PLAYLIST with COMMENTS/REVIEWS

[[MBD]]

Unité D'Habitation - Harmonices Mundi

I first heard about this project when their tape on Hospital was released but I always put them off for no real reason until today. A very strong debut from this French Industrial/Power Electronics outfit, rooted in the traditional heavy synths and demanding vocals of European acts before them but differing in their heavy use of dynamics as well as found sounds and/or field recordings. Shout out to the use of electric guitar on some tracks too, unexpected but...quite welcome? The excellent mixing work blends all of these elements seamlessly to create a varied, yet somehow always forceful listen. The album is available for free download on their Bandcamp, I recommend a listen.

Ironically enough, I haven't been able to get into their album on Hospital, just isn't doing much for me. Go figure.

[vomitgore]

Die Reitenden Leichen - Scumshot (Monolithische Aktion) cassette
Monolithische Aktion is back! The latest batch is only small part HNW but mostly good harsh noise of various styles. I like this new DRL tape the best of the bunch. Gone are the more static days as this is just active harsh noise. No drone passages or quiet parts, only ripping harsh noise. Sounds somehow very clear and crispy (digital?) but at the same time very powerful. Great!

I am far from unbiased here, as I have also released some DRL and my appreciation started way back, but this tape absolutely blew me away. Intense, heavily crunchy and paced just right. Absolute win from start to finish and by far the best HN I have heard in a long long time.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Worth "Blood Possessed" CDR
Prose nagge
Lots of things one could comment on, one being talk about CDR. When Oskar asks about ”disc rot” or CDrs becoming unplayed, Will presents less frequently heard opinion that they should!
I guess its mentioned to be more to underline the ”temporary moment” -approach. It is sort of old avantgarde art type of view. As opposed to dusty old museums and institutions trying to preserve and immortalize, there would be something happening that is instant, quick and ongoing and full of spontanious life.
I understand well that logic. It seems sometimes juvenile to think, that every noise CD need to be ”forever”. it could be just temporary documentation of sound process. Almost like playing or seeing a gig. Experience it, and move on, without worrying if it will ”last forever”.
That said, that idea seemed valid, most of all, in the old, stagnant, dead culture, where ”nothing seemed to happen”. Nowadays, everywhere I look and most things I see, are disposable, quickly consumed, instantly ageing badly, and so on… suddenly idea of noise CD being and remaining perfect and as timeless now in 2021, as it was perhaps 1991 (say, Hijokaidan Windom!) is somehow delightful idea. Working probably as long as there exists player that can play cd.
Well, however, I’m not listening Hijokaidan right now, but this Worth CDR, which is damn good material. Broken, but very sharp, clear, yetsounds melting together nevertheless. Like feeding in sources and internal feedback at the same time and something slightly unexpected start happening. Harsh noise, but with a lot of ”acoustic” vibe, even if it is … highly electric!
I guess around 100 copies out there, and ideally CDr might be playable longer than I live, so not so much to worry about, haha… Just the mentioned opposition to ehm.. ”modern world”.

Worth mentioned in podcast Kiran Arora CD being among very top of new’ish releases. I liked when it came out, but wasn’t blown away. Feeling is still the same. I like it a lot, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it, but for reason or another, not on my top of the year list.

Kapotte Muziek "25 years of Kapotte Muziek" CD celebration, other people doing remixes. I was listening the disc and Asra seemed unusually… ”art music”. Like proper instruments etc. Really good. Then a bit later, even better stuff emerges from speaker. So good, I had to stand up, walk to stereo systems to see who is playing, and it was good old Howard Stelzer!
I have one good memory of New York city (actually many..), where Howard suggested to check out THE best bagel place in New York before going to Boston. I am in cue before him, what was huge. As soon as I am at the desk, and guy ask what  want,  I start to check out what is available. Guy is pissed off in about 0,5 seconds and calls ”next”. Howies steps in, says I’m foreigner and couple salmon bagels please. It was a true ”soup naz1 experience” in new york. No complaints! Man can handle people, and the electronics!

Maeror Tri "1988-1996 collection of rare & lost" 2 x CD, really good double CD comp of early days of this german band. It has noisier, more industrial feel to many of tracks. Absolutely best tracks fall in style of brain shaped Language of Flames… album, but there is great diversity in this comp. Should be cheap if you see them somewhere. Just like above mentioned Kapotte Muziek CD. Still these days, less than new C-20 tape will cost you, you get good CD. All stuff recommended..

[MT]

Since football game was cancelled, I decided to dig up some tapes for listen...

Hate Basement - "Pathetic" tape
I had no recollections of even owning this tape, let alone anything about the project. Nice variation in sound, distant echoing sounds, with bursts of violent noise and vocals. A side ends with tin can mayhem. Side B does more atmosphetic industrial sound, slowy morphing into ripping low end rattle accompanied by contact mic noise. Then I think there's a track changing or something, more harsh vocals and wobbly noise twisting around. Overall solid tape, now I have more mental recollections of this.


Mania - "Insidious and Alone" tape
Mania - "Decript" tape
Everyone knows Mania was good, and still is. I really love this type of Mania, dirty atmosphere, with interesting samples of walking, operating things and such. With crisp production and really maniac vocal work. Just a real pleasure to listen to, the untreated metal work, with amplified metal work and other sounds blending together perfectly, and the sound has proper amount of punch to it. There was none other like Keith with this kind of stuff.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Mania - "Insidious and Alone" tape
Mania - "Decript" tape
Everyone knows Mania was good, and still is. I really love this type of Mania, dirty atmosphere, with interesting samples of walking, operating things and such. With crisp production and really maniac vocal work. Just a real pleasure to listen to, the untreated metal work, with amplified metal work and other sounds blending together perfectly, and the sound has proper amount of punch to it. There was none other like Keith with this kind of stuff.

There was talk with Keith that all FA tapes would be collected to one CD, after the "Raw nerves... " CD was done. Still feeling a bit strange about reissues, even if he did give the permission to do so in future.

[Bloated Slutbag]

Perversion at all costs

[MT]

Had some old Hippycrack tapes I was gonna listen to, a demo and a rehearsal material tape but they were both either dubbed with extremely volume or they both are broken the same way. But they were pretty much unlistenable. Shame.

Skin Graft - "Drug Addict" tape
I had a memory of this tape being a rather good one, and it certainly is. Especially like the side (no side markings mind you) that starts with water sloshing around, omnious low synth humming in the background. Just this really dirty atmosphere that reminds me of sewer water. Kind of like Mania, but way more rugged and lo-fi sound. Overall really good tape.

Being - "Hunters Fingers" tape
Mega saturated in distortion, sometimes completely blown out. Crackles and pauses. B-side was the strong side for sure, more diversity and oomph to it, there was a red line to follow.

Keränen - "As Below So Above" tape
Keränen live tape that has two gigs from the very different settings. A-side is played in the EST bunker with known hooligans present, excellent powerful sound! Known noise hooligans being extremely enthusiastic about the gig, you can just hear it. And I don't blame them! Keränen is ripping the fuck out of his noise gear, I'd be going a bit nuts myself. Love it how at the end of the set people are begging for MORE so they got a short burst of "encore" where crowd sounds like being in a noise ecstasy, haha!

Second gig takes place in a whole different venue. Keränen operates smoothly in noise thug dungeons and academic concert halls, such as this; Helsinki Music Centre. Sound is much more spacious, naturally. And also much more striking on high and mid tones. Precise noise attack on a somewhat unsuspecting crowd I'd assume,at the end there is a pause and then clapping, like at a real concert, not screaming their lungs out like on the a-side gig, haha. Very good counterpart for the a-side in your face sound gig, more refined sound and very powerful set on it's own way. Really damn good live tape!

[Balor/SS1535]

Mania - "Insidious and Alone" tape
Mania - "Decript" tape
Everyone knows Mania was good, and still is. I really love this type of Mania, dirty atmosphere, with interesting samples of walking, operating things and such. With crisp production and really maniac vocal work. Just a real pleasure to listen to, the untreated metal work, with amplified metal work and other sounds blending together perfectly, and the sound has proper amount of punch to it. There was none other like Keith with this kind of stuff.

There was talk with Keith that all FA tapes would be collected to one CD, after the "Raw nerves... " CD was done. Still feeling a bit strange about reissues, even if he did give the permission to do so in future.

Well, I hope that this cd might happen one day.  Those tapes are some of my personal favorites of his recordings (and noise in general).

[impulse manslaughter]

Today I was listening online to Macronympha ‎– Grind. Never heard this before, what a total ripper. Exactly the type of harsh noise I like + perfectly executed and mixed. Tape from 95 now re-issued on cd. Any EU distros stocking this?

[WCN]

I’ve had several loads come and go at WCN. I have one final shipment on the way.

[absurdexposition]

I’ve had several loads come and go at WCN. I have one final shipment on the way.

It's been a mega-seller over here, too. I think I'm down to my last one yet again.

[-NRRRRK-]

Skin Graft - "Drug Addict" tape
I had a memory of this tape being a rather good one, and it certainly is. Especially like the side (no side markings mind you) that starts with water sloshing around, omnious low synth humming in the background. Just this really dirty atmosphere that reminds me of sewer water. Kind of like Mania, but way more rugged and lo-fi sound. Overall really good tape.

Got a new tapedeck recently and that Skin Graft was the first tape I played. Excellent atmosphere indeed, nice choice of sounds, super raw atmosphere.

[impulse manslaughter]

I’ve had several loads come and go at WCN. I have one final shipment on the way.

I totally missed this and saw it was sold out on your site. Will try to import a few copies myself or order one from you when the next batch arrives. Thanks for the update.

[MT]

Fullmoon - "United Aryan Evil" cd
Polishh black metal, and an absolute classic in that genre. Been listening to a shitty mp3 rip for many years and now getting a proper and well 'mastered' version, it is a pleasure to listen to. Crude production as one might expect, but it also has moments when these really 'beautiful' and 'frail' melodies are dug up from the mash. Epic lenght titled track offers many moods, but rest of the songs do not pale in comparison. Essential for anyone who is into black metal.

Genocide Organ - "Mind Control" cd
What hasn't been said about this? Classic release that took some time for me to fully seep into my mind. Since I got this cd I've been listening to it a lot, Hail America is of course very familiar track from "Remember", so cool to listen to the original album version. Overall the sound is fantastic on this, the shitty rips online do absolutely no justice to this. Digipack re-release has very simple layout, works really nicely. Don't know how much original releases had artworks etc though.

Hal Hutchinson - "Cold Industrial Experience" cd
Funnily enough, I reckon this cd has a lot similarities soundwise with older Genocide Organ material, it is only missing vocals. But neverthless this is a solid album, lenght is just perfect too. I didn't get that much 'cold' vibes from this though, I found the sound to be quite warm with that nice tape distortion type overdrive, and damn do I love that sound. High recommendations.

[Eigen Bast]

UAE is such a beast of a record

Kataxu - Ancestral Mysteries - CD - 2021 - Wolfspell Records
While not reaching the heights of "Roots Thunder" or "Hunger of Elements", you get 6 tracks of symphonic BM + interludes lodged somewhere between Darkspace and Emperor. Layering so many elements works against the record as it softens the overall edge; what should be triumphant ends up muddy and dark. It doesn't help there's so much "filler" on here, including a way too long spoken word interlude about like, fascists in space. A bit of a disappointment but shouldn't be too alienating to fans of previous Kataxu releases.  I do highly recommend the "Beyond Time" record "Through the Vastness of the Universe"; ex Kataxu + Old Leshy band members doing something similar, with better results.

Vothana - Hành Động Bây Giờ, Tương Lai Đảm Bảo / Action Now, Assured Future - CS - 2021 - VWD
It's strange seeing Vothana achieving somewhat "mainstream" (for the underground) success given his history of smashing backstock after it leaks online. With this new attention you see an expansion and refinement of the "epic" sound Vothana has created. While the 2 records prior to this had a very "hot" production that was extremely fatiguing, this one smooths the edges a bit to great effect. Catchy, regal, triumphant, all those superlatives....the strongest Vothana of recent memory.

Grizelda - Self Titled - CD - 2021 - CW Productions
I have been a Grizelda fan for a long time now, having seen him perform under the "Nefaria" moniker a few times back when I lived in the PNW. Most recently, I saw him open for Cirrhus and it was just magnificent - heavy mid-tempo black metal that calls to mind some of the Polish greats. This album consists of 6 tracks and synth interludes, with an extremely heavy, almost martial industrial cadence. There's something baroque to the guitar playing; long riffs slowly unfurl over well done synth, while the computerized rhythm section provides a chilly militaristic cadence to the non-synth tracks. Very confident material with a unique voice; fans of either of the previously mentioned artists would find much to love here. Legit moving stuff - highest recommendation. Also noticed it was (superbly) mastered by Harald Mentor, which really elevates this to something special.