Canadian darkwave duo Strvngers recently announced a new upcoming music video for their track Dressed to Kill, a fan favorite, and that was also included on their first album, Sonic Erotica, their independent release in January 2016.
When I briefly talked with Kyle Craig, one of the band's integrants, about this video, he said excited that "It's coming out soon! Get ready " but decided not to reveal more details, so all we know so far as that it will come out in April.
Dressed to Kill is part of the band's second album, Strvngers, released on November 18 with Negative Gain Productios, which you can buy on Apple iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Music and Spotify.
The band is scheduled to present on Caligary this March 31 with GOST and Die Scum Inc, in June 16 at Edmonton with Severed Heads, Cygnets and iVardensphere, and again in Caligary on July 28 for the Terminus Impact Music Festival with artists like 3Theeth, Pig and The Birthday Massacre, among others.
Ulver are a beast
unto themselves. With their roots in folk, black metal and post
metal, they have evolved into a band that transcends genre
classifications. They are now simply Ulver. A band that never looks
back and never retreads old ground. With albums such as the stunning
'Blood Inside', 'Shadows Of The Sun', and 'Wars Of The Roses' under
their collective belt, their discography with every release becomes
an increasingly long shadow to escape. But with every release they do
and are one of the few acts today worthy of being place on the avant
garde mantel as a result.
Album number thirteen, 'The
Assassination Of Julius Caesar', is another clear step forward
unfettered by expectations. Though familiar elements remain – such
as ambient electronics, post-rock atmospheres, haunting vocals and
nods to drone, trip-hop, and industrial – there is nothing
derrivative about this. The album weaves a conceptual narrative and
the long winding songs in particular sweep you along in their wake.
Tracks such as '1969', 'Coming Home', 'Rolling Stone',
'Southern Gothic', and 'Transverberation', are fantastic additions to
the band's huge body of work. They shift seamlessly between styles
and genres with a prog rock like disregard, but all the time
maintaining a pop sheen that would make the likes of Vice Clarke and
Depeche Mode jealous. The quality of the songwriting and musicianship
on display here just goes to show why Ulver are pretty much
untouchable wherever their instincts take them.
The
production, courtesy of Killing Joke's Martin 'Youth' Glover, is
absolutely spot on for what this album needed to be, balancing the
experimental flourishes with the solid pop bass-line, and allowing
that haunting ambiance to creep through and dissipate like mist.
Thirteen may be unlucky for some but for Ulver it is a magic
number. 'The Assassination Of Julius Caesar' is a highlight within a
strong discography that already includes its fair share of
highlights. Fans of Ulver's earlier works definitely won't be getting
the return to their roots they may still crave, and yes it would be
cool to see what modern Ulver could do within the extreme/folk metal
framework of their past, but that's not the point. This album is a
solid and complete statement made by a group of musicians at the tiop
of their game.
Bestial Mouths' 2016 album
'Heartless' was undoubtedly one of the highlight releases of the
year. Their sonic formula of avant garde electronica combined with
sinister industrial dance machinations balances appealing elements
from genres such as cold wave, darkwave and industrial, with a sense
of freedom of form and fluidity that is incredibly satisfying. It is
no surprise that a remix companion for the album has been released
and sees some top names lend their skills to reinterpret the
originals.
Names such as Ludovico Technique, Danny Saber, CX
Kidtronix, and Die Krupps drag the original tracks across numerous
styles and genres transforming them into solid dance offerings, as
well as deeper and more complex amplifications. Alongside the ten
remixes are two brand new tracks. 'Witchdance' evokes the spirit of
Diamanda Galas and Nick Cave as Lynette Cerezo vocally exorcises a
demon over a sinister minimal ambient track. While 'High Walls'
sounds like Siouxsie Sioux narrating her own nightmares along to
storm noises and a steady tribal beat. The songs may not be in
keeping with the previous material on 'Heartless', but they are a
wonderful example of the band's unrestrained experimentalism and
juxtaposed against the dancier remixes provide a nice counterpoint in
the form of an extreme 180°
flip.
As with any remix album, the quality of the inclusions
are somewhat objective, however it is undeniable that with talents
such as Ludovico Technique, Danny Saber, CX Kidtronix, The
Horrorist, Zanias, Shredder, and Die Krupps there will be something
for everyone. But Ludovico Technique's reworking of 'Worn Skin', the
band's own new version of 'Down To The Bone (No Longer See mix)',
Zanias' take on 'Heartless', Die Krupps' mix of 'Worn Skin', and
Danny Saber's version of 'Greyed' are all fantastic reasons to grab
this release.
'(Still) Heartless' does what great remix
albums should do, and that's to deconstruct the originals, present a
range of styles, and where possible experiment. The remix album these
days may be the standard thing for a band to do, especially after a
particularly hot album, yet they're sadly so often an afterthought.
But here it has been carefully curated and constructed in a way that
makes you want to dive in deeper and raise questions about the next
album's direction.
Someone once said that
history always repeats – first as tragedy, then as farce. And now
we can safely say that history is also repeating as a kind of
cabaret.
We were all dimly aware
of the increasing incongruity of notions of 'substance', the
'narrative of history', 'progress', and 'essential truth', in modern
(and not-so-modern) society; how modernity has passed seamlessly to
post-modernity and a shifting chimera of identities no longer defined
by rigid positions in class, gender, and nation. But it's fair to say
we never expected the kind of morphing venality that we have seen so
far this year.
Already in 2017 we have
seen not only the breaking of international norms and widespread
political crises across the globe, but also the new terms of an
almost comical doublethink – 'fake news', and 'alternative facts'.
Lawyers, spy agencies, taxi drivers judges, and journalists have
become heroes in alliance, with Presidents, Prime Ministers, other
taxi drivers, other journalists and other spy agencies the villains;
the right and the far right circling each other in ever-decreasing
circles, leaders of the 'free world' denounced as racists and sexists
by neutral Parliamentary speakers, press barons fighting online
battles with children's authors, the Holocaust being tainted with the
brush of 'all lives matter' whitewashing, and Rabbis and Imans
standing shoulder to shoulder against measures that were ruled
illegal by federal courts which were subsequently denounced as 'fake'
by the President of the Unites States. In fact, the world has become
less of a planet orbiting the sun than a constantly rotating cabaret
of atrocity.
What are the features
of the Cabaret d'Atrocite? Well, the masks the performers use are
transient and contradictory, their dances and songs just a reflection
of their position in a constantly shifting narrative; there is no
plot, no storyline, no script; the actors change their roles in
constant flux, and with no emotion other than an impersonation of
that which they wish to emulate. Painted smiles and pointing fingers,
gestures of defiance and submission and control, torch songs and
ballads and shanties and anthems merging into a murderous medley. And
we are all now in the cheap seats.
It would be tempting to
regard the cabaret as pure entertainment, just images moving across
screens and disassociated reports of entertainment and escapades. But
it is not – it is a performance that plays with all our lives, and
in which we all have a part. And in it's savagery there is no
protection, no rules to work by, merely the buffers on which people's
attempts to oppress strain. This is the |Carnival of the Abuse of
Power – miniature pyres and guillotines, pogroms and massacres
chaotically executed and blandly reported.
But although the
performance is serious, it can still be enjoyed. Play your role with
passion, and skill; be fierce in opposition and pert in resistance.
Dance with passion, but carry a sword; fight with a smile intact.
Make your case, be ruthless, be demanding. Have fun, but be careful.
It's time to put on
your dancing shoes, warm up the pipes, put your best foot forward,
wear a big smile, and give these fuckers hell.
To be a witch Is mostly about Focus The intent The reasons behind Doing what you Do and Being who you Are It's about Knowing one's self Thoroughly And understanding that there Is a purpose to life Beyond living it for One's Self To be a witch is to Learn, constantly, openly, and Perfecting one's mastery of The Craft It is about Perpetuating the Studies and understandings of Generations upon generations past I've always been a fan of Granny Weatherwax, the Crone from the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. She know what she's doing. Like. She knows exactly what she's Doing. (There was always a part of me that thought it was mostly made-up, what she does, but now, with my own work, and learnings and understandings, I've come to realize that no -it's mostly real. It's mostly actual things you can do When you dedicate yourself to these learnings and understandings.) A fashion, another fad of pop culture, perhaps these days, but to Me, and all the others, it's a Thing we do. No. It's a thing we Are. From palmistry to reiki, to numerology, tarot readings and scurrying, we find ourselves Connected, entertwined to that which is Bigger than ourselves, us all, us humans. The trees speak, and so do the Stars, the Moon and the Waves of the Ocean. Our third eyes are being forced closed. It is rebellious to choose, and strive, to keep them Wide open. Act in love, selflessly, and remember to keep a Clear mind, and an open Heart. Walk your path, and shine your own light You know who to call upon when the road will Fork. Alone, we learn to Heal ourselves, and Together, we heal the World. All in love, for the good of all. So mote it be.
Besides Death Note, another movie based on an important anime that will see the light this year is Fullmetal Alchemist, a dark fantasy story about two alchemists, the brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric, who tried to revive their mother, causing serious consequences that left them mutilated. Years later, they will seek to recover what they lost and, in the way, must stop a conspiracy.
Few news have been released about this adaptation whose filming began in June 2016 in Italy, outside of the famous actor and singer Ryosuke Yamada will give life to the elder brother and protagonist, Edward Elric. But some photographs have been released, making it clear that Fullmetal Alchemist will have a more than interesting mix between steampunk aesthetic and a dark fantasy concept.
"I want to create a style that follows the original manga as much as possible. The cast is completely Japanese, but the location is Europe, but it's a style that does not represent a specific race or country," said its director Fumihiko Hori.
This Tuesday, Netflix revealed the teaser
trailer for their upcoming Death Note film, the first American version of the
popular manga and anime that many of us love and that remains as an important
part of our youth, like Fullmetal Alchemist, which is also about to become a film.
However, this video sparked controversy,
since several fans were disappointed to see that, allegedly, the film would be
geared to the action genre. Also, some followers criticized the altered designs of the notebook, with a different cover, spine and inner pages.
Death Note follows the story of Yagami Light, or Light Turner, in the case of this movie, when he discovers a singular notebook that can kill a person only by writing their name on its pages. Light see this as a chance to become the God of a new world, killing criminals, but also drawing the attention of one of the most important detectives in the world: L.
This new version of Death Note is directed by
Adam Wingard and will be released worldwide in August 2017.
Amy Lee's new single, 'Speak To Me', is already complete, now with the music video we were waiting for. The ghostly and elegant ballad is materialized with a sophisticated look, the cinematography presented in all the video and the sweetness that Jack Lion Hartzler, her son, adds. The video vas released exclusively in Entertainment Tonight's website this Tuesday.
'Speak To Me' is far away from Lee's earlier work, both visually and musically, putting aside the darkness, simply retaining the melancholy and some metaphors that her fans would identify as part of the 'My Immortal' music video, a single from 'Fallen', Evanescence's first album. Find the lyrics of the song at the end of this entry!
Be still, my love I will return to you However far you feel from me You are not alone I will always be waiting And I'll always be watching you Speak to me, speak to me, speak to me...
I can't let go You're every part of me The space between is just a dream You will never be alone I will always be waiting And I'll always be watching
We are one breath apart, my love And I'll be holding it in 'till we're together Hear me call your name And just speak, speak to me, speak to me, speak...
I feel you rushing all through me In these walls I still hear your heartbeat And nothing in this world can hold me back From waking through to you
We are one breath apart, my love And I'll be holding it in 'till we're together Hear me call your name Just believe and speak, speak to me, speak to me...
In Death It Ends has been an interesting
project to follow over the past few years. Ranging from with house,
to experimental to proto-goth and industrial elements, every release
is a guessing game. Alongside a range of high-quality physical
release Porl King has made time to release plenty of free singles and
EPs as well.
The latest free offering is the single 'Resonate
528' from the new physical album wish machine. Reminiscent of the
'Forgotten Knowledge' album from 2012 with a blend of minimal
darkwave and experimental electronics, this time inspired by
radionics/psionics and incorporating a radionic device. It's an
infectiously groovy track that harks back to some of the best work
from IDIE. Long-time fans will undoubtedly find this a familiar
direction, while newcomers will get a taste for a nice cross-section
of the IDIE style.
Production-wise the song is minimal and
experimental. But it is also quite accessible with it's central
groove and beat tempering the eclectic electronic experiments
underneath. King has long ditched the low-fi sound and has continued
to give his releases a crisp and modern sound, and this is no
exception.
'Resonate 528' is another nice free taste of a
very interesting and prolific project. It may only be a small taste
of the wider 'Wish Machine' work, but it is nonetheless a good and
satisfying one.
In my previous articles
over the past few months I have dealt with ideas of the magic of the
outsiders, the witchcraft of the oppressed, and how to dance amongst
the pyres of the incoming storm. These are simply suggestions of
strategies, decorative ideas that we can wear, primitive masks to
protect. So how would a more integrated and internalised form of
resistance develop? If we cannot all join barricades that are burning
down and there is no winter palace left to storm, how can we fight
and live at the same time?
The idea of an
oppositional spirituality is one that can be interwoven into the
daily practice of one's life; something that can be integrated into
how we react to the world, no matter what we do. The personal may be
political, but it must also be resistant. To do this we can call upon
the prototype of the opposer, and the image of the adversary. Lucifer
is, of course, the original manifestation of that spirit – but
there are others too, from Lilith to Faust to Sade. The source is not
to important as the energy we deprive from it.
Essentially there is a basic oppositional force in
the universe. There is a conflict in all things – in all social
groups, ideas, bodies, relationships, states, minds. To exist is to
be opposed. The world is a complex mesh of competing existences,
forces, ideas. Lucifer is the idea of the oppositional force. It is a
concept. And with it we can use it to channel our spirit of
resistance.
This is the idea that I call Infinite Resistance.
It is to commit yourself in mind and body to never be ruled, never be
conquered, never be oppressed, and not to conquer or rule or oppress.
It is an understanding, at the root, that you will never give in. It
is a spiritual commitment.
In practice this means supporting all those
fighting oppression, all forces of resistance. It means harnessing
ideas of the outcast, the slave, the witch. It means knowing whose
side you're on. It means always challenging, being alert. It means a
daily practice of applied thought, action and resistance.
And what glorious peace of mind it brings. A
promise you make to yourself. At one with the rocks and the sea and
the stars. With such a commitment, you can be truly free. It is a
kind of eternity. You can't lose if you fight forever.
So try to find ways to absorbing that spirit, that
unbreakable flexibility of will, and the iron in the soul to always
resist. As Milton put it so well - "All is not lost, the
unconquerable will, and study of revenge, immortal hate, and
the courage never to submit or yield.”
It's funny to see that when one of your favorite
artists releases a song, you discover that now it is a band that has new
material on the market, although not the way they wanted, and find yourself in
the need to decide which is better. I decided both of them are amazing!
The Birthday Massacre, a dakwave band from Canada,
have been working on their seventh studio album and used a crowdfunding campaign
for it. Little has been heard about it, but now we have much information that
it is useless to hide the excitement!
'Under Your Spell' will be released in June
9th and it is said to be their most intimate and emotive record to date. This
album is a captivating hybrid of 80's, electronica, and aggressive guitars,
fused with dark, cinematic melodic progressions. "Under Your Spell"
also blends the expansive breadth of The Birthday Massacre's signature sound
and creates a deeply personal, immersive collection of songs.
As far as we now, this is the official tracklist:
01. One
02. Under Your Spell
03. All of Nothing
04. Without You
05. Counterpane
06. Unkind
07. Games
08. Hex
09. No Tomorrow
10. The Lowest Low
11. Endless
Also, one of the songs from this album, 'Counterpane', leaked a few days ago, confirming what it is said
above. We're also presenting the lyrics for you to sing along. Listen to
it before it is erased!
Strange
Changes come with age
Some things disappEar in a day
And some things slowly fade
And you and I are like the ink staining all the other pages
The
third album from US industrial rockers Davey Suicide sees the band
take a darker and heavier turn than their previous releases. While
their last two albums were prone to heavy outbursts, they still felt
at home with the rock tag amidst the electronic and industrial
embellishments. Yet this time things feel a lot more metal.
After
a sinister and thickly layered intro, the band dive headlong into
'Rise Above' recalling the likes of recent Combichrist, Dope, as well
as a little bit of of the usual Marilyn Manson and Tim Skold
influences. It's a fist-in-the-air and middle finger-in-the-face kind
of approach and it works damn well.
The song construction is
a little along the nu-metal meets industrial style that was popular
in the late 90s and early 2000s, but with a cleaner and razor-sharp
approach. With songs such as the affore mentioned 'Rise Above, along
with 'No Angel', 'Too Many Freaks', 'Anti-System Revolution', 'No
Place Like Hell', and 'Made From Fire' the album is a riotous and
angst ridden sonic exorcism.
It is a strong album but it does
have its week points, partly through a lack of variation as it is
pretty much balls-to-the-wall from start to finish. Something a
little experimental, instrumental or soft to take it in a sudden
change of direction would be good, without simply resorting to a
semi-ballad as it does on the final track.
In terms of
production it is sport on. The vocals strike hard amidst the
maelstrom of guitars and electronics. It is confident, crisp and
modern and doesn't try to replicate the Nothing or Wax Trax! styles,
rather favouring it's own method.
'Made From Fire' is
undoubtedly the strongest release from Davey Suicide so far. It has a
great metal edge that feels genuine, and some of Davey's best vocal
performances yet. It may lack variety, but for those fans of bands
such as Dope, Static-X, Powerman 5000, Rob Zombie and Tim Skold, is
is a pretty solid choice.
One of my favorite bands of all the time are
the so-hated-and-insulted EVANESCENCE. Their lyrics, their videos, their
concepts and ideas for each of their tracks, and even the photoshoots they have
had over the years make me think sometimes. Of course I have a favoritism for AMY
LEE, who has proven herself as an amazing singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist…
pretty much like of my visual, incarnated definitions of music on this Earth,
to summarize.
When I saw months ago that she was working on a
new song, I practically ran through the Internet in order to see what I could
discover. SPEAK TO ME is the end title song for “Voice from The Stone,” an
independent, American supernatural psychological thriller film
directed by Eric D. Howell and written by Andrew Shaw, which is based on the
novel of the same name by Italian author Silvio Raffo.
The song is presented in a dramatic, slow tempo with a piano and an entire orchestra dancing together at the rhythm of Lee’s ghostly voice. The darkness in each of her words has an incredible elegance and finesse, contrasting with her previous wild and violent style but matching the most recent releases like the 2016 version of Evanescence’s Even in Death and her single Love Exists.
Voice from the Stone will be released on 28 April 2017 in limited release, video on demand and digital HD. Keep an eye on your favorite movie theater so
you won’t miss the premier! Here are some BTS pictures from its music video and the preview video Amy released with clips from the movie and part of the recording process.
A
double-headline tour is not a common occurrence, and certainly not
one that boasts two industrial rock bands with cult legacies such as
PIG and Mortiis. Alternating headlines slots at shows up and down the
UK, putting egos aside and adding a little surprise as to just who
will be topping the bill. With several dates straddling school nights
a large crowd may not be on the cards, but those who do make the trip
are certainly feeling the passion.
But before all of that
it's left to Glaswegian industrial rockers Seraph Sin to warm the
crowd up. Their mixture of metal-tinged industrial rock is a sharp
wake-up call to anyone feeling the mid-week malaise. They tear
through a half hour setlist of up-tempo gritty tunes that balance
menace and groove nicely. The beats fly thick, the riffs come hard
and fast and front-man Gabriel even ends up playing from the front
row of the crowd. Tight on time they may have been but by the end of
their set they'd definitely got the blood pumping.
Next up
the lord of lard, the baron of bacon, the mighty swine himself
Raymond Watts hits the stage with PIG. This tour marks the first for
the band in the UK since supporting Nine Inch Nails on their Downward
Spiral tour. Let's just let that sink in for a minute. In that time
Raymond has become a cult hero of the industrial rock scene thanks to
his work as PIG and time with KMFDM. The reanimated PIG live crew
sees Watts joined by ex-KMFDM bandmates En Esh and Gunter Schulz, as
well as ex-Combichrist synths man Z. Marr, and 16 Volt's Galen Waling
on drums. It's a strong line-up (worthy of “supergroup” in fact)
that produces a blistering set.
Watts is the epitome of the
rock frontman. He chews the rind of irony and spits it back amidst a
set of groove-laden industrial rock that not only spans the career of
PIG, but also dives into KMFDM territory. The latest album 'The
Gospel' is well represented right from the start, but arguably the
most enjoyable moment of the set was seeing Watts, En Esh and Schulz
going hell-for-leather on 'Juke Joint Jezabelle'.
By the
process of elimination it is down to Norwegian industrial rockers
Mortiis to headline the evening. Håvard Ellefsen's band may
have also come in from the cold with last year's 'The Great
Deceiver', but certainly they show no signs of rust. Last year's
album revealed a darker and more malevolent edge to the band's sound,
one that has translated into an intense live performance. The set
draws heavily from the new album but there are room for well-received
classics such as 'Decadent And Desperate' and 'Parasite God' (which
unfortunately suffers from a brief microphone glitch at the start,
and quite frankly deserves a re-release in this high-octane version).
Ellefsen stalks the stage like a rabid animal pacing and
throwing his dreadlocks around with intensity, yet he still manages
to smile and joke, showing his enjoyment throughout the energetic
performance. It's a tight set and despite only being three-men strong
the band still fills the stage with ease, but it's not surprising
given Ellefsen's pedigree as a showman. Yet again, Mortiis show that
they are a criminally underrated band with an intensity that can see
them hold their own on any night.
I'm a little bit later than usual with this month's
editorial but that's just how it goes sometimes. I'm going to start
by once again thanking everyone who has downloaded our latest compilation so far, and give double thanks to those who have donated
some money for it. If you have already downloaded it please recommend
it to your friends. If you haven't got round to downloading it yet
(and if you haven't where have you been so far?) and can just spare a
£1 donation, it will all go towards kicking blood cancer's ass! If
you can't donate, that's fine too, but please do make sure you check
out more from the awesome band's that made this possible!
So
what am I going to rabbit on about this month? Well this month I'd
like to talk about Bill Hicks, as it is close to the anniversary of his untimely passing...
On the 26th of February 1994, aged just 32 years
old, William Melvin Hicks died from Pancreatic cancer. Bill Hicks, as
he was commonly known, was a stand-up comedian whose satirical,
visceral and philosophical humour generated controversy and acclaim
in equal measures. But Hicks was much more than a simple comedian. He
was a musician, a philosopher, a satirist, and to some, a prophet.
Hicks never resorted to “Blue” humour, even his infamous
“Goatboy” routine was based on a very real tradition of Greek
myths about the half-goat God Pan. Instead he presented the world as
he saw it to his audience complete with all of its hypocrisy, hate,
apathy and mediocrity, and tried to show the world for what it really
was… Just a ride.
Hicks was born to a typical Southern Baptist
family in Georgia USA, and lived in different states within the
American “Bible Belt” in his formative years. As a young teen he
discovered the comedy of Woody Allen and Richard Pryor and began to
perform routines with friends, first at school and then at local
clubs. As Hick’s style began to evolve he would often be compared
to the likes of Lenny Bruce and George Carlin for his offbeat
tangents and politically charged rants. But there was always more
that could be done. Hicks would experiment with drugs and alcohol,
and chain smoke on stage. This gave his work a fevered energy akin to
a punk rock show. Hicks style was intimate and confrontational. He
would viciously shout-down hecklers and never sugar-coated a single
thought. But as Hicks’ personal philosophy sharpened, so did the
messages in his act. After he gave up doing drugs, he would take an
unpopular pro-drug stance because, unlike a lot of people with an
anti-drug stance, he had experienced first hand the beneficial
effects of drugs like LSD Marijuana and Magic Mushrooms, as well as
the bad effects. One of his most famous riffs was on the lack of
these positive effects in news reports which only ever focus
on morons that throw themselves off buildings while on acid.
“Today, a young man on acid realized
that all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration —
that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively.
There is no such thing as death; life is only a dream, and we are the
imagination of ourselves... Here's Tom with the weather!” - Bill
Hicks, ‘Revelations’ (1993)
Consumerism, society, religion, politics,
philosophy, popular culture and (perhaps most importantly) Bill Hicks
were all subjects ruthlessly deconstructed in front of his live
audiences. A relentless pursuit of “The Truth” featured
throughout his material which often meant cutting through the
pre-conceived notions of his audience in order to lead them, not to
his point of view, but to their own. In an episode of the BBC series
‘A Question Of Taste’, in response to the line of questioning
regarding his act, Hicks repeated a comment he once heard from an
audience member who stated “We don't come to comedy to think!”,
to which he retorted “Gee! Where do you go to think? I'll meet you
there!”. He questioned the alleged guilt of Lee Harvey Oswald in
the JFK assassination as well as David Koresh in the conclusion of
the Waco siege and other conspiracy theories to make the point that
the “truth” that the media presents is just one version and that
it isn’t, by any stretch, gospel.
In the seventeen years since Bill Hicks death
little has changed. Though there are many comedians around today who
are inspired by, and pay tribute to Hicks, few take the bold and
lonely stance he once did. In the age of surveillance, instant
information, the war against terrorism and international fraud
dressed up as capitalism a man like Bill Hicks is perhaps needed more
than ever. Even senior Labour Party MP Stephen Pound paid tribute to
Hicks on the tenth anniversary of his death in the following early
day amendment.
“That this House notes with sadness the
10th anniversary of the death of Bill Hicks, on 26th February 1994,
at the age of 33; recalls his assertion that his words would be a
bullet in the heart of consumerism, capitalism and the American
Dream; and mourns the passing of one of the few people who may be
mentioned as being worth [sic] of inclusion with Lenny Bruce in any
list of unflinching and painfully honest political philosophers.” -
Stephen Pound, MP: ‘Anniversary of the Death of Bill Hicks’ (EDM
678 of the 2003-04 session)’
It is easy to think that we lost Bill Hicks too
soon and wonder at what might have been if he’d lived to see the
Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, George W. Bush, 9/11, The Second Gulf War,
and the elections of Barack Obama and Donald Trump. But he did leave
us with words to help us look for our own truth in the world. Perhaps
Hicks’ most resonating pearls of wisdom came at the end of his 1992
show ‘Revelations’, that was broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK,
the words of which sums up the truth of life as he saw it.
“The world is like a ride in an
amusement park, and when you choose to go on it you think it’s real
because that’s how powerful our minds are. The ride goes up and
down, around and around, it has thrills and chills, and it’s very
brightly colored, and it’s very loud, and it’s fun for a while.
Many people have been on the ride a long time, and they begin to
wonder, “Hey, is this real, or is this just a ride?” And other
people have remembered, and they come back to us and say, “Hey,
don’t worry; don’t be afraid, ever. Because this is just a ride.”
And we…kill those people. “Shut him up! I’ve got a lot invested
in this ride, shut him up! Look at my furrows of worry, look at my
big bank account, and my family. This has to be real.” It’s just
a ride. But we always kill the good guys who try and tell us that,
you ever notice that? And let the demons run amok? But it doesn’t
matter, because it’s just a ride. And we can change it any time we
want. It’s only a choice. No effort, not work, no job, no savings
of money. Just a simple choice, right now, between fear and love. The
eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your doors, buy guns,
close yourself off. The eyes of love instead see all of us as one.
Here’s what we can do to change the world, right now, to a better
ride. Take all that money we spend on weapons and defence each year
and instead spend it feeding and clothing and educating the poor of
the world, which it would pay for many times over, not one human
being excluded, and we could explore space, together, both inner and
outer, forever, in peace.”
In other news, we're on
the hunt for a few new regular contributors to add to our staff. If
you're interested in doing some reviews or even just a monthly
column, please contact us at intravenousmagazine@gmail.com and
we'll take it from there. What kind of person are we looking for?
Well we're after people who are motivated, committed and eager to
take the time to build up a list of PR and label contacts.
For
more information on writing for IVM please visit HERE.
Finally
in other news, I'd like to again extend the invitation to established
scene DJs, artists, and bands to contribute guest DJ mixes that we
will host on Mixcloud. What we're thinking is a series of
hour-long mixes showing off new and classic acts which we will
feature on Mixcloud as well as the Intravenous Magazine website. If
anyone is interested, please contact us at the above email
address.
Also I'm thinking of a redesign of our logo to
coincide with the artwork for the next compilation in a few months
time... watch this space.
And as
always make sure you have these links in your favourites:
Channelling the old school sound and aesthetic
of heavy metal's formative years in the late 60's and early 70's,
Sweden's Saturn take things back to basics with their sophomore
outing 'Beyond Spectra'. Invoking the early works of luminary artists
such as Black Sabbath, UFO, Budgie, Deep Purple, Rainbow and,
Judas Priest; Saturn’s sound is distinct, yet comfortingly
familiar. 'Beyond Spectra' is a blend of memorable riffs, heavy
grooves and sing-a-long vocals clad in flared denim that you just
can't help but bang your head to.
Songs such as 'Orbital
Command', 'Wolfsson', 'Electrosaurus Sex', 'Sensor Data', and 'Still
Young' are prime examples of why not only bands of the original era
refuse to die, but why younger bands are still finding inspiration
and ideas within this style. Solid riffs and nice tempos make them a
perfect vehicle for lyric-heavy songwriting to tell their own
mythology through.
There is a point in the album after the
middle and towards the end where it feels as though the track list
kind of stalls a bit, but the closing two tracks drag things back in
line to finish with style.
Production-wise, even though the
band's core sound owes a great debt to the kings of the early 1970's,
they have by no means pursued the retro-for-the-sake-of-it approach
when it comes to the final touches to the album. It is crisp,
confident, and modern in it's execution which really compliments
their melodic freewheeling style.
This is a good second album
from a band that should quite rightly garner broad appeal for their
accessible style of hard rock meets proto-metal. Some of it is
gloriously ridiculous, and that's why it works. They're having fun
writing fundamentally good tunes and it shines through on each song.
Hopefully there will be much more to come from these Swedes over the
next few years.
My Silent Wake
have been working hard keeping doom metal relevant, not only within
the boarders of Wales but over the course X years and strong albums
such as 'The Anatomy Of Melancholy', and 'Damnatio Memoriae' they
have gained the respect of fans around the world. Blending ambient
and acoustic elements within the core of their doom metal structure.
As a result their sound continues to progress and develop in leaps
with every album release, and their latest studio effort 'Invitation
To Imperfection' is no different.
The album's folksy/medieval
and classical elements are front and centre with the album creating a
more neofolk tinted darkwave and dark ambient affair that recalls the
likes of Arcana, Attrition, Dead Can Dance, Lustmord and Wardruna.
Songs such as 'Helgar Kindir', 'Bleak Spring', 'Lament Of The
Defeatist', 'Song Of Acceptance', and 'Return Of The Lost At Sea' are
haunting with their dark acoustic drones courtesy of folk
instruments.
While the likes of 'Volta', 'Aventurine', and
'Nebula' bring in some baroque and classical instruments, as well as
synthesizers, for a more grandiose expression of the band's sound.
The album's crowning glory has to be the 21-minute-epic journey of
'Melodien Der Waldgeister' with it's long ambling twists as though
someone walking through a landscape and happening upon small pockets
of musical performers.
Production-wise the album is as solid
as you could want from veterans such as My Silent Wake. It may not be
their usual territory for such a sustained release but this flipside
to the band's sound feels 100% right as though this was their natural
state. The songs are intimate yet with cavernous scale, and each fine
layer shines through distinctly as part of the greater volume of the
work.
Those looking for doom metal might be slightly
disappointed but My Silent Wake have never been ones to cater for
expectations. With their progressive mindset and previous
incorporation of medieval and folk instruments, this still feels
like a very natural and organic direction for them. And with over a
decade of songwriting experience they know how to craft atmospheres
and narratives from their music, not matter what instruments they
use, with ease. It is a great effort and one that will undoubtedly be
another highpoint in an already impressive discography.
Mr.
Kitty returns with his sixth full-length studio album which follows
on from 'Fragments' the first effort to be released in the wake of
his acclaimed “Dark Youth” quadrillogy. His newest effort,
'A.I.', builds on the vulnerable and self-reflecting synthpop of
fragments with dark atmospheres juxtaposed against upbeat and uptempo
instrumentation.
The intro 'I...' opens with a dark and
sinister ambient build before dropping off and the bouncy if somewhat
melancholic undo opens with it's classic 80s charm and subtle vocal
delivery drawing the listener in. Songs like 'Habits', 'No Heat',
'Crisis Point', 'Lamentation', 'Greater Than Us' and 'I Hope You Fall
Apart' give the album a strong backbone of steady dance beats,
addictive leads, melodic atmospheres subdued vocals and an ever
present sense of foreboding throughout.
While songs such as
'Give-Take', 'Birds Of Prey', and 'Healing Waters' opt for a more
straight-forward and dark approach to leave you in no doubt as to the
atmospheric intention of the album. It's a testament to Mr. Kitty's
songwriting skill to be able to turn upbeat sounds and beats into
something so haunting and in places chilling.
The production
is slick and clean throughout. The 80s sounds coming through don't
sound outdated and the overall atmosphere feels cold, spacey and
melancholic. It balances its undeniable dance appeal with the promise
of a more introverted listening experience for those who want to go
deeper.
'A.I.' is another strong outing from Mr. Kitty who
must be considered one of the best synthpop artists in the USA by
this point. His songwriting only continues to get stronger with every
release and his execution always follows. This album should rightly
cement Mr. Kitty as a top electronic artist.
" but decided not to reveal more details, so all we know so far as that it will come out in April.
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