A part of a family, a part of a couple, a part of a group, a part of a team, a part of a band, a part of a crowd, a part of society. A part of those with whom we feel we belong. A part of something that's bigger than ourselves.
I want to be part of the Future.
Culture.
[The customary beliefs, social form, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group]
In a way, the culture we choose for ourselves defines who we are.
Because we can always choose. We are all born somewhere, and it means something, but we can choose what we belong to.
I choose to belong to the Future.
Alternative culture.
It's easy to think, be and do as other people, and harder to think, be and do for ourselves.
Hard, but easier than you'd think, once you wrap your mind around it.
The Other Culture.
It's when you start thinking differently that you can begin to evolve.
And the option is there for you to select, in the alternative culture, where you can choose to be proud to be different, and think thoughts no one else is thinking -where you can choose to be yourself, and live your life for yourself.
Subcultures are the many alternatives within the alternative culture. The words alternative culture act as hub for all the many customary beliefs, social forms and material traits that people can choose from in order to stand as different.
Why choose to be different? Because a very long time ago, someone, or a few people, dared to believe in a positive outcome from an alternate route. No, that's crazy, Don't think that. No one ever did that before. No one ever went there. It might be dangerous. You might fail.
I might, and maybe all of this is true, but I'll do it anyway because somehow, I'm feeling right about this.
And then someone created something, and someone else created something else, and out of many of these things, someone created a Wheel.
And then the world, and its people, expanded.
They probably invented the first box not long after inventing the wheel.
A place to put things, so they can be carried around, or hidden. Or just placed somewhere safe.
Outside the box is not safe. You might lose the thing, or it may break.
To think outside the box is not safe. You will be trialed, you will be tested, and the only way to feel safe in those times is to remain true to what you choose to believe in. Throughout history, it's always the revolutions that brought about Evolution (Revolution - the Wheel, it turns).
Art is the only true, authentic form of chronicling time. Indeed, the earliest recordings of events in time were depicted on stone walls all over the world, as my friend Nicholas fittingly pointed to me on Friday night, History was first told through visual art, folk songs, interpretive dances and stories.
Artists will portray what they experience and what they feel in their space and time here, through the means available to them. An artist's perspective is never tainted by an ideology behind it. It is only ever brought forth as a means of expression of feelings -a way to get the feeling out of themselves and into the world.
See this. Hear this. Feel this. Doesn't it feel strange? Doesn't it feel different?
When you start to really feel, and understand emotions like disappointment, fear, anger and failure, you can choose to learn how to face them, and it's when you start facing them that you can tame them, and change, and evolve. So you start inside yourself, and what you find in there, you can then release out for the world to see, and feel in return. Have a look within and figure yourself out first -then you can start understanding other people, and help them understand themselves.
The general human culture is all about things outside yourself. The alternative culture is about what's inside. It's not necessarily about being an artist. It's about noticing what Different feels like, inside yourself, and choosing to figure it out -and embrace it. Or perhaps to be different is an Art in itself.
In the alternative culture, we celebrate What Is Different: our ways of thinking outside the box, through the arts.
Because we believe in the Alternative.
We believe in change. We believe in Evolution.
And we want to be a part of the Future.
Twenty
years on from their début album and Finish doomsters Skepticism
return with their sixth full-length effort 'Ordeal'. Drenched in
funeral doom and almost folk infused elements the band, never ones to
play by the rules, recorded the entire album in its current form in
front of a live audience in January of this year. The end result is a
is a gripping, raw evocation of the band in their purest sense.
Undiluted by clean studio takes, it is an accurate and true to life
portrait of the veteran band.
Slow and heavy, the band's pace
changes very little for the majority of the album. It is a monolithic
slab of bludgeoning beats, grim guitar riffs, haunting atmospheric
keyboards and gravelly growling vocals. Tracks such as 'You', 'The
Departure', 'March Incomplete', 'Closing Music', and 'The March And
The Stream' are all exemplary pieces that meld the deep melancholy of
funeral doom with a wonderfully reverential air of high gothic that
smooths out the rougher edges of the recording.
Even though
it is a live recording there is little to colour it as such aside
from the odd bit of crowd noise in a few places and the lack of
overdubbing. On the one hand it asks an awful lot of the band's
performance, which they do deliver on, but on the other it creates a
very intimate and close kind of listening experience that you can
only get from liver performance.
Skepticism have gambled and
won with 'Ordeal'. The album is incredibly strong in terms of song
writing and performance. The live nature of the recording has been
executed to a high degree. And the band sound as raw and honest as
you would expect, but with enough gloss to just make you forget at
times it is indeed being performed live. It's a strong offering and
one that demands attention.
Festivals of
commemoration, marks of respect, monuments to shared
history... Britain is full of them, places where we gather together
and show our gratitude to those who have fallen over
the years. Cenotaphs, monuments, Remembrance Day – all signs of our
shared struggles and sacrifices. This month we have seen more marking
of the end World War 2 and the end of the greatest and most costly
exercise in humanity's self-aggrandising idiocy. But! Are there some
wars we should pay more attention and respect to? That may give us
more lessons for the future and warnings from the past? Like, for
example, the Goth Wars?
Many people generally
categorise the Goth Wars as being a mainly localised conflict between
two groups of armed non-state actors – the Mission and the Sisters
of Mercy – which came to the perception of being a proxy war
spanning the whole of the gothic world. But really it makes more
sense to perceive it as a regional conflict involving several other
insurgent groups (Ghost Dance, New Model Army, Skeletal Family, Rose
of Avalanche) in a more complex geopolitical battle.
Furthermore, although
we perceive the Goth Wars as being completed in a relatively short
period of time - a year of conflict from 1985-86, ending with a
ceasefire that (more or less) holds to this day – it makes more
sense when seen as longer struggle, one which was most intense from
1985 until 1991 but actually lasted much longer than that. In fact,
is it time we asked – are the Goth Wars really over at all?
The background to the
conflict is now public knowledge – a failed coup led to two rival
groups locked in a bitter struggle for the rights to lucrative
musical and financial assets in Leeds, by then the most heavily
gothicised city in the world. Although potentially dangerous the war was formally ended by a
ceasefire which was eventually brokered by the United
Nations and Warner Entertainment. This led to the Eldritch Faction being
recognised as the legitimate government of the Sisters of Mercy and
the Hussey-Adams Gang being given rights to form their own
independent republic. However, that did not stop military excursions
on each other's musical territory, which continued for years to come.
The Mission's
detonation of a bona fide A-bomb chart hit in 1986 did much to dent
the pride of the Eldritch faction, although the fact that it did not
achieve the desired velocity was a relief. Undeterred, tSoM hit back
with a brace of H-Bomb nukes of their own in 1987. Their pride
humbled, the Mish Brigade were able to regroup to further dent the
chart ground with stunning new weaponry in 1988. Both sides, by this
point exhausted, refrained from further military activity in 1989.
By this point the other
splinter group from the Eldritch empire, of a Marxist persuasion,
were greatly enhanced by a top-level defection from a rival group of
gothic insurgents and were soon making their own attempts to carve
out territory between the two larger armies. The other Army involved,
hailing from Bradford, was much more politically motivated and
puritanical - to the extent that thousands of followers fled to seek
refuge in other less demanding territory.
Between them all they
would trade blows (mostly legal or musical) throughout the late '80s,
but the cost was high. The Marxist faction were obliterated in 1990,
and the Eldritch tendency were becoming ever more divisive by
courting high-profile defections from neutral groups. Soon both main
factions would undergo extensive refits and purges, and bar a brief
resurgence with tit-for-tat retrospectives in the mid-'90s neither
have been able to find the numbers to launch any major assaults since.
Maybe it is too soon to
ask what we can learn from the Goth Wars, but I'm sure you can all
agree that 'never had so much been made by so few to so few for so
little' – lest we forget the hairspray, the delay pedal, the
snakebite and black.
Dark
synthpop legends Psyche come together with fresh upstarts Luminance
for this unusual collaborative vinyl release. The two bands both
contribute to the song writing performance and production of the
tracks and for two bands formed decades apart they compliment each
other extremely well. The end result is a blend of classically
infused synthpop and modern dance-orientated ebm that encapsulates
the strongest elements of both sides.
The opening track 'Left
Out' is an unashamed up-beat dance floor attack that merges Belgian
ebm, with Pet Shop Boys atmosphere and a sleek electro gloss. While
the second side, 'Passenger Seat' moves into much darker territory
bringing through elements of Joy Division, New Order, Psyche's own
back catalogue and a little electro-disco for a sinister and
suspense-filled outing.
In terms of production the
vinyl-optimised mix gives the songs a great deal of warmth and
emphasises the classic elements of the influences at play. But this
is sill a clean and fresh modern sounding execution that will still
find favour with contemporary audiences.
This is a genuinely
interesting collaboration that hints at great things, so it would be
a shame if this was to simply be a one-off. Both sides bring some
great expertise to the table and the final product reflects them
well. Collaborative efforts that go beyond remixing are few and far
between and to have one of this strength begs to be explored and
developed further.
“They’d usually be ideas based on our own
childhood (and sometimes adulthood) fears and nightmares. Disjointed
faces, carved features and dissociative identity disorder came up a
lot!”
London's electro-creeps AlterRed have across the
course of their first three albums weaved a rich tapestry of dark
cabaret infused electro-rock and conceptual narrative, in the process
becoming one of the UK's must-see live acts. Since putting their
original story arc to sleep, the band have struck hard and fast with
their new album 'In The Land Of The Blind...' showcasing a darker and
harder sound that builds on the previous album sand develops beyond
expectations. Throw in a new record deal with US label WTII Records
and the future is looking bright for the band.
Intravenous
Magazine caught up with AlterRed maestro Mikey fresh off the band's
tour with industrial rock maniacs Be My Enemy, to talk about the new
album, inspirations, visuals and the importance of live presentation.
Intravenous Magazine: Your latest album 'In the Land of the Blind...' is
about to be released. What has the feedback been like for it so far?
Mikey AlterRed: Very good so far. We’re
finding a lot of new fans and a new audience, and we’ve had a lot
of great feedback from existing fans, which is great. Always a bit
precarious when a band changes direction!
IVM: Where did the
inspiration for the title of the album come from?
MA: It’s from Desiderius
Erasmus's Adagia or so I understand, but it has derivatives in
many other sources. It’s a little bit of a jibe at popular culture
and how so much of mainstream culture has become diluted to appeal to
as wide an audience as possible, which in turn has resulted in the
creation of so much arrogance and ego for little more than just being
not quite as awful as the rest! The song 'Unpopulism', which was
originally going to be the title track, is probably a more defined
and pronounced rant about this. The actual title track, an
instrumental, was written as a sort of soundtrack to a fictional
movie trailer about a huge behemoth of an industry, issuing wave
after wave of the same banal, tried and tested product to a passive,
sedated consumer.
IVM: The album showcases a darker, heavier
sound. What led to this direction and how do you feel it complements
the material on your previous releases?
MA: I’ve been a fan
of harder and heavier bands for as long as I can remember, but I
became a little bit weary of them. My last band (D.U.S.T.) was an
electro rock band that ended in 2007, so when we started AlterRed we
wanted to try something new. Well, we did that. We played with
synthpop, with cabaret, with the spooky kid sub-genre and several
others too. Then in 2012 we played a live show with Sulpher, who I’ve
long been a fan of, and then in 2013 we toured with William Control,
and I found myself craving to perform more energetic and aggressive
tunes. I’d had a bunch of ideas for songs for previous albums that
didn’t really fit as they were too heavy and fast, so I figured
now’s the time - let’s put these together in a set list and see
how they play live. They actually fit perfectly well with some of the
older stuff, particularly stuff from our first album, but are
absolutely at odds with some of the others! But I don’t mind that!
I’m a huge Alice Cooper and Bowie fan; both have had very diverse
output over the years.
IVM: 'In the Land of the
Blind…' is the first release since wrapping up the story-arc of the
previous three albums. Has this significantly changed your song
writing approach on the new album? MA: Yeah it has, actually.
I have found myself writing self-contained concepts now, rather than
carrying a narrative over the whole album. I’ve also found myself
restricting the more theatrical ideas to instrumental pieces. I think
that way, the music delivers the mood but without directly imposing a
narrative onto the audience. Instead the listener can decide for
herself/himself what it is about.
Lyrically what have
been your main inspirations behind the new album, and which authors /
poets / lyricists have inspired your style over the years?
MA: Hmmm… I’m not sure if any have directly influenced me. I
re-read a lot of Clive Barker still, and I find myself re-reading
Huxley, then a lot of the atheist philosophers or polemicists
(Hitchens, Dennet, Harris, Dawkins…) but I don’t think I could
name a direct influence.
IVM: The new album will
come out on US label WTII Records, through which you've already
released a compilation album. How did this deal come about and what
has the relationship been like so far?
MA: It came about when
both Mechanical Cabaret and Deviant UK signed with them. I’ve been
friends with both bands over the years and both Jay (Deviant) and Roi
(MC) both recommended us. I spoke with the label, who said they’d
been following our progress anyway, so it progressed from there.
IVM: Your music videos go
hand in hand with the strong visuals of the album. Are there any
plans for music videos in support of this album as well, and if so
what can you tell us about your plans for them?
MA: Yes there
are. We have one in post-production at the moment, which is Vix
Vain’s directorial début. That’ll be for the track 'I Breathe
You'. I won’t say too much about it but it features a sledgehammer
and a piano. We’re also planning a video for 'Unpopulism'. That’ll
likely be released in the winter.
IVM: You've had a long
standing relationship with Duncan Catterall of Clockwork Amoeba for
the creation of your videos. How does the collaborative process
typically work?
MA: Yeah, Dunc played a big part in
translating a lot of the narrative to video. Vix, Duncan and I would
sit down with a bottle of absinthe and a note pad and spend hours
going through ideas for characters, stories and imagery. They’d
usually be ideas based on our own childhood (and sometimes adulthood)
fears and nightmares. Disjointed faces, carved features and
dissociative identity disorder came up a lot! Like Rene Magritte does
Multiple Miggs! It was great fun.
IVM: In addition to the
videos, the artwork and photography of Vix Vain is integral to the
presentation of the band. How important is this to the AlterRed
philosophy and do they come before or after the song writing?
MA: They usually happen at the same time but it varies. Sometimes
I’ll mention a theme for a song and Vix will instantly come up with
her visual interpretation of the theme. We have also had instances
where we’ll disagree on a topic, and I’ll find myself writing
about it only to receive her rebuttal in the form of the image. It
can get quite interesting when two creatives disagree and argue with
their output! That said, the new material is a lot less cabaret and a
lot more stripped down so the new imagery is appropriate for that.
IVM: Your live shows have
always had a theatrical/vaudeville element to them. How important is
this live invocation and how do you go about planning the live
presentation?
MA: The live performance is everything to me,
actually. I like recording new songs but it’s not my first love
when it comes to the music; it’s the performing live that I do this
for so getting the overall show right is essential. I suspect to
answer this honestly I’d need to make the distinction between the
shows that accompanied the first albums and the new show. As we’re
currently a little more straight forward electro-rock, the live show
is less of a theatrical play, though we still find ourselves playing
out many of the moves from the old show (I don’t think we’ll ever
manage to perform and not “stop-start” during certain songs!).
The addition of James, our new guitarist has really brought something
extra to the live playing as well as the performance on the whole.
With the previous
albums and shows we’d put the set together based on the songs we
loved performing, which of those carried the narrative on stage, and
which we could build a dramtic performance around with our other
performers. Once we’d put together a 45 minute show we generally
developed it, show by show. One thing I wish we’d been able to do,
and I’d like to try more in future, is set more live set-pieces to
add to the mood of the song… yeah, watch this space for that!
IVM: You've recently be
touring with Be My Enemy. How was that for you and how did the crowd
react to the pairing?
MA: Yeah, it’s been great and has gone
down surprisingly well. BME are far more stompy and aggressive than
us, so I was unsure how it’d work, but I think there’s a common
attitude that we share when it comes to playing live, especially with
our new songs, which has given the tour a certain flavour! It’s
pretty punk, actually. Add to that, “Mad Max:Fury Road” came out
just before the tour started, making us all act like post-apocalyptic
rock-star-road-warriors! Hahaha!
IVM: Are there any more
live shows planned for 2015?
MA: There are indeed, we’re
opening the Saturday at Infest in a few weeks, which we’re
absolutely stoked about. Then we’re hitting the road again with Be
My Enemy in October, visiting Manchester and Glasgow this time
(hopefully a few more). We’ve something potentially awesome
pencilled in for October in London that I can’t quite announce yet,
but if it goes ahead it’ll be an amazing event. Then in December
we’re headlining Carpe Noctum in Leeds. We’re planning on playing
this album live as much as possible in as many places as will have
us! (Attention promoters!)
IVM: Going back to
the trilogy of 'Mind-Forged Manacles', 'Dollstown', and 'The Time It
Takes To Smile'. Given the strong lyrical and visual narratives of
the album has the thought of expanding on the story as either a novel
or graphic novel ever been a thought?
MA: Well the first part,
Mind-forged Manacles has already been written as a short story; in
fact the concept started out that way. We have had many conversations
about what else we could do with it. Full-on musical, has been one
suggestion that’s come up a lot, a series of short films and yes, a
graphic novel even. The tricky part is having the time and energy to
invest in it while we’re still pumped and on fire for the current
album and show. I’m sure it’ll happen at some point though. There
are too many unfinished ideas for it to let go just yet!
AlterRed's
latest album 'In the Land Of The Blind...' is available to purchase
now through WTII Records. For more information on the band, including
live dates and future releases, please visit their official website.
Photography by Giovani Pasta of Pastacore Alternative Photography
Edited by Jay Barnard of Deadstar Models.
“[...]
I love old school “B” movies with stacks of tacky sounds effects
and acting but its super cool so decided to mix the models I shoot
and this together, the models star in a slasher movie of there very
own.”
Alternative
modelling and photography are a growing sector, and one that is
increasingly being seen as a vibrant genre in its own right with many
photographers and artists taking on multiple roles as performers
stylists and event organisers to see that the art form continues to
grow and thrive.
One such photographer is Jay Barnard who has
not only begun to carve a niche for himself and a photographer and
videographer, but also isn't afraid to get stuck in as a model and
has even gone so far to found his own agency (Deadstar Models) in
order to give other models a leg up in what can often be a daunting
world.
Intravenous Magazine spoke to Jay about his art,
agency, the current climate for alternative models and his many
projects.
“I
guess I have been into art in one for or another all my life but as
in photography three years give or take but really got into it in the
last two years when I found that I could be just as creative shooting
models.”
From
looking at his work as a both a photographer and videographer it is
hard to pin down a personal style for Barnard's work. However there
are certain reoccurring themes, at least from a technical standpoint.
“It's
a tough one as I jump through so many styles but I always have a
dark element thrown in somewhere weather its in the editing or the
actual scene its self and if I can throw in blood and gore then
bonus.
“I guess the only thing that continues in each piece is
the fact that I do not over edit what you see generally in the image
is actually there and not photoshoped into it except on the rare
occasion
I
keep swapping from scenes to scenes now I’m working deeply on
horror style stuff but then could quickly jump into say more punky
stuff or Rock. my head is filled with all this craziness then things
just jump out hardly ever in order so never presume you know my next
move haha.”
In
addition to his work behind the camera Jay is also a keen model and
his passion has extended to founding his own modelling agency to
foster his work and help put other likeminded people in contact with
each other.
“Deadstar
Modelling initially was simply all about the alternative model
creating creative shoots and creating a platform for alternative
models to get good portfolios and getting exposure, I find that
allot of alternative models don't like signing to agency's as they
feel like there can be restricted so I decided to create a label
that supports them but without all the ties of agency modelling can
create at times.
“The reaction has been overbearing at times
but in a good way, I don't see my self as out special just doing
something I enjoy doing but since the DEADSTAR label has been
created just over a year ago its gone mental and from strength to
strength.
“It's really as simple as dropping me a message have
a chat throw our ideas together and see what comes of it, I'm happy
to work with new and experienced models, there really is no criteria
no age limit, no hight or size limit if it works it works.”
Though
it is hard to deny there are a lot more people embracing alternative
modelling these days, Barnard still knows exactly what to look for in
potential models.
“To
me its all about the attitude behind the person just because you
think you look alternative doesn’t mean you are, and I definitely
think you can't be afraid of stepping out and being different to
everyone else. In fact I believe you have to be different to the
next model that steps through the door.”
In
addition to his photography and model agency, Barnard has extended
the Deadstar franchise into videography as well, which he is very
enthusiastic and optimistic for.
“Yeah
this is going to be cool if I do say so my self, I moved into film
as I felt I could put a new twist into what I do, also to hit new
media platforms like YouTube, make it more interesting and appealing
as well as work on new skills you sit still doing the same old too
long you will be left behind and forgotten.
“You can expect
more craziness but with sound and movement and see models in a new
light.”
Deadstar TV is kicking things off with an original
web video series called 'Hell In A Cell', which he is more than
happy to tell us about.
“This
is a series of small videos around three to ten mins long, I love old
school “B” movies with stacks of tacky sounds effects and acting
but its super cool so decided to mix the models I shoot and this
together, the models star in a slasher movie of there very own. The
story line is about a mad man The “Doom Maker” played by my self
that brings girls home and tortures them in his basement sell in all
crazy manors I let my mind go wild and always ends with a model
covered in blood.”
But this
isn't the only ongoing project that Barnard has in the works, with
his promotional team Dsgirls about to hit the catwalk at one of the
UK's biggest fetish events.
“There
is so many things going on I have set up a Alternative promo/model
team called the DSgirls that are taking part in this years “KFS
Summer Time Ball Catwalk Show” in Leeds, We are teamed up this
year with Rogue Model Management based in Manchester for a catwalk
show for those who saw last years that I did will know I step away
from normal expected catwalk shows and stick my hint of unique
creativity.
“This year like last year the models are modelling
the awesome latex creations of Cathouse Latex. Its a massive deal
for us and gives everyone a look on how we have moved forward
compared to last year.”
The
Essentials:
Intravenous
Magazine: How do you typically approach creating a new piece and do
you have any particular creative rituals?
Jay
Barnard: There is no rituals and the process is all in my head 24/7
then bits seep out and I go with the flow and see where it takes me.
IVM:
What tools and techniques do you use day to day?
JB:
Ummmm this is a tough one I start with the set then the model shoot
and see what comes of it don't even decide how to edit that piece
till I see it after and I look at each picture as its own pice even
if in a set. Tool wise I use a old Cannon 500d that I also film with
and I still edit most of my work on shockingly enough photoshop
elements 7. Don't use light room or other programme’s like that as
I don't need to I spend time in getting the set and lighting the way
I want it before even taking the first shot. There is no big
expensive tools or equipment involved at all.
IVM:
Which artists have been your biggest inspirations and/or continue to
inspire you and why?
JB:
Wowzers!! Marilyn Manson and Ozzy Osborne is a huge influence to me
as they show me that crazy is good and to go with what feels
right... a lot of my influences are by the way of the music I like
as I relate to it, they put there minds into music as I do my
photography and also as stated before horror and gore films even
more so lately.
Photography
wise I don't think I do I just do things my way without worrying what
other photographers think of me and my work.
IVM:
Which piece of art did you find the most challenging to create and
why?
JB:
I can't think of anything to mind to be honest sometimes pieces just
flow and happen others I get a block and I have to sit on it for a
week or two during the editing process I guess its just a natural
stereotypical artists mind weather its photography, painting, music
or what ever else.
IVM:
Which piece or pieces are you most proud of and why?
JB:
I think it must be the recent work I have shot with model Juju called
“A nurse and her Patient” as I think its an awesome dark peace
mixing insanity with love and care! The scene is a dingy old mental
asylum and I believe the pics speak for themselves. Very twisted
sinister and gory
IVM:
Do you have any show/exhibition/art book plans for the future?
JB:
Show wise it has to be this year's KFS summer time ball in Leeds on
5th
of September, as mentioned before Its going to be fun mixing Amazing
latex with a new turn on Cat-walking I have been given the job and
full control of choreography with help of an amazing burlesque p
reformer called “Lolita Latex” that will also be preforming in
the show along with other amazing models provided by my own DSgirls
and Rogue Model Management.
IVM:
If someone is new to you and your art, how do you feel they typically
react to it?
JB:
Normally ether “Wow” or “What the F*#k!!” is a fair statement
I’d say haha.
To see more of Jay
Barnards's work and to keep up-to-date with his projects, please
visit his official website. For more information on Deadstar Modelling
and Dsgirls, please visit their official website.
Greek post-punk/gothic outfit New
Zero God have been keeping the black flame burning for nearly a
decade now with their mix of gothic keyboards, spiky guitars and
powerful bass. The band's last outing was in the form of 'MMXIII'
which featured solid song writing and performances, but suffered
somewhat from poor production values. Their newest offering, the live
EP 'Zona Pericolosa' on the other hand plays to the band's strengths.
Recorded live in Italy in April of this year, the production
is still a little high on the treble and the mix isn't quite to par,
but it is full of fervent energy and passionate performances that see
the band on top form. The band tear through five songs from their
songs such as 'Bang Bang', 'Love Means Death', 'The Love Hate Song',
'Love Commandos', and 'Damaged' which bridge the band's previous
incarnation as The Flowers Of Romance with their current form and
provides a nice cross-section of moods from both bands.
As
far as live recordings go it is a rough and ready style that would
pass for a pretty fine soundboard bootleg. The crowd noise is a
little too low which detracts from the ambience – although the
brief introductions make up for this – but when all is said and
done it is still a nice unfiltered performance that shows just what
the band are best at – and that's performing to a crowd.
'Zona
Pericolosa' may not be the casual listener's cup of tea. But for
long-time fans of New Zero God and their related projects it will be
an essential purchase. It is a warts and all / what you hear is what
you get presentation without overdubs or spit and polish, which is
actually quite refreshing. Hopefully though this release will signal
that a new studio album isn't too far behind.
Weird fiction author H.P. Lovecraft was a relatively minor
literary figure in his own lifetime and probably couldn't have
foreseen how his works would go on to become so ingrained in the
collective consciousness of western culture. Nevertheless they have
and in turn have been inspiring subsequent authors, artists and
musicians ever since.
The latest in this long line is a
collective known as Arkham Angst from Germany, who blend musical
genres such as Experimental, Ambient, Soundscape, Noise, and
Electronics into lush and richly textured soundscapes, with
Dada-esque collages to illicit the stories they are sound-tracking.
The group's six-track début kicks off with a piano and
gloopy bass driven intro, interspersed with hanging strings and
subtle noise that has the feel of an old Playstation horror game
soundtrack. 'The Nameless City' fares a lot better with its ambient
pads creating a sense of space, while scratchy sounds, quiet
footsteps and light metallic rhythms create an otherworldly sense of
presence. 'The Temple' blends the ambient strings with noise textures
to evoke a grimy forbidden space, while vocal samples crackle through
like a broken radio and the voice of Markus Küsters gives a subtle
narration in German.
Küsters gives a more overt English
reading on 'The Dreams In The Witch House' which forces the ambient
and experimental sounds a little further into the background
initially before they let loose with a cacophony of maddening vocal
samples and swirling synths. The longest track on the album 'The Case
Of Charles Dexter Ward' repeats the set up and formula of the
previous piece with a spoken intro seeing the music take a step back,
though the cheesy wolf howls do nothing for an otherwise strong track
but detract from the strong vocals. The final track 'Nyarlothotep' is
a nice and noisy piece with a more overt use of rhythm that almost
veers into witch house territory when the synths and vocal samples
come in.
The production is a bit rough and ready for the most
part with a definite favouring of the experimental end of the group's
sound. But this doesn't detract from it too much. One or two pieces
sound a little dated in places but other than that the sounds, mix,
and execution are all pretty solid.
This is an interesting
release that fans of experimental, dark ambient and noise, as well as
those with a complete Lovecraft fixation will find easy to get into.
It isn't the most daring or ground breaking in terms of the scope of
the compositions, however they are solidly written, well performed
and on the whole pretty enjoyable and accessible.
The US legendary doom metal pioneers Pentagram return
with their eight full-length studio album in the form of 'Curious
Volume'. Despite originally forming in 1971, it wasn't until the mid
1980s that the band would take a foothold in the annals of doom
metal. But they have made their presence felt ever since even through
multiple line-up and record labels changes. Pentagram are still
referenced by many upcoming doom metal bands as a major influence on
them.
So what do they have left to offer in 2015? Well, quite
a bit actually. With the return of Victor Griffin on guitar (again)
and coming home to Peaceville Records, the band have a fire lit
underneath them again. Which is evident right from the start of the
album's opener 'Lay Down And Die' is an old school riff-o-rama in
classic pentagram style that still feels right at home these days
considering bands such as Orchid, Uncle acid And the Dead Beats and
Ghost are doing well with their own take on the formula.
The
album continues in a similar fashion for the most part letting the
heavy guitars lead and Bobby Liebling's distinctive vocals power
through the mix. The likes of 'Dead Bury Dead', 'Curious Volume', 'Misunderstood', 'Sufferin'', and 'The Devil's Playground' are
particular stand outs with their raw and to the point execution,
great riffs, throbbing rhythms and great vocals they easily hold
their own with the young bucks as well as stand up against Pentagrams
already legendary discography.
The album enjoys that raw
1970s/80s bluesy mix that harks back not only to their own early
recordings but also to the likes of Black Sabbath and Uriah Heep. It
sounds timeless, rather than dated and definitely delivers what the
long-time fans will be looking for.
'Curious Volume' is
another strong chapter in the Pentagram story. It may not quite
capture the heights of 'Day Of Reckoning', but it definitely builds
on the strong foundation of 2011's 'Last Rites' with the end result
being one of the band's strongest outings to date. 'Curious Volume'
shows that Pentagram are still a force in doom metal and still have a
lot to give.
Love it or hate it, Witch House and
related genres such as vapourwave, chillwave, dark trap, and other
underground occult electronic styles are here to stay. Injecting
their music with a mixture of house, ambient, psychedelic and trip
hop elements the artists of these genres have been creating some
genuinely interesting music for a number of years now. Throughout
that time the Nightmare And 808s you tube station, and the associated
record label Nigh† †errors, have been championing the genres and
spreading the word and generating some much deserved interest,
particularly with their free compilations.
The latest
compilation 'A Dying Breed...' rather than an entrance point for the
genres as the previous ones ('Suicide Serenade' and 'Scary Music To
Play In The Dark') have been, attempts to show more of an
evolutionary step. Recent works by bands such as †Я▲СΣS ΘF
GΗО5†5, †RIɅLS, V▲LH▲LL, OKKVLT KɅTT, and gℓo come
together to show a more progressive path that leads on from the now
familiar trappings of the scene.
Tracks by the likes of
ATMSSPHERO, Gnothi Seauton, †Я▲СΣS ΘF GΗО5†5, †RIɅLS,
РΣ▲ϾΣ ⱧΣȊL, V▲LH▲LL, and OKKVLT KɅTT provide the album
with its undoubted highlights drawing on industrial, witch house,
ambient, metal, folk, trip hop, hip hop and experimental elements all
adding to their appeal. While the compilation's closer by gℓo,
with it's twelve minutes of delicate ambience and emotional vocal
sample shows off the most progressive path of the album.
In
terms of production and mixing, with it being a compilation there are
always going to be variances in recording quality. But the album has
been constructed and laid out in such a way, that those variances
don't seem very overt.
This is another great compilation from
Nigh† †errors that shows off some of the best that the occult
electronic underground's has to offer. When listened to in order with
the previous albums it shows a clear evolutionary path of the past
present and future. It is a solid album with some great tracks that
will have fans digging for more.
It has been a sad week with
another spate of high profile deaths. Not just amongst the music
scene but also from popular culture. And while I have lamented the
recent passings of several influential musicians recently, my
childhood received a major knock with the passing of former
professional wrestler 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper, AKA Roderick Toombs. A man
who was an integral antagonistic figure in the rise of the WWE/F in
the 1980s with his trademark Scottish rage and sharp wit leading him
to be affectionately known amongst fans as “Hot Rod”.
Like
many wrestlers before and after Piper would briefly trade the squared
circle of the wrestling ring for the silver screen of Hollywood. And
in doing so would create a genuine cult classic in the form of 1988
sci-fi thriller 'They Live'.
Directed by the legendary John
Carpenter ('Halloween', 'The Thing', 'Christine', 'Big Trouble In
Little China') Piper takes on the role of drifter turned construction
worker John Nada, who after an encounter with a blind preacher
discovers the world's rulling class are aliens who control humans
through subliminal messages in mass media.
It hasn't dated
well. There are some seriously cheesy effects, inconsistency, and the
plot on paper is b-movie at best. But it is utterly brilliant – a
subversive blend of sci-fi and horror that simultaneously parodies
the hyper capitalist consumer society of the late 20th
century. Piper and co-star Keith David's performances are strong
(even if some of those around them aren't), and one highlight of the
film comes in a five-minute long alleyway brawl between the two over
a pair of sunglasses. It is also the birth place of some brilliant
quotes including the now infamous “I have come here to chew
bubblegum, and kick ass. And I'm all out of bubblegum” which has
cropped up in comics, television shows, computer games and music ever
since.
It may be an acquired taste at best, and it is
certainly no masterpiece. But it is a damn enjoyable film that worms
its way into your affections with dry wit and brilliant action.
Piper would go on to have a long acting career and make
sporadic come backs to his first love of pro-wrestling. But even if
the mainstream never get to explore the depths of his talent inside
and outside the ring, then at least in 'They Live' they can get a
taste of what he was good at... chewing bubblegum and kicking ass!
Forest Carney AKA Mr Kitty returns with his fifth full-length
studio album and the first since the conclusion of his acclaimed
“Dark Youth” quadrillogy that encompassed 'Death', 'Eternity',
'Life', and 'Time'. The new album 'Fragments' sees a much more open
and vulnerable side to Carney's song writing coming through.
Musically the icy synthpop and trippy witch house elements that
characterised the first four albums remains at the core of the album,
but with an air of stark and clinical futurism that recalls turn of
the millennium ebm.
The album is a deeply satisfying of
melodic synthesizers, throbbing bass, steady dance beats and soaring
vocals drenched in delay. It feels delicate and brittle, but
altogether more hopeful and optimistic than his previous albums.
Songs such as 'Mother', 'Shanghai', 'In Your Blood', 'Flowers
For Boys', 'Cycle Of Violence' and 'Spirit Of The Forest' best
exemplify this formula and easily blend dance appeal with
introspective allure that compels you intimately explore the album
further.
The best thing about this album is despite all of
the potential club singles on display, 'Fragments' has that true
album feel to it, as though a thin but distinct thread of narrative
ties everything into a linear whole. It's certainly lighter in sound
for the most part but it still remains devoid of any throw away
filler tracks.
In terms of production the album is
wonderfully airy and grand in the sense of space it creates. It
sounds as though it should be played in a crystal cathedral. It is a
bright modern mix that nods its head towards ambient music as well as
pop. But as with the last album it has just that little bit of rough
edge to keep its feet in alternative waters.
This is another
great and solid album from Mr Kitty that heads in new directions with
ease. It is more emotional, measured, and instilled with a strong
sense of purpose that sees him firmly close the door on the
quadrillogy and look ahead to a very bright future.
Boston, USA based duo Big Time Kill have
set out to hit the industrial rock world hard and fast with their
début self-titled EP. Blending new wave melodies with synthpop leads
and nasty industrial beats and guitars, the band walk a fine line
between pop sheen and grunge grit. It's a formula that will appeal to
fans of The Faint, Killing Joke, Mindless Self Indulgence, and Nine
Inch Nails. It's a style that should play well to both club audiences
as well as on the road live.
They open with a big sing-along
synth number in 'Hold On' with its pop hooks and slick new wave
synths taking the lead. While 'Please' presents a more desperate and
frantic sound that is spiky and fun. 'It's Nothing Personal' returns
to more commercial territory with it's synthpop meets new wave core
displaying a real knack for strong song writing. 'Are You Ready For
Love?' returns to the harder but still hook laden waters of the first
two numbers but broken down into a more straightforward approach. The
EP is then rounded off by the jumpy electro meets synth rock of
'Gone' that presents the band's best soaring chorus to close
proceedings.
The EP is nicely produced and mix. To such a
high quality in fact that it easily matches anything on the
Metropolis label. The songs aren't very densely layered, but they're
not stripped back either. The band have the room to play around and
experiment but they always retain an accessible structure to the
tracks.
This is an impressive début from a duo that have a
lot to offer and big ambitions. The songs are strong, commercially
viable alternative rock with great and sometimes playful electronics
throughout. There is a lot of potential here, so it will be worth
keeping an eye out for their full-length début.
There's nothing quite like a good dose
of musical misery, and nobody does it better than Yorkshire's gloomy
doomsters My Dying Bride. For a quarter of a century their slow
anguished litanies of sex and death infected fans around the world
with a bleak melancholy that reflects the gothic and haunting
isolation of the ragged landscapes of the county. Just as with their
fellow harbingers of Gothic Doom Paradise Lost have done with their
most recent outing, My Dying Bride have marked their quarter of a
century and their twelfth album with a heavier sound that looks back
to their early years for inspiration. Throw in the return of original
guitarist Calvin Robertshaw and all the ingredients are there for one
of the darkest and most majestic albums in the MDB canon to date.
'And My Father Left Forever' clatters into life with a
classic My Dying Bride riff the band are immediately on top form as
Aaron Stainthorpe's anguished vocals exhale tortured laments
bolstered by atmospheric synthesizers and sorrowful violins setting
the overall form of the album. The band are at their most monolithic
here with eight long and densely layered tracks. 'To Shiver In Empty
Halls' breaks out the demonic death vocals over the slow menacing
guitars and steady bludgeoning drums interspersed with some delicate
piano.
The likes of 'A Cold New Curse', 'Feel The Misery', 'I
Celebrate Your Skin', and 'Within A Sleeping Forest' this formula of
heavy riffs, stunning guitar work, and lofty atmosphere with the odd
death vocal thrown in for good measure. While songs such as 'A Thorn
Of Wisdom' and 'I Almost Loved You' turn the band's typical approach
around a little emphasising gothic elements such as the prominent
bass, violin, and keyboards, or
The album as a whole is not a
grand departure from their recent work, but the emphasis on looking
back to the band's earlier releases certainly has had an effect. It
isn't just heavy in terms of guitars and drums, but atmospherically,
lyrically and in a few places even experimentally it is heavier. It
is executed and produced with the skill and experience that a band of
My Dying Bride's stature should always be delivering.
Whether
you are a long-time fan of the band or have only recently begun to
scratch the surface of their discography, 'Feel The Misery' is an
album that ticks all the boxes. Heavy, haunting and most of all
deliciously gloomy, it is 25 years of My Dying Bride distilled into
one intoxicating elixir.
Ah,
the girl's boarding school. It's the ideal setting for a good horror
story really. If it's not the very real terrors of tyrannical
teachers, or the verbal and physical violence perpetrated by hormonal
teens locked away in a regimented environment, then the sheer
ambience of an old stately home-turned school should be enough to set
the imagination racing to things that go bump in the night. The girls
boarding school setting may be a little higher in profile in the
public mind a the moment thanks to series three of American Horror
Story. But in 'Monster' instead of witches and ghosts, C J Skuse
treats us to a modern tale of isolation, social politics,
adolescence... and a large sinister beast roaming the snow covered countryside
disembowelling animals and people.
It's a tried and tested
backdrop maybe, but Skuse is a masterful storyteller whose writing
style is bang up-to-date and very accessible for the younger reader.
With the emphasis more on the thriller aspects of the story, the
horror elements as a result become more mysterious and atmospheric.
The
book is written in the fist person through the eyes of potential head
girl Nash. Her brother is missing in South America, her parents have
had to leave her in the old boarding school over Christmas with her
rival Diana, her nemesis Clarice, a young “pup” called Tabitha,
the “weird girl” Reagan, and her new found ally Maggie, all of
whom are under the watchful eye of the school matron until they are
picked up by their parents.
The book really hooks the reader
in the first few pages as Nash spies a beastly shape in the snow that
almost hypnotises her. From that point on the plot evolves through
Nash's internal monologue and the conversations with her peers, with
the occasional grisly death and louche character coming in to add
twists. It's a book that does a good job of keeping you guessing
until the end, which is an increasingly hard thing to do these days.
Skuse is a great descriptive writer who makes small
observations and details speak volumes about a character or place.
The teenage girls interact and speak as you'd expect a modern teenage girl
at a boarding school to do, and their observations will undoubtedly
ring true for her target audience. While the well-placed use of
humour and wit serves to ground the story nicely.
One thing
that did stick out in the novel though was the heavy referencing of
pop culture. Referencing thing such as Snapchat, Britain's Got
Talent, Vernon Kay, and Harry Potter grounds the story quite firmly
in the 2010's. But as pop culture can move on quite rapidly, such
references may inadvertently date the text so that in five years
time, the next wave of readers may find less relevance in those
cultural citations. If those references were a little less specific,
the time of the story could be a little more vague and enjoy a bit
more longevity.
'Monster' is a fast-paced, dramatic,
endearing and often tense book that is just as much about the
characters as the potential horror lurking around them. As far as
young adult novels go, this is a gripping and satisfying read that has everything needed to become a best seller and will endear itself to readers beyond their teenage years.
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