Megaton Leviathan : "Past 21 Beyond the Arctic Cell"

The eerie 13 minute opener sails by on cold waters. Chilling chant like vocals echo out from the depths of the song. This doom but it comes across heavier in an emotional sense than a metallic one. Where most doom is very oppressive, with the low end weighing the song down, these guys are very spacious. I ma not sure if this is psychedelic, though cerebral. The grandiose strings that come in toward the end are more like something from King Crimson's "In the Wake of Poseidon album, some by more progressive, though it would even be difficult to define it as that since the song doesn't really have any changes just lumbering off the same tearful riff.

On "the Foolish Man " I am reminded of the new Earth album, but these guys have a higher success rate than Earth, they allow the drone to hypnotize with out limiting themselves to a numbing repetition.Exotic scales trickle off the plodding. This is done with a tad more sluggishness on "Arctic Cell" that pounds into things a little more like you would expect from a doom band. The vocals on "the Foolish Man" have a drugged mumble to them. Hey, it worked for Iron Butterfly, "Inna Gadda Divida" was supposed to be ..."in the garden of Eden, but they were too fucked up, so it comes with the territory. The gloom that coats this album does begin to grow on me more with each listen and I think the cool wandering passages of guitar that coast by in the back ground attribute to this.Arctic Cell progresses there are some very cleverly written punches and chugs scattered about the vast wasteland of a song. The staccato chug at the eight minute mark, helped bring the metal back.Building until the siren like female vocals bring in the dreamy tide around the crescendo.

It's hard to tell if the cover of Judas Priest's "Here Comes the Tears " is just plain terrible and they are out of their depth on this one or if they are going for a more death-rock take on this. The reason for this is that they do have a creepy under current running under their music and if some one like Atriarch did this I would approve.The almost goth like baritone vocals gurgle up on"Arctic Cell" , so it could go either way. Whatever the case the vocals are lacking, but I'm going to pretend they are going for more of a Pinkish Black thing here than become repulsed, they get points for being dark and busting out a decent solo.    

This album continues to grow on me so I will round it up to a 9, though this album is like creeper weed, so over time some of the elements I'm not as sure of I will warm up to.  It's fair to guess if you like atmospheric doom, that indulges in the psychedelic ambiance to the point it almost smokes the metal out of it, then you will be similarly impressed.
 

Theurgist: "All of them Lowly Creatures"

Just when I thought I was done with all the Siouxsie impersonators. Zola Jesus has grown beyond that and  the last album Arctic Flowers released was disappointing  and then  I stumble across this band from Philly. They are creepier and less punk rock than Arctic Flowers , I suppose closer to the zip code Savages lives in. Though with the lead singers name being Amaris Mortis, which sounds like a black metal band, the are heading into the darkness with full intentions.

It's when the band drops down to a slower pace on "Verdugo" that they find their own identity . This also allows Mortis to flex her pipes, though in a more Switch Blade Symphony direction. It picks up again for "Lizzie Boredom" but the tempo varies during the song even though the bulk of the song is the more upbeat punk like vibe. The punk vibe often causes the songs to fly by in a boring blur, "Ill Heaven" falls prey to this where as the slower paced and more deliberate "Love Lies Bleeding" finds ways to be more unique in the vocal melody and the guitar hook.

The album's main weakness is not the punk vibes, but the poor production. The bass is also to low in the mix, it should be one of the driving factors in death rock. This does one hand prevent them from sounding like other death rock bands, but the album doesn't feel as dark and lacks those low end balls. Even with this going against them they are still darker than Arctic Flowers.

"Endor Voice" takes more of a Cure vibe , if you are thinking "Kiss me, Kiss me, Kiss me"  era with a slight "Silent Hedges " touch to the guitar. The bass comes out of hiding on this one. Overall this song is the most impressive on the album as it creates a sound that is justly dark , but original even when their influences are riding their black sleeves.

These guys and ghouls have a lot of potential and I want to hear more from them in the future. I'll around this one up to an 8.5, would like to hear what they could do with the type of production and time that was put into Beastmilk's last album. If you are a fan of horror punk, goth or post-rock..whatever name you want to put on the stuff coming out of the bat cave these days then this is worth a listen.

Check out their Bandcamp page, they are letting you name your price on their new one.
http://theurgist.bandcamp.com/

Helms Alee : "Sleepwalking Sailors"

Helms Alee , if you don't know is a three piece from Seattle that features former members of These are Are Snakes, who after catching a few times live always seemed overrated to me despite boasting former members of Botch. So this is what happens when former members or former members, its calling out the second string off the bench. The second it begins to remind me of what Kylesa used to do. It progressive sludge. The shouted vocals of this ilk sound dated to me as they are not really committing to screaming, Mastodon did it in their transition out of metal and now here it is reminding me of the 2000's.

"Pinniped" is more like what I expected from these guys. The post- rock elements are toned down in the first few songs for a beefier stampede of jock rock, so the more indie rock like fare is welcomed and the first song on this album that really resonates with me. "Dangling Modifiers" continues down this path like a more muscular version of Minus the Bear. The angry lumber jack vocals counterbalancing the more indifferent indie rock singing, that could Built to Spill or any other of the dead pan Dinosaur Jr like vocal approaches. They use a similar play on the good cop , bad cop vocal dynamic on the lazy slacker waltz of "Heavy Worm Burden". They make some great moody yet angular rock here, so the overwrought burliness of the more hoarse vocals kind pisses on it at times.

When Dana Jame's lead a song with her vocals , it works better for me than when they start with the more gruff vocals or the laid back slacker one, as both routes seem to hold something to them that I have heard before. Some of the album's best vocal blending comes on "Fetus. Carcass". The heavier build build works better on this one than it has on the rest of the album , because the set up is there. Kinda like how a horror movie isn't as effect if you don't care about the characters so their gruesome deaths are just blood on the screen. They set up "Slow Beef" in a similar fashion and I really like the cleaner guitar tones they use at the onset of the song.

"Animatronic Bionic" kinda fall out of the end section of the previous song. It grows more angular and the metal kick in works better because of this and the riff is just plain catchier. The trend of one song falling right out of the end section of another is "Dodge the Lighting" which literally made me check iTunes as it sounds like a cool ending section to the previous song, though the shouted vocals tend to dominate it.
It leans more towards a meat and potatoes styled post-hard core that doesn't strike me as something I would listen to on a regular basis, but I don't feel like I wasted my time giving these guys a shot, it isn't my thing , but it might be yours. I'll give this album a 7 as it's well executed and there are some interesting songs captured here, round it up a whole point if you mid the early 2000's .

Whirr : "Sway"

Right from the first note the San Francisco band is putting more rock into their brand of dreamy...what ever sub-genre you want to tag them with...shoe-gaze being the most likely. This is not just a tribute to Slow Dive, this album feels just as influenced by Sonic Youth. Sure even the opener"Press" has that scraping shimmer like My Bloody Valentine employs , but they are letting themselves become pigeon holed by there influences.

These guys are hot on the heels of Nothing, who conjure together a some what similar blend of 90's influenced indie rock. These guys are dreamier than Nothing, the bass often harder and more fuzzed out and they lack the under coating of grunge Nothing carries. Drums and melody help propel songs like "Mumble". The key to making this sort of thing work is being grounded enough to not let the songs drift out from under you and put the listener to sleep. These guys rock enough to not let that become a problem.

Once the third song 'Dry" comes around they are hitting it harder almost like True Widow does, even relaxing into the verses. This gives them just the right balance of dynamics so their songs don't start sounding the same, though with five more songs to go the jury is still out. They do use different shades of dream when it comes to their guitar tone, some more distorted than others. The sweeping elegance of "Clear" shoe-cases their more crystalline guitar sound.The indulgence of this does cause the song to float away and is much less anchored than "Heavy' that follows. Despite it's name this one is moodier , but wouldn't say actually heavy.  

The breathy tension of the title track hovers in an almost drone like fashion. The vocals are distant creating a darker effect than how they have been presented thus far. Dynamically droning it remains rather one dimensional. Though even the lull grows on you. The dynamic shift occurs on "Lines' somewhat more upbeat, the bass line propelling the songs sense of movement. The album fades into the great gray yonder . Almost sounding like a soundtrack to one of the balloons I let go of as a kid and wondered where it went.

I'll give this album a 9.5 it's growing on me , sometimes the slow and dreamy sits better with me than others. This albums shows a lot of growth from this band, if you like shoe gaze or indie rock of any flavor it's worth checking out.

Clan of Xymox : "Matters of Mind Body & Soul"

This is the 15th album by the dutch band, who were once pioneers of goth in 1981. Sure plenty of other bands we commonly think of as goth, were already around by that point..the Cure, Siouxsie...but it could be argued their sound has not only stood the test of time , but most goth albums that have carried  strong electronic overtones since the 90's certainly  are following the boot prints Clan of Xymox left behind. On their new album they prove by staying the same the cyclical nature of music will catch up to them.

I can do without the opening intro number that sounds like the Dr. Who theme song remixed for a Halloween special. "She's Falling in Love" is a strong song, the crisp modern production vs the 80's synth feel provide a perfect canvas for Ronny Mooring's vocals. His voice hasn't aged a day, not that he throws it around with the gusto of Peter Murphy, but it works perfectly for what he does. His lower register is explored on " Climate Changed" which is a cold brooding dark wave number, that I warmed up to like the polar caps eluded to in the title.

The album is littered with instrumental interludes, but when they get down to actually writing songs it's clear the majick is still there. Mooring's voice excels at every turn, the more morose "I Close My Eyes' shows how he has influenced every stereotype of goth singing.His voice at times touches on notes up top that remind me a little of the Pet Shop Boys. The guitar sounds on this album play second fiddle in the mix to the synths, but are excellently crafted as well, this album continues to surprise me the more it progresses.

"Hand in Glove" is not the Smiths song, it is instead a very Gary Numan like piece of angular dark-wave.Cold, robotic and futuristic in the way A Clock Work Orange is.Upon initial listens it doesn't strike me the same way the first three songs did. It is not a bad song by any means these guys just raised the bar high for themselves early on so that's what I want maintained. The synths take on a more edm like resonance on "Go Your Own Way" which find them on more of a Pet Shop Boys path, so reporting directly to the dance floor not collecting 200 dollars.

The opening synth melody to "Loves on Diet" reminds me of Tears For Fears, but the song darkens considerably once it kicks in. Mooring balances out the use of his lower register with his more mournful mid range. Despite the strum of acoustic guitar spattered about they move into a more pop inflected side of dark wave on"I'll Let You Go". Nothing is wrong with it, its just a little more upbeat than what I think makes for the albums best vibes, but that's me not Mooring.

The elegance of drama that marks goth flows freely on "Months Ago" whihc still always the band to lean into the more synth pop side that shows through on the second half of this album. The collision of tender ether to the guitars and the increased desperation in Mooring's yearning, creates a a sonic collision not unlike if  My Dying  Bride  mixed with the Cure. Despite the album's in your face synth heavy mix, the guitar tone of "Kiss and Tell' provides a more rock like pulse. This was needed to darken things up.

They fake us out once again as "Chinese Whispers " is not a cover of the Cure song, but an ambient outro pieces, that's mainly sound effects and samples. I'll go ahead and give this album a 9 for now, some of the poppier synth heavy moments won't get as much play from me but they have exceeded my expectations and make me want to delve back into their earlier work again.

Here Comes Dragon Con : Interview with Loss'John 'Ichabod' Anderson

Recently caught up with my friend John " Ichabod" Anderson the bass player for Loss, to talk about this year's Horror Track at Dragon-con, his band and the horror genre.

Wil: How did you become involved with Dragon Con?

Ichabod:  My involvement with Dragon Con began when I met Derek Tatum, Director of Dragon Con’s Horror Track, at a concert many years ago. We realized that we not only knew a lot of the same bands in the U.S. scene, but that we also saw eye to eye on a lot of movies, books, shows, and especially music. It was to be his first year as director, so he recruited me for the staff -- mostly to cover music, at first, but I would later become Assistant Director. This will be our 10^th year representing the dark side of the convention.

Wil: This is the second year of the Horror Track after splitting off from Dark Fantasy, what can we expect this year? 

Ichabod:  Yes, the track has gone through several names over the years, in an effort to describe the particular niche of dark culture and art that we like to cover. Ultimately, “dark fantasy,” much like the term “goth,” had started to mean too many things to too many people, making the scope of the track unwieldy. Thus, the track was split into Horror, which tends to be taken the right way, and a whole new track called Urban Fantasy. Having said that, the Horror Track still covers properties that would be considered ‘dark fantasy,’ as well as bands from the goth/industrial scene.

This year, we’re covering current shows like “Hannibal,” “Sleepy Hollow,” “American Horror Story,” and the final season of “True Blood,” which I’ll be discussing with some of the actors over the weekend. We’ll also be covering classic shows like “The Twilight Zone” and my all time favorite, “Twin Peaks,” to mark the anniversary of Laura Palmer’s famous “I’ll see you again in 25 years” scene. In the area of film, we’ll be talking with Tom Savini about his years of monster-making, Cary Elwes about the darker side of his career, and William Stout about his many screen creations.  We’ve got a battery of excellent current authors, in addition to coverage of icons like Stephen King, H.P. Lovecraft, and Anne Rice. Plus, we have panels with many of this year’s bands, experts on a range of dark subject matter, and much more. You can see the full schedule at http://horror.dragoncon.org/, but make sure to check this year’s Dragon Con App for the latest details, as things can shift.

Wil: The “State of the Goth Scene” panel is splitting into two parts this year, one for rock and another for edm,  what is the reason for this? 

Ichabod:  Initially, we had planned for “The State of the Goth Scene” to be our only music panel this year, but as we approached the convention, more bands than we could fit into a single hour were booked. Rather than leave any bands out of what has become a signature panel for us, we decided to turn it into two hours and spread it out a bit. Dividing the bands between the more electronic and the more organic isn’t an exact science, since many bands take from both sides, but given how the overall goth/industrial scene seems to have split along a similar line recently, it made sense. 

Wil: You are also very involved in the goth scene in your home town, how's the scene there, and how has your involvement progressed? 

Ichabod:  Nashville has seen a lot of growth recently – both in popularity and in population -- and that’s been great for the music scene in general. Things are happening here now that would not have been possible even a few years ago. We just passed the one year anniversary of my current club night, Fascination Street, and the response to what we’re doing has far surpassed what I thought we could accomplish with such a focused night. It’s primarily a guitar-driven post-punk, deathrock, darkwave, and traditional goth night, which is where my heart is, but those are styles that had been relegated to the background in the goth/industrial scene for more than 10 years. We’re also spinning a lot of the current bands, not just the icons or the obscurities, which is something that previously couldn’t find a steady club-audience here, so I’m very glad to see people getting into it now. I’ve wanted this for years. The future is looking good.

If anyone is in the Nashville area, check us out: facebook.com/fascinationstreetnashville.

Wil: What do you feel caused the recent boom in horror television? 

Ichabod:  I believe that everything is cyclical, really, so it was time for horror to make a comeback on the small screen, but I wouldn’t limit the reasons to that.  There have been some wildly popular horror shows in recent years, and the success of the few opens doors for the many.  When a show like “The Walking Dead” is sweeping the ratings, the industry has to recognize that as a vote for what people want. Also, thanks to innovation and risk-taking over the past couple of decades (I’ll nod my cap to “Twin Peaks” again), coupled with a shift in technology and the way people absorb their entertainment (internet streaming, DVRs, binge-watching), television is no longer the lesser sibling of film. It is no longer a step down for a respected film actor to cross over into television. What we’re seeing now is some great talent telling stories that don’t have to end in two hours, and that appeals to today’s obsessive viewer.  

Wil: Is Classic Universal Horror being represented this year? 

Ichabod:  Not in particular, but I’m sure the topic will come up in panels like “Dracula Rises from the Grave... Again,” which will chronicle the perennial popularity of the most widely-recognized vampire in western culture. I’m sure Bela and company will not be left out of such a discussion.

Wil: You also play bass in the doom metal band Loss, when is your follow up to your last album "Despond" coming out? And will we ever see metal having more of a presence at Dragon-con? 

Ichabod:  We (Loss) are currently in the writing stages for the follow-up to “Despond.” It’s too early to set a release date, but we already have several songs in the works, and we’ve been hammering out details like the album’s title, concepts for the artwork, how /where it will be recorded, and all of the arrangements with Profound Lore, who will be releasing the new album, of course. For anyone who hasn’t heard it, we released a split with Hooded Menace this summer on Doomentia, entitled “A View from the Rope. “ It contains our first new song since “Despond,” which we hope will tide people over until the new album is finished.

We’re all metal fans at the Horror Track, naturally, so the presence of metal at Dragon Con has certainly been a topic of conversation for us. We’d like to do more with metal, but as with everything we cover, it all depends on the guests and speakers that are available to us. Dragon Con did book a ‘symphonic metal’ band, Anaria, this year, so that could be an indication of things to come, but I’m not holding out for someone like (our dream metal guest) King Diamond to appear – although GWAR has played in the past, and we’ve had the distinct honor of getting Alice Cooper as a speaker, so who knows?

 I should note that most people don’t realize how bands get booked for Dragon Con. Basically, all bands have to apply to perform or they’re not considered, and they generally don’t get paid a guarantee. That rules out bands of a lot of genres and sizes. On top of that, performers also have to fit the culture and the vibe of the convention -- which, incidentally, is why Loss wouldn’t fit at DC (since many have asked). I should also note that the track directors don’t have any say over what bands get booked. The convention has their own department for that.

Wil: What's your favorite horror movie so far this year? 

Ichabod:  For 2014, it’s hard to say. There are so many promising films that I haven’t been able to take in yet. “Only Lovers Left Alive” looks like it should be amazing, so I hope that it will live up to the hype. Looking back on last year’s crop, though, I absolutely loved “Byzantium.” I thought it was a great return-to-form for Neil Jordan. Also, while not a perfect film, “Kiss of the Damned” stuck with me as well, with an atmosphere reminiscent of “Daughters of Darkness” or “The Hunger.”

Wil: Hollywood seems to be overly dependent on vampires, zombies and were-wolves. What other monsters do you feel need more screen time? 

Ichabod:  It’s funny you should say that, as I just praised two vampire films, but I actually agree about the dependence. The reason I loved those two films is because they captured what I love about a good vampire film, either by ignoring current trends, or working against them. Overall, Hollywood loves to take whatever is popular and absolutely run it into the ground, but I always leave room for a well-done piece of work from any sub-genre. The success of “The Walking Dead” really pushed the zombie trend over the shark, but that hasn’t ruined zombie stories for me. I just have to wade through a larger crop to find the good ones. There’s always somebody out there with enough passion for a genre to make it work again. As for monsters that need more screen time? Original monsters, I would say. It’s great to play with the archetypes, but I’d love to see more people trying to create their own iconic creatures and characters.

Wil: Any pre-con rituals the week of? 

Ichabod:  So many rituals, so little time. After a decade of doing Dragon Con, I’ve built up several traditions – some official, some unofficial. On the official side, I spend a good bit of time doing research on the guests I’ll be working with and writing out far more questions than I will need. I like to be prepared for whatever might happen. It just makes for a better show.

On the unofficial side of the fence, I’m known for handing out a free compilation CD of current dark music, and this year is no exception. The 2014 “Out ov the Coffin: Compilation for the Dead” is in production as we speak, featuring a long list of great post-punk, goth, deathrock, industrial, darkwave, and related bands. It’s my way of giving something back to the scene, and also a taste of what my podcast (“Out ov the Coffin”) is like. Speaking of which, I’ll be recording the “Road to Dragon Con” bonus edition of that podcast tonight, which spotlights the year’s convention line-up from the goth-nerd perspective. You can find more info on that at outovthecoffin.blogspot.com.

Ill Omen : "Enthroning the Bonds of Abhorrence"

If you can get past the poor production, which harkens back to the kvlt as hell days of black metal then you will find a gem here. This album is really dark and moody , not just spitting a bunch of blast beasts in your face, but adorning the music with an appropriate amount of the standard black metal trappings. This Australian  band released this album on Nuclear War Now.

All of the songs are numbered rather than named. The third one is particularly scathing and should satisfy even the heaviest of souls.The vocals are interesting as they are screamed , but with a rasp that sounds more like a ring wraith than I have ever heard the human voice convey. These guys are bent on creating dark and evil sounding music and have done themselves proud. I would expect something like this to more likely come out of France.The fourth song almost takes on a more traditional metal feel, if it were not for the ring wraith screaming from the tomb.

The ambiance of tremolo picked guitar works even better when the vocals dip down into more guttural places. I have read comparisons to Ash Borer and I don't hear it as there is very little leanings towards post -rock though they capture some interesting guitar tones. There is a Circle of  Ouroborus feel as the album progresses , at other times it feels like Burzum here and there, with the lingering sensation of Depressed suicidal black metal.The 8th songs features the vocals shifting into more of a chant and the metal meter picking up on the guitars.

They clang into a more blaze in the northern noise on the 8th song. The drums are really the main hindrance with the over all sound as the cymbals sound dead and make static sounds when the crash rides out. At the slower speed of the tenth song this problem is not as noticeable. In fact I like there overall sound at the slower pace you can take your time and hear how different this web they have woven is. They darkly build the slower section, til I am waiting for the blast, and I have grown tired of blast beats. They of course show up in the song's final three moments.

On the ninth song there is the moan of clean vocals. The cavernous lower ones are pretty haunting. This song is more build up than not as they drone on with this for the first three minutes of the song. Normally these guys don't go as crazy as some in making the songs sprawl out. The more sung or bellowed vocals is really unique even when they are defaulting to a more typical blasting drone.

It's hard to say if I would like this better with better production and if better production would hurt the ambiance of the sound they have created. By the end of the album it is not as much of an issue with me as I accept it like I did early Burzm.I'll give this album a 9 and room to grwo on me, if production doesn't botter you and you want a weirder take on the cvlt sound check this out.