Proudpilot – “Monsters Exist” – [Peyote Muzik]

whngr   11/10/2022   A Library, CD

Powerful female-fronted post/punk/dark/wave/goth/rock from Turkey.

Complex hard-hitting drums propel driving rhythms from the bass creating a heavy platform for the other-worldly and evocative synthesizers, further elevating the haunting vocals to explore beautifully dark and strange realms. Incredibly full sounds from this three-piece with great variety in tones especially from the synthesizer, the gorgeous delivery of their sound is especially prevalent on track 10, “First Contact” and reminds this volunteer of the project Kaelen Mikla . With luscious washes of synth that at times are thick with gloriously brooding atmosphere and other times borrow the lead from the bass in what sounds like an electric xylophone or a reverbed-out marimba but with the impact of the traditional instrumentation of polyrhythmic drumming and note-intensive bass lines. Resplendent in a kind of macabre and spectral sphere of heavy diaphanous sound.

Proud Pilot are (though “were” is probably more accurate as this is their only release) , Ekin Üzeltüzenci (Ekin Fil) on synth and vox, Pınar Üzeltüzenci (Biblo) on bass guitar, and Kaan Akay (Psycho Mantis) on drums. I was unable to uncover the relationship between Ekin and Pinar Üzeltüzenci, be it siblings, cousins, father and daughter, or what intuition tells me and my desires refuse to except… husband and wife, but whatever the truth may be, I am stricken with envy, not because I think that I would be even a remotely adequate partner for Ekin but that any proximity to her might illuminate some of the secrets behind her incredible talent and her motivations. That said, I am also quite cognizant of how much pleasure I take in the mystery. Do not miss her far quieter, much more somber and atmospheric solo work as Ekin Fil.

Istanbul – 2009

Lord Diabolus, The – “Down There…” – [Dark Descent Records]

whngr   11/10/2022   12-inch, A Library

Evil.

Low fidelity black/death metal/grind with heretical samples, guttural vocals, and electronic atmosphere on this single sided LP.

The Lord Diabolus was an alias of Finland’s, Beherit while in legal purgatory with their label (Turbo Music) at the time of this recording and were an early 2nd wave project of Marko Laiho/”Nuclear Holocausto Vengeance” (guitar, vocals, keyboards, and programming), Jari Pirinen/”Sodomatic Slaughter” (drums), and Arjo Wennström/”Black Jesus” (bass) who had left the band prior to this recording, from the very northern climes of Lapland that, in the frozen depths of winter, will receive only three hours of sunlight… a month. Cold and bleak is the terrain; dark and miserable are the sounds of, “Down There…” Beherit would become a notable and formative scion in the esteemed legacy of Scandinavian Black Metal especially known for their use of electronics atmosphere and samples; a practice that was considered avantgarde, less brutal, less raw, and perhaps more feminine, something that was (and to many, still is) viewed with derision. Laiho seemed unfazed by the opinions of sheep and would go on to focus on electronic dark ambient before moving to Thailand to dabble in techno. In 2008 he would return to Finland and reform Beherit with Pirinen, susequently releasing 3 more albums. In their early days they, along with other Finnish metalers including Mika Luttinen of Impaled Nazarene, would become embroiled in an intense feud with the Norwegian Black Metal scene that would be known as the “Dark War” (a slightly tongue and cheek and juvenile designation that would not rival the genuine and lasting animosity between the Norwegian and French scenes) and were notorious for their early live performances which included the heads of pigs and goats upon the stage which would help them amass a dedicated cvlt following.

Rovaniemi, Finland – 1991

Lunsford, Kilynn – “Custodians of Human Succession” – [Ever / Never]

whngr   11/10/2022   12-inch, A Library

Aggressively weird pop from the outer, slightly more tenable, rings of Hades.

Discordant and jarring songs that are structured fairly traditionally though every other aspect of these recordings sound unique and nearly without influence. This, of course, is not the case (she states on the Ever / Never bndcmp page that she has had a “…life-long appreciation of Diamanda Galas”) but like a lot of the music produced during the world’s recent forced sequestration, Reality Testing feels unmitigatedly personal. Like a sonic sketchbook or an aural diary found in a young woman’s boudoir after her admission to the hospital, these whimsical and slightly brooding tracks feel polished through considerable tweaking in post. Unruly and arty, smoky jazz piano, funky bass, surreal and disjointed, reverse tracking, delay, petulant and idiosyncratic spoken/yelled lyrics, dada, saxophone, bubbling synthesizers degrade… and then self destruct, kinda kute, ultra-strange stream of consciousness musings from a clearly sound obsessed minstrel of her own mental apocalypse.

Kilynn Lunsford (Taiwan Housing Project, Little Claw, Black Egg, The Dark Places) originally of West Philadelphia, presently residing in New York by way of the PNW. A detailed and slightly voluble account of her perspective and processes is available on the aforementioned b.c. page.

New York – Nov. 2022 

Kihlstedt, Carla / Bossi, Matthias / Ismaily, Shahzad – “Causing A Tiger” – [Les Disques Victo]

whngr   11/9/2022   A Library, CD

Three improvisators strike out on a truly bizarre exploration with a wild variety of instruments, sounds and samples,vocal techniques, moods and timbres. No theme is off the table and only two tracks bear even the slightest resemblance to one another (“No Funeral At All” [Track 1] and “Still No Funeral At All” [Track 2] being a kind of strange tradition american hoedown with banjo(?), fiddle (?), and wistful female vocals). Like a roulette wheel of compositions and deliveries that could only work if the bonds between the players were seamless and infrangible… which apparently they are.

Quiet, zither(?), barking dogs, arrhythmic, trumpets of Tijuana(?), boisterous, pig snorts,  Björk(?), balloon squeaks, traditional, distortion, ruminative violin, faerie folk, keyboards, sad, irreverent, sleepy, violin bow destruction, social, bass guitar, understated, inscrutable, windchimes(?), Tom Waits(?), trumpets of The Bronx(?), synthesizer drones, art(?), extraterrestrial, whimsy, twilight, melancholy, pensive, harmonic, basketballs(?), interdimensional, drunk goblins, conversive,  etc…

Once local Carla Kihlstedt has a voluminous curriculum vitae , that includes violin, accordion, and composing, and collaboration with both John Zorn and Fred Frith (the later is credited on this album for bass guitar, piano, and fiddle) originally from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and has several other albums in our library unlike her cohorts who have none (until now). Matthias Bossi is a percussionist and composer from Boston, and Shazad Ismaily is a guitarist, bassist, accordionist and composer from NYC both of whom have sprawling CV’s themselves. Their FB page (dormant since 2016) has a thoughtful and much more insightful biography than I can provide here; however I can relate that the inspiration for the title of the group came from the Jorge Luis Borges poem, “The Other Tiger”.  

San Francisco and (?) – 2010

Hauras – “Chant For A Broken Chalice” – [DECAYCAST RECORDS]

whngr   11/3/2022   A Library, CD

Roiling atmospheric compositions exploring the human mind at the end of civilization.. 

Inverted electronics, droning guitars, inebriated pulses, hesitant keys, quiet pitch shifted voices, sparing minimal percussive passages, delay, and an array of effects impart a slightly lonely feeling of contemplation. Disparate track lengths and oblique tangents feel like chapters in a story. Like an old man puttering around his apartment looking for reminders of what he was doing, repeatedly checking if he had locked the door, and refilling the cat’s water dish… His best years are long behind him but the dementia keeps him occupied. He’s never bored, there’s always something he forgot… and something to remember. Sure, he’s slowed down a bit over the years, but it seems like he’s just adjusted to the natural flow of time. He barely remembers when he had to fight against it, now he just leans back and lets time carry him to tomorrow… and the day after that, and the day after that, and the day after that… it’s easy.

Palette is Grey, Eggshell, and dilute Prussian Blue.

Hauras is one Howard Ryan whose alias translates to “fragile” in Finnish and hails from…

Oakland/San Francisco- 2021

Ekin Fil – “Dora Agora” – [Helen Scarsdale Agency]

whngr   11/3/2022   12-inch, A Library

Quiet, drifting, chords sustain a somber rhythm, distant and personal… with echoes. 

Floating on gentle waves, veins filled with opium, every note a caress of the eardrum, a whisper on the neck, every change soft and welcome. A siren song for the sleeping hero. The album begins with an instrumental track, stabbing sadly at single notes on her keyboard before the first dulcet chord swells into being. On the next track meandering keys bloom as gentle, non-lexical vocalizations begin to weave like a spirit through a somber afternoon in the living room overlooking a windswept beach before the more structured and haunting lullabies coalesce (track 3 “ghost boy”) Simple repetitive strums of acoustic guitar provide structure as lilting atmospheric textures sail by… Heavy eyelids fall, we abandon consciousness, and slip into a purring netherworld of beautiful loss.

Ekin Fil returns to the acoustic guitar of her debut album on a soaring journey through the billowing dreams of slumbering giants. At times a distant memory might float into our awareness or perhaps a forgotten song from childhood… Do I know this song… why don’t I remember the chorus? Do I know this language? Does it matter? Does anything matter? I hear stripped down Beach House, Grouper with vaporous hooks. Mother whispers her vow of unconditional love as doctor takes the pain away.

Ekin Fil is one Ekin Üzeltüzenci, a Turkish multi-instrumentalist who performed vocals and keyboards in the post/-/punk synth/-/rock project Proudpilot (probably defunct but soon to be entering our library). Üzeltüzenci scored the 2017 films Kaygi (Inflame) and Körfez (Gulf), as well as Hayaletler (Ghost) in 2020, is one of my favorite discoveries as yet through kfjc, and is otherwise cloaked in mystery.

Istanbul – October 7, 2022

Merciless Savagery – “Demo 2020” – [Nuclear War Now! Productions]

whngr   11/3/2022   12-inch, A Library

Ugly tirades of brutality from this wicked female USBM two-piece with morose synth bookends on both sides. 

Raw Black Metal in the vein of the old school (Bathory, Witchcraft [Fin], and Sodom) with both sides unleashing the same viscera dumping material, with the exception the closing track of side A “Imperator’s Sceptre” which is not present on the B side (but will still evacuate your organs), which is comprised of recordings from rehearsal that sound equally as polished, effective, and vicious as the A side. Though this LP lacks attention to recording quality it excels in the delivery of tight as fuck, carnal ferocity from both members, like a decapitated head of man held aloft in triumph, rivulets of blood coursing down the heathen arms of the victorious, eyes ablaze in fury.

Merciless Savagery is C.C. Bone Crusher (drums) and Hellbitch Kommando (guitar, vox) who was also responsible for much of the artwork for the band. I am particularly fond of the cover art for the original digital release which shown below and on Encyclopedia Metallum.

Houston, TX – 2022

Fri Som En Fagel / Filthy Christians [coll] – [Armageddon]

whngr   11/3/2022   7-inch, A Library

Swedish Hardcore punks negotiate ferocity, blast beats, the disenfranchisement of youth, and a spray of cynical humor with alacrity and aplomb.

Fri Som En Fågel… translates to “Free as a Bird” which is surely an allusion to the avian imagery that G-anx would employ in their cover art and the stark, slightly sinister, and dichotomistic aspects of this 7″ is part of what drew me in to this release. The ferocity, innovation, and humor is why I shall return. 

G-Anx were a fucking great four-piece of long-hair punks with grindcore leanings from Jönköping and Huskvarna that packed it up in ’92. Raw and visceral, this is the real deal for this miserable volunteer.

Filthy Christians were a five-piece crossover project from Falun with a predilection for denim that also had a couple long-hairs in their group. Check out “Vaktmästar Jazz (Olle P)” (“Janitor Jazz [Olle P]” [B3]) for the album’s oddity which features  a couple of catchy jangly guitar interludes reminiscent of pop from the 60’s or the very short “Skate And Die” (B6), a nihilist ode to my preferred rolling toy of doom, destruction, and delight. Of special note is the track “Another Metal Band” (B5) which relates (via the thorough liner notes evocative of the era) a tale of a Hardcore band that rejects their roots to explore the often absurd Satanic fantasy realms of Death Metal… which is exactly what Filthy Christians would do not long after this release. What a bunch of fucking clowns… I love it!

Sweden – 1988 

Napalm Death – “Apex Predator / Easy Meat” – [Century Media]

whngr   10/19/2022   12-inch, A Library

Sonus Hominis Caedes

Fucking sonic devastation at a fairly brisk pace. I jest, these guys have been taking the concept of rapidity to new realms for decades. However, this four-piece continues to push boundaries in interesting and thoughtful ways that the bands that were spawned as a direct result of their output have not. As evidenced by the foreboding opening/title track that begins with a glorious bellowing harkening to a corruption of Gregorian chant before degrading into a cacophonous, militant guttural remonstrance, prior to the carnage beginning in earnest. I am quite partial to “Hierarchies” (B4), which explores a similar backing vocal to the title track with thundering toms and nearly lilting guitar while lyrically referencing the spilling of innocent blood. A theme that they have plumbed ad nauseum, but do so with creativity, grace, dignity, and intensity, as evidenced by the rending of flesh and carnal imagery that has long been a staple in the N.D. stable.

Napalm Death are the progenitors of Grind Core, creating a sound in the eighties that has been emulated and adulated for over three decades by the crustiest, most primal outcasts of our species. An outfit that celebrates violent sounds while espousing a message highly critical the dominant paradigm and a culture built on violence. These men have nothing but derision for man’s tendency for war, consumption, greed, and malice. Emerging from the Anarcho/Peace Punk soil they sprouted from lo these many years ago, there has always been a message of hope, a desire for positive change, the righting of wrongs, and potentially atonement for transgressions against the downtrodden and unwashed masses. Though I gave up long ago on humanity, it seems that they have not. Napalm Death is still pushing their narrative with devastating poise and an eagerness to explore the many nuances of brutality while staying true to… perhaps continuing to define, the genre they created. 

Birmingham, UK –  2015

Heilung – “Drif” – [Season of Mist]

whngr   10/19/2022   12-inch, A Library

Rural Norse Spiritualism

Primal bone laden percussion, archaic harmonic vocal interpretations, with minimal modern electronic accompaniment, bird song, call and response, medieval ambiance, war beats, spoken word, and an assortment of hypnotic elements adjacent to the ancient lives of Nordic peoples.

These Scandinavians would liken themselves to modern shamanic practitioners and their activities regarded as rituals, with strong leanings toward theater which is explored thoroughly in their live performances. Clad in arcane costumes adorned with antler, fur, feather, and prehistoric symbology, surrounded by skulls, leather, and an array of traditional instruments. These sons and daughters of the Vikings seem keenly aware of the world’s tendency to equate their heritage and their ancestors as having a savage propensity for violence, which is by all accounts true, however Heilung would like us to to consider the much more peaceful, healing magic of the ones that stayed home from the campaigns of yore. Acting as emissaries to distant lands, touting the benefits of brotherhood, unity, and a deep rooted appreciation of prehistoric pagan society. However, they also seem to be aware that some of their fan base might have a tendency to take the celebration of Northern heritage a bit too far. So they are very clear in myriad sources that, though they absolutely look the part, they are not at all compelled by the power of the white race to the exclusion of, or the superiority over, other slightly or much browner peoples. One might wonder however, if their most ardent followers accept and align themselves with these ethos, as it is easy to imagine that behind closed doors, the lines might become a little blurry. But this is of little matter, racial bias and opinions being what they are. 

Although Heilung, does, at times, veer a bit too far into PBS fundraising territory for this miserable volunteer, it is hard to deny that there is something interesting happening on these recordings. Drif, the fourth studio release, is primal and profoundly connected to nature and the earth, the seasons, the spirits, and the heart. It builds upon something that resonates deeply with the modern Northman who longs for those ancient times that were far more in balance with their environment than the vast majority of us today. The cultures represented on this release were an integral part of the world as opposed to a consumer upon it… which is notable as Heilung appears to have become almost a brand in itself and is the first that I have witnessed to present a collection of tableware for purchase  on bandcamp and their website which are currently sold out, not the case for the massive assortment of clothing and jewelry available on their website which for my taste does detract somewhat from the apparent message on this beautifully packaged, if slightly flimsy, double LP.

Heilung was created by Kai Uwe Faust, a German artist who specializes in Old Norse Tattoos and Danish producer Christopher Juul in 2014 and after Juul’s partner, Maria Franz (of  progressive rock/pop project Euzen) contributed vocals to their debut album, “Ofnir” in 2015, she would become the third core member of the group. As they progressed they would acquire a veritable army supporting members for their relatively expensive and apparently powerful, live performances.

Denmark – 2022

Parasite 2 [coll] – [Rural Isolation Project]

whngr   10/19/2022   A Library, CD

More devastating noise walls from East Texas label R.I.P. Cringe and wither in your corner fleshling. You are likely not made of the kind of stuff with the ability to absorb this double helping of protuberance.

No Visitors is one Matt Turner of Quttinirpaaq, Shit and Shine, among others from Austin, Texas.

Takeshita is one Tim Burkland of Possum Pussy, Pillow Humper, and Pizza Burrito among others and runs the Imploding Sounds label out of Seattle, Washington.

Austin, TX – 2022

Map 71 – “Void Axis” – [Fourth Dimension Records]

whngr   10/19/2022   A Library, CD

Strange Angular Synthesizer

… and arhythmic minimal scrapyard percussion with dispassionate spoken female vox in the vein of first wave industrial projects, SPK, Suicide, Throbbing Gristle.

Brooding dystopian poems provide structure for the discordant instruments and as drums crash and electronics pulse around her, she weaves on her syllabic skien, an atmospheric tapestry with unsound psychedelic evanescence acting as warp and chimeric disassociation the weft. Echoes abound on these relatively short tracks that while not having a traditional structure will revisit themes, sounds, and words that, as repetition does, tends to beat its way into one’s subconscious and will begin to mirror catchiness in a kind of perversion of pop.
Andy Pyne (Keller, Aeolipile, Raised By Wolves. Shrag, et al,) plays the instruments and beats the trash while 

Lisa Jayne (Wylde) unspools subliminal poetry and wields the scissors (she creates Map 71’s cover art in construction paper collage). She also performed on The Blue Tapes House Band’s, “Chase Me Before the Plague”, excellent nightmare fuel which I highly recommend.

Brighton, UK – 2018

Scathing – “Scathing” – [Rural Isolation Project]

whngr   10/13/2022   A Library, CD

Writhe In Pieces

Blood trickles from the ear canal, painting one’s neck with the sanguine elixir of life in a reduction of reason, ridicule of relevance, and a reflection of righteous indignation. These are the sounds of destruction, creative in their breadth and ability to harm both the assailant and the assailed. Abrupt, abstract, and aberrant sounds that culminate in a long (19:23) track with slightly less aggressive passages layered between sonic scorched earth. Recorded and mixed 2018-19 and released on cassette by Idiopathic Records in 2019.

Scathing is one Kenny Brieger originally from Alice, Texas now located in Austin. Brieger is one half of the experimental/noise/drone duo Architeuthis Dux along with Tony Duran.

Texas – 2022

Deer Hunter, The [coll] – [Capitol Records]

whngr   10/13/2022   12-inch, Soundtrack

Russian Roulette Retrospective

Sappy orchestral strings, Russian Orthodox Choir hymns, traditional slavic wedding song, Soviet  marching/folk song, helicopters, AK-47, pensive atmospheric strings and sparse flute as suits the source material, and one patriotic anthem on this LP from the 1978 Oscar (among many other) award winning film (Best Picture, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Director, Best Sound, Best Film Editing) directed by Michael Cimino.

A harrowing tale of friendship subverted by war represented obtusely on this soundtrack. More of a document of the varied compositions and moods from the film than a representation of the subject matter and message, as this album does little to illuminate the listener to the grief, confusion, loss, betrayal, and morbid themes of The Deer Hunter. An excellent movie with a $6 soundtrack. Close your eyes and pull the trigger, if you land on “Struggling Forward” then it is your lucky day.

Circuit Wound – “Civilized Stagnation” – [Rural Isolation Project]

whngr   10/5/2022   A Library, CD

Absolute Gutter Violence

Two megaliths of harsh noise walls of slightly different textures locked, loaded, and aimed at your (listeners) cranium. Crushing grey static, squeaks and bleeps, with one giant peak. A vomitus expulsion of blinding migraine rocket fuel. You have got to be out of your mind.

Circuit Wound is one Jay “Decay” Howard.

Simi Valley – 2022

Surak, Jeff – “All Those Born Must Die” – [Helen Scarsdale Agency]

whngr   10/5/2022   A Library, Cassette

Dramatically varied abstractions of often quiet minimal soundscapes with impressive breadth in tone, feel, and volume. It is better, in my opinion, to just experience this album for oneself than for one to attempt to explain the sounds within, however, it is contemplative, cerebral, often quiet with just a bit startling contrast, and probably most compellingly, contains a couple incredibly unique percussive passages.
During a 2012 interview  with QwartzMusic Surak states when speaking of the Sonic Circuits festival that he directed from 2005-18, “This is Art, y’know, it’s beyond just regular entertainment. So therefore, it is harder to sell. Um… but it is possible, I think, to function commercially by making it easy for the audiences to experience this music.” (Is this music?) “So we try to make it open and as accessible as possible. Put on performances not just in underground venues, small clubs, basements, whatever… but also in big institutions, in large theaters and in places that are easy for people to get to, friendly, not intimidating… where people all dressed in black and look mean drink and smoke or whatever… No, it’s music that anyone can enjoy.” Woah mother-fucker! Stay in your lane, that is our job! We are the ones bringing “art” to the shut-ins and the pussies. We have been the ones working for decades to legitimize abstract, high concept musings of primarily straight white men, the Art school dropouts, knob twiddlers, and aurally productive acid casualties. We are their Champions! We are KF fucking JC! 

Surak appears to be as thoughtful and dedicated as he is prolific and also performs as Violet and 1348 and he seems to be kind of a glass half-full kind of a chap which honestly is a bit off-putting to this miserable volunteer, has lived in Russia where he was in several noise projects, most notably Sovmestnoye Predpriyatiye (Joint Venture), has collaborated with the likes of  Frans de Waard, and Michael Gendreau among others, and runs the Zeromoon label out of…

Washington D.C. – 2021

Sigh – “Scorn Defeat” – [Peaceville Records]

whngr   9/21/2022   12-inch, A Library

Early Black / Avant-garde / Doom Metal / Thrash with Dungeon Synth, Classical Piano, Harpsichord (?), flute (?), and other enigmatic behavior adjacent to Death Metal from this Japanese three-piece.

This album predates the well beaten tropes of Black Metal and would fail to slide easily into any categorization in any decade. Originally put out on cd by Deathlike Silence (this release wears a dedication to Euronymous on its back cover), it has been pressed and repressed in dozens of iterations over the last nigh on thirty years while remaining relatively cvlt. The influences are apparent, Venom, Celtic Frost, Mozart, Mayhem or Gore perhaps, but this album veers aggressively into and through so many different genres it is likely to be ignored or dismissed by both the purist and the poseur. Many varied compositions with even more varied instrumentation, it isn’t blindingly fast or technical (except the dizzying piano passages), nor is it sludge, it isn’t “lo-fi”, it isn’t satanic (it does, however, allude to the wrathful side of the Buddhist pantheon), and it isn’t even in Japanese (all tracks are in a relatively well pronounced [but not “clean”] English [no FCC’s]). Though it might be “cold” and “grim” at times, it can be flowery, delicate, and atmospheric as well. It also benefits from a slightly quaint quality, so young and fresh of corpse-paint laden face were they, and though Sigh would go on to much more flamboyant and progressive albums, this one (their first full-length), is stretching to find its voice, fingers curling around an identity, in an effort to establish itself with wildly different tones and moods while somehow remaining at its foundation, Black Metal.

Sigh is helmed by Mirai Kawashima (bass, keyboards, vocals) which began as Ultra Death in 1989. “Scorn Defeat” was recorded with two of his cohorts, Shinichi Ichikawa (guitar) and Satoshi Fujinami (drums, percussion) and would make up the core of the band, though Fujinami would abandon the drum throne in 2001 and take over bass duties. Also of note is the early photograph (inner sleeve) of “Shinichi” in full Black Metal regalia by some unknown lake, in broad daylight, nestled in some little park somewhere near or within the sprawling metropolis of Tokyo, with a flaming glove held aloft while wielding a katana, harkening back to a fledgling, far more underground, and perhaps more innocent BXM scene. 

Tokyo – 1993

Cold Storage – “Fractures” – [Rural Isolation Project]

whngr   9/21/2022   A Library, CD

Slow Miserable Avalanche

If Br’er Fox chased  Br’er Rabbit into the briar patch and couldn’t get out for twenty-three minutes and twenty-nine seconds and affixed to the thorns of the briar patch were contact mics, his blood was white-noise generators, and if poor Br’er Fox were strapped to a broken modem (on battery power) from 1997 you might be approximating “Fractures” by Cold Storage. Not the harshest noise but not at all comfortable either. Put it on at the end of your set to avoid spreading any residual strains of plague that might have collected in your reeking facemask and delight in the discomfort of the next volunteer and/or listeners that stumble upon the charred remains of your normally delightful and eclectic sets.

I could find absolutely nothing on this project other than it may have been recorded in Texas, just the way I like my abstract and unsettling artists…. invisible and mysterious.

West Texas – 2022

Ulthar – “Providence” – [20 Buck Spin]

whngr   9/14/2022   12-inch, A Library

Lovecraftian themed technical Death Metal three-piece execute their demented crawl through a deranged gauntlet of sonic malevolence with considerably complex arrangements and deranged psychedelic and doom elements. Frenzied and precise, many of the medium length compositions plough through more notes than centuries Cthulhu has slept. Do colors exist at hyper speed or do they melt like the mind of a lunatic in the presence of the Old Ones? Does the syrup fail to drip as winter descends on New England?

Members of Pandiscordian Necrogenesis, Vale, and Vastum among others.

I was initially drawn to this release by the cover art by one Ian Miller who captured my youthful but critically scarred heart when I fell under the spell of the table-top strategy war games of Games Workshop in the late 80’s and inspired and corrupted me further into the decrepit realm of the Chaos Legions. He was an incredible influence on my developing brain and an excellent match for this album, which in my opinion, would be more than suitable aural backdrop for a hardcore miniature painting session. 

 Oakland, CA / Alexandria, VA – 2020

Nortfalke – “Seefonkjuenderee” – [Dunkelheit Produktionen]

whngr   9/7/2022   A Library, CD

Frisian Dungeon Synth

Cold air curls off the northern coast of Holland and seeps into the weeping stone foundations of citadel Nortfalke. Slightly eerie ambient swells amid rising plumes of sound. Often having a gentle and lilting foreground with booming thumps below that add an element of percussion to the longform synthesizer forays through drafty catacombs occasionally illuminated by the glow of the moon. Minimal and lush these three tracks explore slightly different moods that are not necessarily dark, the compositions and mood feel more contemplative than emotional. More cerebral than visceral, a philosophical expression of a mage as he plots his next maneuvers toward mastery of the occult.

Nortfalke (Northern Falcon) moniker of Swerc (aka Maarten), co-owner of Aratron Productions, mastermind and contributor to numerous Black Metal projects including Afvallige, Asregen, Gheestenland, Standavast, et al.

Northern Netherlands – 2021