all that is left is a static his and mid-range crunchy gurgle before moving into a pulsating, churning, glitchy background. The transitions between sounds are well executed and not awkward at all. Oscillators wail and scream while heaps of garbage toss and turn in the background.
A near wall begins to form before cutting out- coming back quieter, moving, chopping, hissing. The sounds become increasingly more dense. The high pitched electronics provide a nice range of depth over the grey wall beneath. All I can keep imagining is a submarine being hit by a torpedo- waves of water cascading in- bursting. Faster and faster the water pours into the sinking vessel. Sirens roar and warn the doomed passengers of their premature death.
The pouncing of the wall in parts creates a powerful almost kick-drum pouding- heavy, unrelenting. Again the water starts pouring in- harder, and more intense. Reverb soaked ghostly hollow sounds begin to moan and subside. The water is filling the vessel higher and higher.
Monotonous moaning begins before cutting off- the water pounds once more and fades into higher pitched oscillator shrieks. Feedback. Agony. Harsh noise blasts and more feedback. Bring the feedback.
Intense screaming can be heard briefly before they turn into reverberated moaning. More feedback. Subtle oscillations. And then the wall fades once more. A less than perfect drone is accompanied by more vocals that grow farther and farther away. Strung out reverberated blasts turn into electronic oscillator abuse. Everything becomes more and more distant.
All that's left is oscillators that turn more and more cosmic before fading into nothing.
A fantastic deep journey into the harsh realm of CCCC. For fans of ASTRO, HNW, and general synth abuse. HIGHLY recommended.
5/5
DRUGLORD: DEMO 2010
SELF RELEASED
I was lucky enough to be given this demo by Bobby- drummer of Druglord and Ex-Ugly Law. The cover has a giant needle and holy children, the inside with all info in caps, and the disc reading simply ‘TOKE’.
Druglord is a newly formed Richmond, VA 3 piece offering fried as all hell, buzzing, sludgy slabs of doom, and aren't afraid to show their Southern Pride.
The opener ‘Smell Your Disease’ immediately begins with sluggish-fuzzed out discordance and moves into the slower than molasses riff. Pounding drums, driving heavy bass that blends seamlessly in with the guitar to create a tar pit of swampy heaviness. The vocals begin- a half moan-half chatter- somewhere between Burning Witch and YOB. The riff crawls deeper, embedding itself deep inside your blown out mind. It evolves into a sultry southern octave-fueled solo, with bass lurking behind- anchoring the aching, burning, seared solo before returning to the downtrodden hell of the main riff. Another solo felt from the cavern between the guitarist’s chest reminds us that it is humans- not demons creating this monstrous track. The solo fades, the distortion cuts, the bass brings us back over tube-saturated bluesy guitar and the track fades. ‘Misery Feeder’ begins with a faster pace, an again fuzzed out, near black metal dissonance- before moving into a faster paced near hardcore chug. The vocals haunt in stereo- a real biker anthem. The track moves into a Black Cobra-like guitar-noodling- intense, rotten, filthy all at the same time, before returning to the main hardcore chug. Again the faster paced fuzzed out doom riffage- climbing- grasping, wondering before abruptly cutting off.
‘Lick The Wound’ returns to the limbless crawl of the first track. Huge, heavy, blistering- yet so painful at the same time. The vocals add another level to the already hard-felt doom trudge- a sense of struggle, of agonizing, strung out pain. There is heavy doom, and then there is powerful doom. This is the latter. The return to reality after the buzz- the realization of the eternal struggle. The emotion can be really felt in this track.
Truly felt doom- not just in volume and musical intensity, but also in creating something that actually conveys pain. For fans of heavy shit like Burning Witch, with the southern fried grit of Goatsnake and the The Hidden Hand.
5/5
FACEBOOK
I was lucky enough to be given this demo by Bobby- drummer of Druglord and Ex-Ugly Law. The cover has a giant needle and holy children, the inside with all info in caps, and the disc reading simply ‘TOKE’.
Druglord is a newly formed Richmond, VA 3 piece offering fried as all hell, buzzing, sludgy slabs of doom, and aren't afraid to show their Southern Pride.
The opener ‘Smell Your Disease’ immediately begins with sluggish-fuzzed out discordance and moves into the slower than molasses riff. Pounding drums, driving heavy bass that blends seamlessly in with the guitar to create a tar pit of swampy heaviness. The vocals begin- a half moan-half chatter- somewhere between Burning Witch and YOB. The riff crawls deeper, embedding itself deep inside your blown out mind. It evolves into a sultry southern octave-fueled solo, with bass lurking behind- anchoring the aching, burning, seared solo before returning to the downtrodden hell of the main riff. Another solo felt from the cavern between the guitarist’s chest reminds us that it is humans- not demons creating this monstrous track. The solo fades, the distortion cuts, the bass brings us back over tube-saturated bluesy guitar and the track fades. ‘Misery Feeder’ begins with a faster pace, an again fuzzed out, near black metal dissonance- before moving into a faster paced near hardcore chug. The vocals haunt in stereo- a real biker anthem. The track moves into a Black Cobra-like guitar-noodling- intense, rotten, filthy all at the same time, before returning to the main hardcore chug. Again the faster paced fuzzed out doom riffage- climbing- grasping, wondering before abruptly cutting off.
‘Lick The Wound’ returns to the limbless crawl of the first track. Huge, heavy, blistering- yet so painful at the same time. The vocals add another level to the already hard-felt doom trudge- a sense of struggle, of agonizing, strung out pain. There is heavy doom, and then there is powerful doom. This is the latter. The return to reality after the buzz- the realization of the eternal struggle. The emotion can be really felt in this track.
Truly felt doom- not just in volume and musical intensity, but also in creating something that actually conveys pain. For fans of heavy shit like Burning Witch, with the southern fried grit of Goatsnake and the The Hidden Hand.
5/5
11/07/2010
ARTIST: FALSE FLAG
False Flag is Justin Marc Lloyd (Pregnant Spore, Dim Dusk Moving Gloom, Rainbow Bridge) channeling pure hatred in traditional power electronics form. Harsh, unrelenting, nihilistic sound is pummeled and forced through speakers and crammed deep down into your ear canals.
Fuck echo, delay, and any other cosmic sounds that you might find in one of his other projects. Replace that with static, hiss, and ripping electronics that leave the listener gasping for air-- or revenge. Reverb is used tastefully- in some tracks it is present, and in others not. In the tracks that do have this reverb, it creates an even colder and tense atmosphere.
While some tracks remind me of Japanese Harsh noise more than power electronics, the vocals align the project more into the PE field. The cut/distorted vocal style of "Stand Down" is a nice take and an interesting dynamic, that still brings the brutality of power electronics, but also brings something new to the table. "Operation" and "Covert" showcase two 30 minute slabs of static hnw decay. The flesh of bodies being burned beyond recognition by unrelenting soldiers. Charred, blown out, burning heaps of rubble- bombs exploding, flame-throwers torching everything in sight.
This is a fucking battle field. Are you prepared for war?
MYSPACE
Fuck echo, delay, and any other cosmic sounds that you might find in one of his other projects. Replace that with static, hiss, and ripping electronics that leave the listener gasping for air-- or revenge. Reverb is used tastefully- in some tracks it is present, and in others not. In the tracks that do have this reverb, it creates an even colder and tense atmosphere.
While some tracks remind me of Japanese Harsh noise more than power electronics, the vocals align the project more into the PE field. The cut/distorted vocal style of "Stand Down" is a nice take and an interesting dynamic, that still brings the brutality of power electronics, but also brings something new to the table. "Operation" and "Covert" showcase two 30 minute slabs of static hnw decay. The flesh of bodies being burned beyond recognition by unrelenting soldiers. Charred, blown out, burning heaps of rubble- bombs exploding, flame-throwers torching everything in sight.
This is a fucking battle field. Are you prepared for war?
MYSPACE
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