It feels like it’s been forever since we last heard from The Sun Through a Telescope, but in reality it was just last year that the ultra-demented Canadian drone/metal entity unleashed the fascinatingly bizarre Summer Darkyard EP across a variety of outlets; you might even recall that I interviewed TSTAT mastermind Lee Neutron extensively following its release. The YouTube clip above is for “Mr. Yawning Infinity Chasm/Superinfinity,” the first taste of TSTAT’s forthcoming new full length I Die Smiling, to be released digitally via Bandcamp, as well as on cassette through Dwyer Records and on CD through Mutants of the Monster Records.
As I continue to sift through the stack of releases the good folks at Sygil Records sent me a while back, I continue to be thoroughly impressed. After tackling the excellent Avakr cassette, I decided to turn my attention to the lone CD format release the label sent my way, Charnel House’s Contagion. I’m not sure when this album was originally released, and information about the Indiana(?) duo is pretty scarce, but given that they seem to have successfully tapped into a sound that takes elements of the familiar and twists them into something stunningly unique, I can’t imagine them staying a secret for much longer.
Every year as Halloween approaches, I begin doing things to put myself in the mood to enjoy that most horrific of holidays; decorate the house with all manner of skulls, queue up a slew of horror DVDs, revisit the literary genius of HP Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos and most importantly, scare up some appropriately creepy tunes to celebrate the Season of the Witch. Though I typically pick out entire albums rather than individual songs, I thought it might be fun this year to compile a morbid mixtape to share with you, my loyal THKD readers. So, grab a handful of candy corn and gather ’round the jack-o-lantern, not for ghost stories, but for a night of unspeakable audio terror. Although there were many tracks from a variety of genres that could’ve been worthy of inclusion, I decided to keep things as much on the metal side as possible, in the true spirit of THKD. The player is embedded directly below this paragraph, followed by an explanation of each track. Enjoy or die. Continue reading →
In the ever-expanding world of heavy/extreme/underground/whatever music, the emergence of artists that have truly managed to forge their own sound is becoming a rarity; originality an endangered species. When was the last time you heard a band that sounded like nothing else out there or that struck you as a group of true musical innovators? Enter Montreal, Quebec’s Menace Ruine. After beginning life as a heavily blackened noise band with their debut album Cult of Ruins, the Canadian duo quickly metamorphosed into a multi-headed amalgamation of black metal, drone, industrial, noise, neo folk, psychedelia and dark ambient that (at least to these ears) has no easily identifiable precursors. Alight in Ashes, their fourth full length and debut album under the nigh-unfuckwithable banner of Profound Lore, is the most fully realized manifestation yet of Menace Ruine’s corrosive yet haunting outsider art. Continue reading →
When Salem’s King Night was released in September of 2010, there was so much bullshit surrounding the band that it was difficult to give the album a fair assessment. People claiming that Salem was at the forefront of a “next big thing” genre alternately referred to by a parade of ridiculous tags including but not limited to drag, witch house and rape gaze (my personal favorite), the band literally getting booed off stage during a live set at SXSW, and at least one interview where the band came off as complete fucktards all served to detract from what really mattered: the goddamn music. Continue reading →
Way back when I first started talking about Bandcamp, I highlighted a selection of stellar bands that were using the site as a platform to promote their music. One of those bands was The Sun Through a Telescope, a one-man drone/doom/experimental outfit creating eerie, unsettling tunes emanating from somewhere within Canada’s frozen wastes. I was recently contacted by TSTAT mastermind, drone overlord and all-around awesome dude Lee Neutron regarding TSTAT’s new EP, the excellent Summer Darkyard, which is out now digitally via Handshake Inc, Grindcore Karaoke and of course plain ol’ Bandcamp. Intrigued by his latest release, I decided the time was ripe to harass Neutron for some answers via e-mail, and the following interrogation transpired. Continue reading →
WARNING: The following year end rant contains numerous piss poor attempts at humor and a healthy dose of cynicism. Reader discretion and a grain of salt are advised. THKD cannot be held responsible for anyone suffering from a severe case of butt-hurt as a result of exposure to this rant. Thank you for your support. Continue reading →
In 2005, I interviewed Dylan Carlson, guitarist/mastermind behind drone/doom pioneers Earth for a multi-band feature on experimental music that I had been working on for my college newspaper. The story fell through when several other bands flaked out, and the interview w/ Carlson languished on a digital recorder in the bowels of my mother’s basement, destined to go unpublished… until now.
THKD: This is the first Earth release in a while for you guys and I was wondering, why such a lengthy wait? [note: at the time of the interview, Earth were preparing to release Hex; Or Printing the Infernal Method, their first album in nearly a decade]
Dylan Carlson: After I did Pentastar, to be blunt, I had drug problems and legal problems to take care of and my relationship with Sub Pop ended, so I spent the next few years sort of getting my life back together and that’s why it took so long.
THKD: Did those hardships that you went through have an impact on the new material?
DC: As a musician, whatever happens in your life is sort of grist for the mill. For a long time I didn’t play guitar. I knew I was going to play music again, I just didn’t know if I was going to do it professionally again or whether I was going to do Earth again and I feel very fortunate, not many people go away for seven years and have anyone interested in their next phase. I definitely feel fortunate in that respect, that a lot of people seem to want to hear from Earth again and seem very happy about the fact that I’m doing it again.
Earth2: A monument unto itself
JH: So, was there pressure because of that when you were working on the new album?
DC: There’s always pressure when you’re doing a new album, especially it seems with Earth since Earth2 has become this kind of monument unto itself and anytime a musician does something that people view as their best work, there’s always going to be that pressure to try and better it or do something of the same caliber. I definitely think with this album we were able to spend the time and the budget to do things right, and I had time to work on the songs and make it the strongest album we could.
THKD: I’ve seen a lot of awesome reviews of [Hex], are you happy with the reaction it’s gotten and how it is being received?
DC: Oh definitely, as a musician it’s always kind of frustrating that you yourself don’t really determine your finest moment, it’s sort of up to everyone else. There’s always the case where someone thinks they’ve done a great album but the critics hate it and the public doesn’t want to buy it, so it’s nice when something that you feel strongly about is also well received.
THKD: You took Earth in a different direction than what had been on previous albums, what made you decide to steer it in that direction?
DC: To me Earth has always been the sum of my interests and the last few years have been sort of a rediscovery of musical roots with the country playing, and also I’ve been really interested in the older forms of instrumental music, like Duane Eddy. Back then it was like instrumental music was popular and it hit the charts, which is unheard of nowadays. Also, I’ve been reading a lot of books about the American frontier and the Cormac McCarthy books and it was just sort of my obsessions at the time and they came out in the music.
THKD: Do you think that instrumental music is starting to become more prominent again? You guys are back, Pelican is getting big now and a few other bands, do you think it’s making a comeback at all?
DC: I don’t know if it’s ever going to be as big as it was, but it definitely seems like it’s ok now to do it. I mean like Kinski and like you said Pelican, I haven’t heard them but I see them everywhere in magazines and whatnot, so yeah it definitely seems like it’s becoming acceptable to do it again, which is cool, I think. I think the last instrumental hit was a Joe Satriani song back in the eighties, before that I think the Ventures were the last, so I don’t know whether it’s ever going to be a chart trend.
THKD: On this album you played some additional instruments, such as the banjo. Did you already know how to play them beforehand?
DC: No, there just happened to be a banjo in the studio and I actually tuned it to guitar tuning. Although I’ve been learning banjo techniques like banjo rolls on the guitar, I’m not a banjo player. It was more like a color to use on the album.
THKD: What’s the recording process like for you? Do you take the same experimental approach to recording that you do to composition?
DC: For this album, we cut the basic tracks, like the guitar and drums, we did one take as the basic track and then just overdubbed the additional instruments, so I guess it was a fairly traditional method of recording. The songs were more nebulous and when we got to the studio, since in the live situation we’d been doing a lot improvising, in the studio we arranged the songs and decided ok we’re gonna do the definitive versions, and so we wrote up arrangements and whatnot. We knew we wanted the other instrumentation, so there’d need to be some charts for the other musicians to deal with.
THKD: Are your live shows completely improvised?
DC: They’re kind of semi [improvised] now, they used to be improvised, now we’re actually playing material off the album. It’s not like exact copies off the record, some of them are longer, some of them are shorter and there’s a couple newer pieces that are more improvisatory. Before when Earth recorded something, I would never play it live, it would sort of get left behind, but now we’re being more conventional and playing stuff off the album.
THKD: I know you’ve performed as a duo and and you’ve also done some things that are just you playing guitar solo, so what is the ideal live setup for you?
DC: I don’t really have an ideal one I guess. Right now we’re touring as three piece, we’ve got a new member Jonas Haskins playing baritone guitar. Part of what I like about the live situation is that it’s like a roller coaster ride and I like trying different combinations to see how they work and see what serves the music best.
THKD: On this album you’ve experimented with some different tones and layed off the super-distorted stuff. Did you have to change your equipment or setup?
DC: I don’t lug around all the huge speaker cabinets and whatnot anymore, I’m too old for that. I’ve sort of become a Telecaster freak and I have a couple tube combo amps, so 1x12s and 2x12s and then this last tour because we had to fly in for the shows, I was using one of those new Crate powerblock little solid state heads which seemed to work pretty good. I’m all about smaller amps now.
THKD: So, the sheer volume isn’t as important to you anymore?
DC: No, no… I mean we’re still pretty crankin’, especially now with the baritone guitar on board. We have the low end covered again so it frees me up to do my new thing.
THKD: Is it harder for a band to convey emotions without the use of lyrics and vocals? Or since you’ve been doing it for so long does it come naturally to you?
DC: I’m fortunate that since I’ve always tried to do that it seems to work. Even before we did the album, when we were playing the new songs live, people would talk to us about how it gave them the image of a ghost town or a desert, so it seems like somehow by obsessing on stuff it comes out in the music. I don’t know if it’s just purely accidental or not but I definitely think that’s the challenge of instrumental music and what makes playing instrumental music exciting. Plus I like it because it allows the listener a more active roll in the music process. When there’s lyrics it’s like the band is telling people what they should feel and what they should think about the song and with instrumental music I like the interactivity of it.
THKD: When someone comes up to you and tells you what they thought of when they heard the music, do you ever feel like it is being misinterpreted?
DC: No one’s ever told me they wanted to rape children or anthing like that. It seems like people get it or respond to it in a pretty similar manner.
THKD: What emotions do you go through when you’re playing or composing the material?
DC: I know the emotion comes out but it’s nothing definite, like “oh this part sad” it’s more like you’re offering the totality of your being. To me a lot of music exists in it’s own realm and you’re channeling it. It’s like if music was water and you’re a vessel and everything you’re obsessed with or feeling shapes that vessel and then music has now come through it and so that’s the shape it takes. Everything that you go through during the day seems to be wrapped up in it. I know that some people have commented that this album seems more hopeful than previous Earth records and I’d think it would have to be, because I’ve become a much more hopeful person and I have better balance and sense of priorities now, so I think it can’t help but come out in the music.
THKD: I was looking at the album art while listening to it yesterday and it is beautifully put together. How do you feel the album art ties in with the music? Does it help tell a story?
DC: I don’t know if it tells a story, but I think it definitely helps, especially since this is music that is fairly visual in its impact I think it’s one more thing that helps the music convey its meaning. Steve O’Malley was telling me basically what he did is spent a few weeks listening to the rough mixes and that’s where he started getting ideas and then looking for pictures. He definitely made the album cover while listening to it, so that’s why that’s such a seamless work, why they work together so well.
THKD: A more general question, how do you think your talents have evolved from say, Earth2 up to now?
DC: I’ve become a better guitar player, I definitely think I have a stronger sense of melody, a stronger sense of direction. My work ethic is stronger. Part of it is when I did Earth2 we were trying to make an extreme statement, we only had less than a week to do it. I think I’ve always tried to do the best album to the best of my abilities with what I’ve been given and I was fortunate with Hex to have a budget that allowed us to explore some options and gave us time to really work our asses off and then also gave us time to sit back and digest it and decide what we wanted to do, and when we decided to add instrumentation to be able to secure the services of some amazing musicians. I was able to devote more time and effort to the music than previously.
THKD: How did you hook up with Southern Lord for the release?
DC: In 2003, Greg [Anderson] invited us down to play at the Southern Lord showcase at South By Southwest. I had met Greg when I was living in LA and he had talked about reissuing some older stuff and it never quite came about but we had maintained contact over the years and then he invited us down for that and then he came to see us a few times after that. He was confident in our abilites and wanted to invest in the future of Earth, so it worked out.
THKD: I’ve seen a lot of interviews where Greg [Anderson] and Stephen [O'Malley] say they formed SunnO))) as an Earth tribute band, and it certainly isn’t just them that consider you influential. How does it feel to be so highly regarded?
DC: It’s very flattering. There’s so many musicians that aren’t fortunate enough to receive the opportunities that I did and I’ve been fortunate to have my music heard by people and have people enjoy it and get into it. I’m grateful for that interest and it’s pretty cool. Obviously, the kind of music I do, success is measured in different ways and being influential is one of those rewards.
THKD: My last question for you is kind of off subject. Have you ever been approached to do any soundtrack work or is that something that would interest you at all?
DC: Yeah, I would love to do that and unfortunately I haven’t been approached to do any! [laughs]
If you need proof that black metal isn’t dead in 2011, look no further than Aosoth’s III. The French trio have released a queasy, droning, suffocating beast of an album that easily tops their already impressive body of work. I spoke with guitarist BST via e-mail to gain some insight into one of the year’s best black metal albums.
THKD: III is much heavier than prior Aosoth albums. Was this intentional or merely a natural part of the band’s evolution?
B.S.T. : It does sound heavier and I’m guessing there are several reasons for that : the tuning we used is lower, which gives this really muddy effect, I thought it would be interesting to experiment in that area in a black metal context. Also the gear we used (amplifiers and instruments) and the recording process was different, as we were aiming for a very organic sound. But I’d say the main reason for this heavier aspect is that we have opened our compositions to new influences, outside of black metal, some bands like Amenra for example…
THKD: When and where was III recorded? What were the circumstances surrounding the conception of the new album? What were you looking to achieve?
B.S.T. : Like the two previous full length, it was recorded at the Bst Studios. Under the influence of alcohol, drugs, and depression. I consider that we did achieve something, and that’s producing something nasty, oppressing, difficult to listen to, but a true experience in darkness and death through art.
THKD: My review copy of III does not include lyrics. Can you discuss what sorts of lyrical themes are being explored on the new album?
B.S.T. : Mkm’s lyrics on this album were pretty introspective and could be compared to his work on Antaeus’s “Blood libels”. They do appear on the CD and the LP, so people can make their own interpretation .
THKD: There is an eerie, droning quality to parts of III that is quite unique when compared to most modern black metal. How was this achieved and was it intentional? Are you at all influenced by drone music?
B.S.T. : I wouldn’t say we are, but we did use the talents of an industrial/ambient artist named HostiS for all the interludes and some samples within the songs, which may give that effect.
THKD: Is Aosoth a Satanic band? Is black metal an inherently Satanic form of music? What does Satan mean to you on a personal/spiritual level?
B.S.T. : Aosoth is satanic, and yes black metal is by definition satanic as well. All three members have their own conception of what Satan represents, and we do not share or even talk about it that much. Even though we are different individuals, we do complete each other in more than one way, and that’s what unites us. As far as I’m concerned, I see Satan, and the whole notion of evil, as something linked to human interpretation. I am a believer, but I therefore deny the idea of an absolute form of good and evil. I do believe in higher powers amongst us, and above us. However each person sees a demon or an angel into them according to what his own soul contains. Like said earlier, the two other people involved in Aosoth most certainly have a different perspective on that issue.
THKD: The name Aosoth comes from The Order of Nine Angles. Can you elaborate on the significance of the name and what importance it holds for you personally?
B.S.T. : The link between this band and the O.N.A. is our singer. I am in no position to speak of it. From the readings that were made available to me, though, I must say I felt a connection to quite a few principles of their philosophy.
THKD: Aosoth works as a trio. Your new/third album is called simply III. Does the number three hold any special significance for Aosoth or is this merely coincidental?
B.S.T. : It just happened to be the time when we decided to include a third member. Was is a mere coincidence? I wouldn’t know. It probably was meant to be, and probably has a meaning.
THKD: What does each member of Aosoth bring to the band? Would you ever consider adding more members?
B.S.T. : The way the band works is quite simple. Mkm is in charge of the lyrics, the visual aspect, the ideology. He is linked to the band as he is the image of the band, the spokesman. I write all the music, and produce the albums, I also recruit the mercenaries who play with us on stage. Inr, our newest member has been involved in the arrangements of the songs. Although his role seems lesser than ours, he has been involved in the project for a long time now, first as a session musician, and his dedication did inject a lot of new blood into Aosoth. If we do find the right person, I’m guessing we might hire a full time drummer some day, but they are quite hard to come by. And we’ll have a second guitar player for concerts, but that person will remain a session member.
THKD: How would you compare your current work with Aosoth to your past with Antaeus? Are the two bands opposite sides of the same coin?
B.S.T. : I will answer for Mkm from what I know of that matter. Aosoth has a very different musical approach. As far as the ideology goes their is a certain link between the too, but saying they are opposite sides to the same coin is stretching it, in my opinion.
THKD: France seems to have a very strong and diverse black metal scene. What is it about life there that is conducive to this music? Are you in any way influenced/inspired by your surroundings?
B.S.T. : This country is grey, bitter, and our cultural heritage is falling apart. We have lost faith in our nation and feel betrayed. There is no unity in our community. I’m guessing that would be a cause…
THKD: What are your thoughts on the current state of French black metal? Who do you consider to be your peers? Are there any other French BM hordes we should be listening to?
B.S.T. : I have a lot of respect for bands such as Hell Militia, Vorkreist, Blacklodge, DSO (obviously), Spektr, Ritualization, Temple of Baal, Haemoth… And a few others… Those bands are those I consider to be my peers and I would advise you to listen to.
THKD: Will you be playing live in support of III? What would the ultimate live Aosoth experience entail?
B.S.T. : We will play shows according to what we are offered. A live performance is not something we need or seek. Releasing albums is satisfactory enough to us.
THKD: Are you or any of the other members of Aosoth currently involved in other bands/projects that we should be aware of? What can you tell us about them?
B.S.T. : Mkm is still in Antaeus, the band is still a bit active as they are to play a couple shows. Can’t really say if a new album is meant to happen or not, not my place to say anyway… Inr plays in VI, which is supposed to release its first full length by the end of the year I guess, he also will be appearing as a session live bass player in Antaeus. I play in The Order of Apollyon, black death metal band which released its first album “The Flesh” on Listenable records last year. I also will be joining Antaeus as a session guitar player for the few shows to come.
THKD: Are there any final thoughts you’d like to add?
Invisible Oranges main man and fellow metalhead Cosmo Lee has extensively championed the use of Bandcamp (here and here). He probably did it a hell of a lot better than I ever could, but considering that Fiends at Feast and The Ash Eaters, two bands I’ve been doing a little championing of my own for of late (I reviewed Fiends at Feast here and dished on The Ash Eaters demo here), have Bandcamp pages, I thought it was about time I weighed in.
Bandcamp blows Myspace out of the friggin’ water. Bandcamp is simple, clean and uncluttered. It takes the concept of bands using social networking as a promotional tool and strips it of all the nonsense that goes with it. No friends, no spam, no frills, no bullshit. Bandcamp is all about the music. It gives fans easy access to high quality downloads without a bunch of bric-a-brac getting in the way of their enjoyment. Just look at the screenshots included in this post. Could it get anymore straightforward than that? Highly doubtful.
Part of the reason for Myspace’s downfall is the high level of customizability. Once bands realized they could slap oversized logos, a dozen videos, five million and one flyers, photo slideshows, etc on their pages, it was all over. Chances are, if you’re an unsigned metal band from Oklahoma, someone from Japan listening to your music online doesn’t give a shit about the flyer from the hometown show you played five years ago or endless slideshows of you drinking beer with the local metal tarts. In other words, Bandcamp forces bands to “keep it simple, stupid” and makes them look that much more professional in the process. Trust me, if you want potential fans to take you seriously (not to mention potential labels), you’re better off leaving the drunken slideshows and fancy backgrounds to the teenage girls.
To make matters worse for Myspace (and the bands who try to use it), the one-time social-networking king recently went through a re-design that has rendered the site about as user-friendly as a Sasha Grey film with the sex scenes edited out. I’m not sure what the hell they were thinking, but the end result has made Bandcamp’s spotless presentation, and easy to use media player even more appealing. It amazes me that anyone even bothers to go on Myspace anymore and I’ve for the most part vowed not to post links to bands’ pages on the site unless it is the only option available for THKD readers to hear their music.
The Ash Eaters and Fiends at Feast couldn’t be more different musically, but both bands share a common goal. They want as many folks as possible to get the chance to check out their music. Bandcamp offers them the opportunity to do so in a way that is completely free of distractions, allowing the music to once again take precedence, something that had been lost amongst the dilapidated bells and whistles of Myspace. It draws a straight line from listener to band, which is exactly how it should be.
Below are some more excellent bands that have pages on Bandcamp.
