BELL WITCH MIRROR REAPER Profound Lore Records Funeral Doom Metal Listening Format: CD Before I begin... LOOK AT THAT ALBUM COVER!!! GOD DAMN THAT IS FREAKIN' EPIC!!! I WANT THAT ON MY BEDTIME QUILT!!! COME ON RED BUBBLE, QUILT ME UP!!!
Sorry... 'Mirror Reaper' is the 4th full length album (and boy is it full length alright) by Seattle, Washington formed duo Bell Witch. Funeral Doom Metal is a pretty niche and cult subgenre that even some hardcore Metal fans aren't really aware of, but it has produced some absolutely fantastic bands over the decades. To sum it up, it takes Doom Metal to it's most logical extreme before it becomes pure Drone. 50bpm super slow, glacial riffs, massively downtuned guitars with super low vocals, big running times and lots of atmospheric qualities. But I digress. Depending on which format you listen to 'Mirror Reaper', we essentially have an 83 minute long song. Your average Metallica fan will probably scream in sheer terror at the thought, but for those well versed in Funeral Doom Metal, you'll probably be thinking "Meh, is that all?" The album is presented differently depending on which format you listen to. If you have the Digital version, it's a full 83 minute piece named "As Above So Below". The CD cuts the piece in half spread over 2 discs "As Above" and "So Below", whilst the vinyl edition has to cater to 3 side breaks, "As", "Above", "So, "Below". I went for the middle ground. As a fan of physical music I'd say this is a rare case where the Digital format reigns superior, but if you buy the vinyl edition you'll get that GOD DAMN BEAUTIFUL GATEFOLD ARTWORK!!! I WANT TO WRAP IT OVER MY NAKED BODY AS MY DREAMS TRANSPORT ME TO THE MIRROR WORLD!!! RED BUBBLE!!! TAKE ME TO MY SLUMBER!!!... Sorry... But even the presentation of this album is quite forward thinking. You will genuinely get a different listening experience from each version of the album you choose to hear it on. I like that.
What makes 'Mirror Reaper' even more ambitious is it's concept. Bell Witch drummer and vocalist Adrian Guerra tragically passed away last year at just 36 years old. Bell Witch decided to continue with new drummer and vocalist Jesse Shreibman, but wrote 'Mirror Reaper' as an epitaph to Guerra. I believe that Guerra was actually present in the early stages of making this album anyway, as some of his own vocal recordings have been implemented into the album. He appears on this album more than just in spirit, and that adds a beautiful and emotional context to the music and lyrics. 'Mirror Reaper' is a very challenging listen even for well versed Funeral Doom fans. The album is very slow, sparse and repetitive. Even though the song runs at 83 minutes, don't expect much in the way of progression or variety. It's so slow that it rarely reaches a potential to progress into something. The pacing of the album ranges from standing still to lumbering incredibly slowly through quick sand. The same riff cycle might be padded out for minutes. But fortunately, what makes this song so captivating is it's strong and haunting atmosphere. Technically this is a deceptively simple and sparse album. Just 6 string bass, drums, vocals and some very subtle bassy organ notes that essentially create a low pitched ambient hum. But it is this bareness that actually speaks volumes. The way Bell Witch are able to hold on certain notes creates this teasing tension. Every riff moves like a crashing wave against the jagged rocks, holding a mesmerising power. If you've listened to the likes of Esoteric or even previous Bell Witch releases, the first half of this song isn't worlds away from what you would expect from them, only the riffs sound more drawn out and spacious. This is actually their most melodic release, with stunning use of clean vocals that almost have this ritualistic ghostly choir feel to them, made indecipherable through all of the reverb. It is the second half (or second disc) that really tipping me over the edge. The last 35 minute chunk of this behemoth almost leaves the Metal realm entirely. Things slow down almost to a complete halt and there are long stretches with no percussion at all. Instead gorgeous melodic bass tapping escalates every so slightly into this incredibly moving and melodic cyclic mantra that reminded me quite a lot of Boris' 'Flood' album (also one giant song). I found myself approaching 'Mirror Reaper' more like an Ambient or possibly Post Rock album (think early Sigur Ros kinds of slow). It's not too often where I go into an Extreme Metal album and come away impressed even more by the non-Metal sections of the music! If you've had no desire to hear or enjoy Funeral Doom Metal before, 'Mirror Reaper' isn't exactly going to win you over. It still has crushing, sometimes dissonant slabs of riffs and monstrous death growling vocals, and it certainly requires extreme patience to make it through this entire album. But those up for the challenge will leave this album not only humming the melodic arpeggios heard, but feeling like you have been on an epic journey. 'Mirror Reaper' is truly a spiritual piece of music that takes Funeral Doom to it's most literal point. This music actually feels like a funeral or an epitaph, for a dear lost soul. It is packed so fiercely with sadness, heartbreak and loss, and yet is supremely life affirming rather than opting for the feel of despair and hopelessness that Funeral Doom usually delivers. 'Mirror Reaper' is not only the best Funeral Doom Metal album since Esoteric's masterpiece double album 'The Maniacal Vale', but one of the most ambitious, forward thinking and genuinely moving pieces of music you will hear in 2017. 8/10.
Shout out to my man Collier at The Decibel Addict for passionately rambling to me about how much I should hear this album. He wasn't wrong!
PRIMITIVE MAN CAUSTIC Relapse Records. Sludge Metal. Listening Format: CD 'Caustic' is the second full length record from Denver, Colorado based Sludge Metal trio Primitive Man... Boy is this some HEAVY shit right here! I've listened to a lot of heavy and extreme music in my time to the point where I'm rarely surprised by sadistically abrasive music any more, but 'Caustic' really set me back. Right from the first few seconds of 'My Will', I was hit with this ultra swampy, crushing and earth shattering sound that pricked up my ears. I guess in terms of composition it is very much Sludge Metal at heart, but the presentation, sound and production here is something unique. Primitive Man have really pushed the ridiculous levels. I don't know what kind of amps and pedals they have setup on this album but DAMN!!! This just might be the heaviest record I've EVER HEARD!!! The entire record runs for 77 minutes and never once lets up. The actual riffs and compositions aren't quite breaking new ground, but they are certainly good, with plenty of scorching riffs. I actually find that the lengthier tracks like 'Commerce' and 'Disfigured' work to the bands strengths even better, creating a savage onslaught that escalates in intensity. In a way, the riffs and chord choices are fairly repetitive and simplified, but then you shouldn't expect anything less from a band called Primitive Man. Don't expect the dynamic nuances of Neurosis. Primitive Man's strength on this album is the horrible, suffocating atmosphere they have created. I find 'Caustic' is best experienced in its entirety, on CD, with no breaks. It is genuinely a challenge to even make it to the end of the record because it is so savage. Sure a record this slow, plodding and repetitive doesn't exactly need to be 77 minutes long, but in this context it totally works in their favour. Think of this record as a sadistic psychopath who has kidnapped you and tied you to a table. Each track acts like a different deadly weapon or tool in which to torture the victim with. Does a sadistic maniac want you to have an easy 40 minute ride, or do they want to brutalise and mutilate you as slowly and painfully as they can, for as long as possible?!
Listening to 'Caustic' is like slowly being beaten to death with a sledgehammer. Starting at the kneecaps, and then inviting a larger array of sharp objects searing into delicate places. Primitive Man deliver totally nihilistic, miserable, hate fueled noisy Sludge that will end up breaking you down mentally. The insane guttural, monstrous vocals sound demonic... This CAN'T have been made my humans!!! At times the sheer weight of the riffs gets so ridiculous that I couldn't help but laugh out loud at a couple of points, if only to cleanse my own sanity. But in terms of sound and atmosphere, 'Caustic' is a huge achievement. It really does go the extra mile and rises above a lot of other recent brutal Sludge records I've heard. 'Caustic' is not only the aural equivalent of a sadistic, exploitation Horror film, but I genuinely feel like this could be a landmark release in Extreme Metal. It's the kind of album where other bands, sound engineers and producers will listen to it and think "Shit son... We gotta up our game!" 8/10.
The Manchester International Festivalis an annual event that spans many weeks and venues taking all creative art forms such as live music, poetry, theatre and more. Every year the festival gets more ambitious and creative, truly thinking outside the box and pushing the limits of what a festival can entail. Highlights of MIF 2017 includedNew Order, Fatherland, Arcade Fire and Dark Matter... Dark Matter is just one small slice of the festival. A series of individual live shows favouring musicians known for making very dark, experimental and otherworldly music. Dark Matter has been curated by British DJ, journalist and BBC Radio 6 presenterMary Anne Hobbs. Eight headlining acts performed over the duration of the festival, includingLEVELZ, Holly Herndon, Paleman, The Haxan Cloak, Clark, Kojey Radical, Colin Stetson and Sunn O))).There were also brilliant DJ sets from the likes of Demdike Stare, Akkord and Mary Anne Hobbs herself. Sadly I wasn't able to attend all of the shows, but I wanted to give a shout out to the ones I did attend. It's brilliant that MIF and Mary Anne Hobbs were able to give such a prominent platform to strange, experimental and esoteric underground music. PALEMAN Gorilla. 6/7/17.
Manchester raised Paleman began his craft as a Jazz drummer and it is clear that he implements that into his sound. Not only was Paleman twiddling knobs and triggering samples on stage, but also adding live percussion along the way. He worked on improvisation, sculpting off kilter techno beats with icy cold synths. He delivered many peaks and troughs in his music, with the calmer parts evoking spacey atmospheres, soon leading into upbeat, lively passages that got the crowd dancing. The dim lighting and room full of fog helped to enhance a special atmosphere created by Paleman. His music was slow building, yet playful. THE HAXAN CLOAK Gorilla. 7/7/17.
The Haxan Cloak (real name Bobby Krlic) is a Yorkshire born Producer who has worked with Bjork, The Body, and even created film and TV scores. But when it comes to his solo act, Krlic likes to get sinister! The Haxan Cloak is one of the best modern names in Dark Ambient music, essentially creating scary soundscapes inspired by the music and atmospheres of horror and nightmares. The entire performance felt almost like one continuous piece of music, beginning slow like a glacier as long drawn out, ominous synths gathered in intensity. Krlic gradually built up layers of eerie and unsettling effects such as buzzing static, escalating noise, scraping and clanging sounds. The way The Haxan Cloak is able to allure an audience through gradual build ups and a foreboding sense of dread is mesmerizing. The use of strobe lights and thick smoke just added to the atmosphere. Only towards the second half of his set, did pulsing Industrial beats become more commonplace. The finale of his show in particular lead even greater towards Industrial Electronic music, with heavy, pounding beats and piercing noise that rumbled and shook your entire body. Krlic's show is incredibly loud and truly akin to a live horror experience. CLARK 02 Ritz. 8/7/17.
Warp Records veteran Chris Clark delivered a whole new stage show to the MIF in support of his latest album 'Death Peak'. Clark performed practically the entire album in full (though sequenced differently) plus some welcome oldies such as 'Winter Linn' and 'Superscope'. Clark really went all out with the light show, which was a true spectacle to watch. Each tune he played had its own choreographed colour scheme and lasers projecting trippy patterns towards the crowd. He even had two masked dancer girls on stage performing improvised dance routines to Clark's music. Certainly not an easy task considering how wonky his music is, switching up tempos and rhythms frantically. Though Clark isn't the "darkest" of the Dark Matter lineup, his eclectic body of music suitably strikes a fine balance between different moods and shades. His beats are incredibly heavy, pounding through the Ritz's bouncy dancefloor like a pneumatic drill. He truly got the crowd dancing the whole way through. Clark is so fascinating to watch on stage, not just because of the incredible visual show accompanying him, but just seeing how busy he gets. He is constantly moving up and down his large desk of Electronic apparatus, flicking switches, triggering samples and adjusting mixers, breaking into a sweat almost immediately. If anyone believes that Electronic music is just somebody standing behind a laptop pressing buttons, then Clark is here to prove you wrong! SUNN O))) 02 Ritz. 15/7/17
Closing MIF's Dark Matter series was one of the weirdest and most experimental bands on earth. Seattle's Drone masters Sunn O))) are renown for being perhaps the loudest band in existence. The core duo of Greg Anderson and Stephen O'Malley have featured in countless influential Extreme Metal bands, usually favouring the slowest and heaviest riffs in existence. Sunn O))) is definitely their most well known act, taking the concept of amplifier worship to the utmost extreme (and not just their name). The band perform in Sith Lord style cloaks in front of a colossal and intimidating wall of massive Sunn guitar amps. Over the years their touring line-up has continued to expand, tonight performing as a 5 piece. O'Malley and Anderson deafened audiences with their guitars, whilst the addition of two extra players on keyboards, electronics and even a Drone trombone added more layers to the sonic chaos. Attila Csihar, long time vocalist of the controversial Black Metal pioneers Mayhem, also performed a highly eclectic vocal display, as well as dressing in some elaborate costumes. Their music is so damn slow, that they have no use for a live drummer to keep a beat or tempo. Sunn O))) are very much a love it or hate it kind of band, even causing debate among extreme music fans. One numpty in the crowd even yelled 'GET ON WITH IT' 10 minutes into Attila Csihar's widely versatile ritualistic chanting intro. I was genuinely dumbfounded by this rude interruption, hoping it was some kind of self-aware irony. Personally I consider Sunn O))) to be true explorers, pushing the boundaries of what music can be perceived as further and further. In a nutshell, Sunn O))) performed for 90 minutes performing what is essentially just a note, or a chord, dragged into an infinite abyss. However because of their dynamic sound setup, the rumbling guitar drones were so incredibly, ear punishingly loud that the listener ends up confronting sound itself face to face. You can feel every wave and texture pulsing through your entire body. Sometimes it can be a scary and painful experience, as you feel all your bones rattling and it feels like your head is about to explode, but there are parts of it that are generally soothing, like getting a deep massage. In a sense, by attending a Sunn O))) concert, you become one with the force of sound. It genuinely is the closest I have come to being able to physically feel music travelling through my body. Even though the music of Sunn O))) is incredibly patience testing, their visual show was very exciting. A thick wall of smoke constantly filled the room, enhancing the sinister atmosphere. The sight of the amps and the mysterious cloaked men looked akin to an occult ritual for guitar fans. Vocalist Attila Csihar was by far the most animated on stage, delivering not only a great vocal performance but a physical display too. Near the end of the show he came out in a suit made of reflective mirror shards (reminiscent of their latest album sleeve for 'Kannon') and shot laser beams from his fingertips. The show seemed to drift slowly through different movements. It began with a chanting vocal warm up from Attila, followed by all 5 players demolishing Manchester with a monolith of loud noise. Some players would then drift in and out of the performance, allowing the drones to modulate, as if they were growing and shrinking in weight. Sunn O))) ended the performance with just the core duo droning away on their guitars. Despite the Sunn O))) live show essentially being 90 minutes of listening to one note, I still find them to be one of the most gripping, exciting, unique and thrilling live acts I've ever experienced. Sunn O))) are a landmark act in the field of the avant-garde. True experimentalists on a mission to shock audiences as well as defy perceptions of music and art altogether. What a perfect way to end MIF's Dark Matter showcase.
