In my scientific research in the lab I work at, we use formaldehyde (and its derivatives) as a fixative and preservative agent, to freeze the state of tissue/cells, so those that we want to keep intact remain that way and do not get contaminated with foreign microscopic organisms.
This allows us to achieve an inert, unchanging environment, to preserve the original state we started with. In a way the music by Seconds in Formaldehyde follows the same features. It is stagnant, sluggish, torpid and seemingly unchanging; it dwells on and strives to maintain flow and texture, pattern and magic throughout the seven tracks on this album. However, this is more of an appearance than anything else, as there is development and change throughout each track.
Seconds in Formaldehyde is an ambient/drone project by Martin Fuhs from Germany and he is also the man behind the label releasing this album, Waterscape Records. He previous released three albums through other labels and used a guitar (and computer) to make the sound heard on these albums. Continue reading ‘Seconds In Formaldehyde – A Shiver In Red (Droehnhaus, 2010)’
Compared to some of the more devoted grindcore fans I know, I might be a bit harsh with this CD. It is a collection of New York City’s Defeatist’s previously recorded vinyls, splits, and Eps. Twenty songs released in 2007, and recorded again in one session for Willowtip Records in 2009. I was unaware of this band before their package arrived in my mailbox, and to be honest, I was mostly unmoved by what I heard until song 14. Sure, the courageously titled disc offers blasting snare drum and snarling string distortion like good grind should, but that’s about all there is here– good grind. And while that is definitely not a bad thing, you can usually only slit someone’s throat once.
Continue reading ‘Defeatist – Sharp Blade Sinks Deep into Dull Minds (Willowtip, 2009)’
You’d think upon initially listening to this album, that you’re being assaulted by an army of riffs. Surprisingly, Sardonis is comprised of only two musicians, Roel Paulussen (guitar) and Jelle Stevens (drums) from Belgium are responsible for the instrumental stoner/doom rock heard on their first full-length release. The band formed in 2006 and released a 7”EP in 2008. In 2010 they release their self-titled album through MeteorCity. The first two tracks on this album are from the aforementioned EP.
While at first I thought that I’d miss a bass in this album, it turned out not to be the case. Between the two of them, Roel and Jelle provide a rich and dense wall of sound and complement each other well. Continue reading ‘Sardonis – Sardonis (MeteorCity Records, 2010)’
First off, I’d like to say how weird it is to be writing a column. A music column, at that. When I was asked by Josh Haun to do this I had to make sure the guy knew what he was getting himself into. I’m a writer who couldn’t pass a high school journalism class. I’m a writer who spent a majority of his career ripping off Charles Bukowski until I realized he was a f**king moron. I’m a writer that thinks writing is a futile thing but every two or three days I’m back to sitting in front of a blank Microsoft word document typing out how sorry I feel for myself. Despite all of this, he was still in.
Continue reading ‘Unbookable #1 (An introduction)’
Rotting Christ is truly a band that needs no introduction. Considered by many to be the forefathers of the Greek black metal scene, the quartet has evolved over two decades of existence from raw death/grind beginnings to pure black metal to epic, aggressive and crushing dark-hued extreme metal. I contacted band frontman/composer/guitarist Sakis Tolis via e-mail to discuss the band’s stunning new album, AEALO and his personal journey into the darkest parts of the human soul.
Sonic Frontiers: What can you tell us about the concept behind the new album, AEALO?
Sakis Tolis: Aealo is a concept album. It is about the feelings of a warrior during a battle. Weird feelings, strange feelings, feelings like the feeling of anger, the feeling of fear the feeling of grief and so many other vibrations that a warrior can have during a battle. Listening to the album, you will feel that you are in the middle of a battlefield and you are fighting against your feelings. No, it is not a warlike album…I think the opposite. When you end up listening to it you feel relieved, you will feel like you escaped from the trials that only a war can create!
Continue reading ‘Interview: ROTTING CHRIST’
The first time I heard of Algernon from Chicago was when I saw that their 2010 album, Ghost Surveillance, was being released by Cuneiform Records, a favourite label of mine. Intrigued I proceeded to listen to some tracks on their myspace. Favourably impressed I proceeded to order the album and am glad I did so. Algernon are a five-member band from Chicago and this instrumental album is their third release.
The music here borders on several styles such as “plain” rock, post-rock (in the scenic-atmospheric sense) and to a lesser extent jazz-rock. However, to try and pin-down their style and influences proves harder. While it is a rock affair with a strict form and fully composed, at times light and at others heavy, there is some jazziness and semblance of free spirit in the tunes, as if they are improvising, or at least doing so on a pre-conceived theme. They manage to capture a certain vibe by this that makes them sound spontaneous and fresh. Indeed, from what I read, bandleader and main composer, Dave Miller, is a very flexible guitarist and can play in a variety of styles. Continue reading ‘Algernon – Ghost Surveillance (Cuneiform, 2010)’
Black metal re-cast as demented dream/death-pop. Layers of nebulous guitar haze drawing you deep down into the bottomless well of despondency. Robert Smith and Kevin Shields in corpse paint. Indeed, the music of the sadly defunct Brown Jenkins evokes a wide arrray of seemlingly contradictory images with a musical approach that encompasses not only extreme metal at it’s most suffocating and depressive, but a veritable pandora’s box of seemingly disparate genres. British shoe gaze, old school gothic rock (I’m talking Cure, Bauhaus, Sisters, et al here, for the record) and vintage psychedelia are just a few of the sounds that band visionary Umesh has successfully harnessed into Death Obsession, the final statement from Brown Jenkins.
Continue reading ‘Brown Jenkins – Death Obsession (Moribund, 2009)’
Liturgy’s 2009 album Renihilation was one of the more interesting takes on black metal to come across my desk in a long time. Combining an extremely harsh, abrasive audial assault with a penchant for harnessing torrents of distortion into ethereal, transcendent song-structures, the band is spearheading a burgeoning NYC-area black metal scene that also includes the likes of Krallice and Malkuth. I got in touch with band leader Hunter Hunt-Hendrix via e-mail to discuss the band’s unique aesthetic and sound within the ranks of the black metal legions.
Sonic Frontiers: For readers who might not be familiar with the band, can you talk a bit about how Liturgy got started?
Hunter Hunt-Hendrix: It began as my solo project. Bedroom black metal sounding similar to Mutiilation. I made a cassette called The Paranoiac Miracle, then a 12” EP called Immortal Life. After that Tyler, Greg and Bernard joined the band and we started playing the songs live.
Continue reading ‘Interview: LITURGY’
Looking at the stark black and white cover of Black Materia’s self titled debut, you might be lead to believe that they are some sort of grim and frostbitten black metal practitioners. Drop the disc into your stereo and you’ll soon discover that nothing could be further from the truth. Plying a sound that reminds of some of the greats of depressive European metal (ie Katatonia, Sentenced, Anathema, the various projects of Justin Broadrick, etc), the quartet puts a distinctly American spin on dark, slightly gothic-sounding post-metal.
Continue reading ‘Black Materia – s/t (Fading Ember, 2009)’
At some point during 2009, I noticed several Italian prog rock groups releasing new albums, be it new or older bands. One of them was Il Ruscello (the stream). Curious, after seeing some glowing reviews of their album, Paesaggio solare (estate 1972), I decided to get hold of it.
The band consists of three musicians from Milan who now reside in London: the two brothers Silvio Cavallo (vocals, acoustic guitar, drums), Giampaolo Cavallo (bass) and Luca Herb (guitars, synthesizers, piano).
This album was said to be in the vein of early 70s Rock Progressivo Italiano albums such as Le Orme and Premiata Forneria Marconi. Indeed they do have this vintage sound and approach (as well as art work and design) that characterizes albums from these older days, this album manages to sound fresh (and appealing), but with some flaws. The whole album is less than 40 minutes, and has 6 tracks on it. Continue reading ‘Il Ruscello – Paesaggio Solare (Estate 1972) (AMS Records, 2009)’
Surprises. I love surprises when it comes to music. Finding out a thrilling new band, something exciting, fresh and beautiful.
Such a surprise I had when a friend over at Progressive Ears recommended this Swedish four-piece band, Klotet and their 2008 release, En Rak Höger. They formed in 2004 in Uppsala and this is their first release, an instrumental album, out on Musea. Continue reading ‘Klotet – En Rak Höger (Musea, 2008)’
You’re cordially invited to experience the Uninvited Dreams of Osada Vida.
This talented quartet releases their sixth album. I’ve started following them, quite by chance, starting at their third album, Three Seats Behind A Triangle and have been hooked since (I reviewed their two previous albums and interviewed the band as well in 2009). I feel that with each album they progressed with their sound and production. But the familiar sound from Three Seats is still here, that somewhat murky signature, spell-binding spirit it sill present and permeates through every song.
The drummer, Adam Podzimski,is again the writer of the lyrics, about dreams that one wishes he’d forget as soon as he wakes up, undesired dreams that come though they are unwanted. Continue reading ‘Osada Vida – Uninvited Dreams (Metal Mind, 2009)’
Italian label AltrOck have so far released wonderful avant-rock/avant-garde and related albums (Yugen, Rational Diet, Finnegans Wake, Simon Steensland, miRthkon, Kurai, Accordo Dei Contrari etc.). With this release, Sleep Talking, they present a band, Chance:Risiko, that is quite different from those signed so far to the label.
At first listen, one may think he has figured this band out; being able to point out their influences and pigeonhole their style. But that would be only a partial picture of what stand behind their music. Yes, the vocalist’s voice reminds of Thom Yorke, and yes, there are some Radiohead characteristics here: a certain subtleness and abstractness that permeates throughout the entire album as well as a sense of mystery and magic, a place where time seems to move slower.
But that is not all.
Continue reading ‘Chance:Risiko – Sleep Talking (AltrOck, 2009)’
Matt Finney is one of those rare modern day renaissance men that seems to have a hand in everything. Whether creating unique and immersive ambient, experimental and noise music to stimulate your ears or crafting poetry that jumps off the printed page directly into the center of your mind, Finney is an artistic jack-of-all-trades. I first interviewed Finney as part of the ambient/spoken-word duo Finneyerkes and found him to be a highly articulate and engaging subject. Much to my surprise, he e-mailed me a few months later asking if I would be interested in another round of interrogations, an offer I couldn’t possibly pass up.
When I conducted this second interview via e-mail with Mr. Finney, Finneyerkes had recently dissolved and another project, the lo-fi acoustic Ferdinand the Bull had sadly crashed and burned before it had a chance to blossom. But, in a fortuitous turn of events as I was all set to post the piece, Finneyerkes has gotten back together and Finney also has several written projects in the can as well.
Continue reading ‘Interview: Matt Finney’
Kinetic Element was originally formed to perform keyboardist and vocalist Mike Visaggio’s music form his solo album Starship Universe, released in 2006. Things, however, took a turn and they liked the idea of playing together as a band and along with playing covers of classic rock and prog-rock songs, they have been playing their own original material. Some of it already released as a promo ep, The Powered By Light Suite in 2008. In 2009, the band self-released Powered By Light Continue reading ‘Kinetic Element – Powered By Light (self-released, 2009)’
In my scientific research in the lab I work at, we use formaldehyde (and its derivatives) as a fixative and preservative agent, to freeze the state of tissue/cells, so those that we want to keep intact remain that way and do not get contaminated with foreign microscopic organisms.
