Grst - Plague Seed (Glossolalia Records)

What struck me immediately about Grst's first full length is the amount of confidence that is contained in the four tracks that make up Plague Seed. While the band materialized in 2009, they did not release something until earlier this year. Besides a one track on a split, the band's first release, the band put out an EP of Weakling cover songs. While the covers were brilliantly executed and did the American masters justice, it seemed odd. One would think a band with this much talent would put their efforts into composing their own material, working with original ideas and expanding. Let alone releasing a tape of covers can be risky, some may see it as a sign of unsureness and honestly I did.

Enter Plague Seed an album which was composed in 2009, according to an interview with the ever excellent Western Lamb. What Grst has brought us defies all worries I had about the bands potential for growth. An album that is characterized by its mastery and ambition. All three members of Grst have been in a litany of excellent projects linked to the Glossolalia family; the harsh noise wall act Willowbrook, the violent math-addled blackened crust of Banewreaker, and the hallucinogenic teach-death outfit Arkhum among a slew of others. The three musicians combine their obvious skill and knowledge of dark and heavy sounds to create something that will leave black metal devotees stunned and completely convinced.

Grst continues the American tradition of pushing the boundaries of black metal forward. Their style calls to mind Northwestern American luminaries and of course Weakling. Grst's vision, however, is far less limited in scope than many of their so called "Cascadian" counterparts. They play black metal that is completely immersed in the expansive nature of the transcendent style yet still retains a firm grasp on aggression and cathartic release. Take "Plague Seed" the album's opening track. While the riffs are cloaked in the mystical buzz of the mountainous Northwest there is lingering traces of pure devastation. The track itself is a furious blast-beat driven cathartic experience. Vocalist Kenneth Parker barks and screeches powerfully over the ripping aggression of both guitar and bass of Nathanael Kelley and Joshua Vincent.

Noise influence takes hold on the interlude track "Abandon" consisting of an airy, ominous drone accompanied by somber guitar. The track is calming and indicative of the moments of clarity exist throughout the album. This contemplative nature shows itself again during the opening minutes of "Pondering the Wastes." Twin guitars entwine their melodies and bring with them a sense of longing. This signals the torrential, mesmerizing riffing to come that is unleashed when the song begins to rip forward. The guitars continue to weave melodies as the track descends into a more aggressive state. The contrast Grst creates between moments of mournful reflection and driving rage is exactly what separates them from a slew of bands playing atmospheric black metal. The wide variety of emotional weight contained in the debut is overwhelming. Rage, mourning, tension, and release all exist within the onslaught. The musicianship exhibited by each of the bands three members is astounding, again showing self-assurance. Vocalist Parker is able to navigate between coarse rasps and hollow sounding growls with precision. Both Kelley and Vincent handle guitars and their work is equally impressive. Cascading riffs collide with one another creating the furious and meditative sound that emanates from the album.

Plague Seed took me by surprise. I in no way expected an album of this scope and magnitude. Ripping black fury is contrasted with sweeping and entrancing melodies, taking cues from a multitude of styles while still maintaining a sound that is completely Grst. Plague Seed is available from Glossolalia records in digital and vinyl formats here. If you are a fan of black metal either in its purest of forms or in its more expansive wanderings don't sleep on Grst.

Review: Venowl / Highgate (Tartarus Records) & Cara Neir / Venowl (Broken Limbs Recordings)

Venowl is an enigmatic group. The three members choose to represent themselves with symbols; ::, //, and ][. The band creates some of the most caustic and disjointed music to ever grace these ears. Doom, black metal, noise, and general disregard for convention are combined to create something wholly earth shattering and devastatingly depraved. Lurching and ominous the band utilizes improvisation to create their horrid, torturous sonic landscapes. The band has seen two new releases in the months of September and October, both splits and both are nothing less than expressions of sonic torment. On each split Venowl is joined by an equally groundbreaking and impressive band. Both Highgate and Cara Neir easily match Venowl's jagged intensity with more structured pieces, Highgate brings lumbering blackened doom while Cara Neir drags the listener through swarming, diverse black metal.

Venowl / Highgate

September saw the release of a split between Venowl and Highgate. Venowl begins with "Vacant Cellar" a song without defined structure or reason. The track continues the Venowl tradition of being completely disjointed and improvised, however it is more structural and rhythmic than much of Venowl's music. Taking on more of a doom-like structure the band experiments within those confines. However, the band does no use this as a limitation, instead utilizing the loose structure to further enhance their descent into madness. Slowing moving towards oblivion, painful shrieks usher in layer upon layer of madness. Feedback slices through the grime accompanying the manic screams and shouts. Where Venowl truly succeed is in creating sickening atmosphere. Conjuring images of an old vacant house, filled with an aura of horrible deeds and broken bones. A place of destruction and most importantly a place of torture. Living up to the description of "torture doom" and completely embodying all that is horrific and depraved.

Highgate also implements elements of black metal and noise into their murky doom. Considerably more riff based and structured than Venowl, Highgate provide the listener with a more traditional and in some ways comprehensible take a similar formula. This is not to say that "Carved into Winter" is easy listening by any means. The Kentucky quartet offers up spirit-breaking doom, massive riffs collide with crashing drums and vicious rasps and grunts. Utilizing repetition as a tool for complete annihilation Highgate drags the listener deeper and deeper into their horrid cave. Ghastly melodies accompany the sludge addled riffs, suddenly the track dissolves abstraction. Pulsating rays of noise fade in and out creating a disorienting interlude to the rest of Highgate's track. Taking a more mournful form the track progresses slowly before disintegrating into feedback, ending the excellent work. 

The split can be heard and purchased here through Tartarus Records. A triumph of blackened doom, and a perfect pairing of two bands with different takes on the same devastating combination.

Cara Neir / Venowl

The second split is forthcoming. A reunion between Venowl and Cara Neir set to be released by Broken Limbs Recordings in mid-October. Cara Neir opens the split with three tracks of screamo influenced, post-hardcore injected, crusty black metal. Vocalist Chris Francis uses his powerful voice to push the songs to further levels of intensity while multi-instrumentalist Garry Brents displays his immense talent on each instrument. Playing everything from ripping hardcore chords to reflective even jazz-like melodies. Opening with "Aeonian Temple" with technicality at the forefront, Brents plays riffs like a madman while Francis offers frantic barks. The second and third tracks take on more reflective tones. "Nights..." sounds akin to the lighter moments 90s screamo artists like Saetia, utilizing harmonies and calm echoed vocals. The track provides the perfect amount of reflection before "Pitiful Human Bindings" rears its head. Combining the best parts of the first two tracks, ripping aggression and cryptic reflection. Madness and contemplation are joined as one, creating a track unconcerned with any sort of tradition, merely following the creative will of two immensely talented musicians. With their contributions on this split Cara Neir prove yet again that they are one of the most interesting and inventive bands currently active.

Venowl's track "Scour (Parts I and II)" is again another journey into the deepest abyss of the darkest aspects human consciousness. A completely soulless evil which takes the form of disjointed, dragged out chords, pained shrieks, and spastic drumming. Trudging through the mire, sickeningly dense and calamitous. The improvisational beast could only be described as ugly, completely without any trace of human attachment. The whole track is a confusing and harrowing journey deep into the minds of the three nameless specters. Formless and yet containing remnants of structure shaped by completely ruinous riffs. When a structural riff rears its head it becomes all the more powerful, cutting its way through the murky mess of incoherent chords and triumphantly presenting itself as supremely devastating. Venowl's contribution to this split is corrosive and scathing, providing the listener with layer upon layer of discord and bleak expressionism.

A union of two very different bands create something wholly unlike any other split release I have ever come across. A true testament to the fragmented nature of man. The tape will be available from Broken Limbs Recordings soon.

Interview: A. Poole (Chaos Moon, Esoterica, Lithotome)

A. Poole is a multi-instrumentalist who is responsible for some of the most forward thinking and innovative metal music today through projects such as Chaos Moon, Esoterica, and Lithotome. He recently released the latest Chaos Moon album Resurrection Extract via I, Voidhanger Records, which is a journey of blistering black metal bathed in dark psychedelic textures. I recently sent him some questions regarding the new album and his multitude of bands among a slew of other things. His music can be found at the following places: Chaos Moon, Esoterica, Lithotome. All three come with the highest recommendation possible, if you haven't heard them do so.

Horn of Woe: You abandoned the Chaos Moon moniker in order to start playing as Esoterica, what led to the creation of the new project? Did you see Esoterica as a continuation of what you were doing in Chaos Moon?

A. Poole: I had a major block writing in the style I wanted to write in for Chaos Moon. So, I approached writing in a new method which resulted in the formation of Esoterica. At the time, it did seem like a natural progression and I considered Chaos Moon dead, but something clicked and I was able to articulate what I wanted for Chaos Moon.

 HoW: You have recently resurrected Chaos Moon and have just released a new album Resurrection Extract. Why did you revive the project and what does a new Chaos Moon record mean for you?

AP: I “accidentally” wrote in the style of Chaos Moon again. I couldn’t release it under the Esoterica name, because it wasn’t the sound I was going for with that, so I had to bring it back from its short coma. Reviving the project has been a fulfilling experience for me because I was able to tap into something that I had been trying for years to tap into again. I didn’t want to write an album of “Languor Into Echoes, Beyond” tribute songs, I wanted to write something new, but from that same “place.”

Resurrection Extract

HoW: Lithotome is completely different from both of your more black metal oriented works, with a sound that is almost entirely rooted in the realm of death metal. What was this project born out of?

AP: Lithotome came about during the writer’s block time. I was experimenting with various tunings and the album wrote itself.

HoW: You are obviously extremely immersed in numerous forms of dark music, having been involved in several bands for over ten years now. What first drew you to heavy and dark music and what continues to drive your prolific output?

AP: I’ve always been attracted to darker or “sad” music, even when I was a child. Music that made you really feel something. I stumbled upon “In the Nightside Eclipse” by Emperor my first year of high school and that did it for me. I immediately tried to write music like that and haven’t stopped since. I’m addicted to recreating that feeling. 

HoW: With several projects you must dedicate an immense amount of time to the writing, I’m interested in finding out more about your creative process. Do you keep each project separate during creation or do you simply write and see where it fits best?

AP: I let the ideas come naturally. Sitting down and forcing myself to write music 98% of the time ends in failure or something down the road that needs a lot of work. I have to let the excitement of creating hit me and then I can write music that is honest. It’s all about conveying feelings or ideas, not writing like the band/style you’ve been listening to a lot. Because of this and the amount of projects I’m involved in, it’s easy to write a song after feeling inspired and sort it to the appropriate project.  

Esoterica Live

HoW: I’m very curious about the lyrical themes for each of your bands. Is the lyrical subject matter similar for all three or do you use each as a place to explore different topics and ideas? Are there any catalysts you take direct or indirect inspiration from when writing lyrics?

AP: Lithotome’s lyrics are handled by Neill Jameson, but the other two projects come from various places, but are still pretty closely related. Chaos Moon is more personal, when I do write for it, but this past release has lyrics from myself and a few other individuals while still remaining thematically cohesive. Esoterica plays more into darker trains of thought and relies more on concepts. My experience with various psychedelics has played a huge part in the lyrical influence. Unlocking the mind yields maximum results.

 HoW: Along with your various other bands you are now a full-time member of Krieg. How did you join the band and what do you personally contribute?

AP: My wife introduced me to Neill (Imperial) a while I was still living in Nashville, TN. We became good friends, worked on Lithotome together, and I finally moved up into the Philadelphia area. I was pretty much forced into playing guitar for Krieg, which was a very unusual experience being a fan of the band several years prior. I am the full time studio/live guitarist and I assist with writing, arrangement, and recording (when needed) duties. 

Krieg

HoW: What’s next for you? Are you continuing forward with Chaos Moon once again or is it back to Esoterica? Will new Lithotome material ever surface?

AP: I’m currently writing for a new project called Martröð with H.V. Lyngdal (Wormlust), MkM (Antaeus/Aosoth), Thorns (Acherontas/Blut Aus Nord), and a few others. We’re finishing up a 7” that will hopefully be out sometime later this year. Krieg’s full length we recorded back in February will see a release in early September. Esoterica has a mini-album called Lesser Sun that will be out later this year and will be the final release of that project for a while. Lithotome is in limbo right now due to a large number of issues,  but I’m sure that material will surface eventually.

HoW: Thank you for answering my questions, anything else you would like to add?

AP: Thank you.

Review: Inurn - Inurn I

Inurn, a shrouded depressive black metal project divided between Arizona and New Mexico provide Horn of Woe with yet another great submission. Described to me as influenced by Judas Iscariot, Forgotten Woods, and Philip Glass my interest was instantly piqued. The two members Luke and John each record in isolation and send their work via email to each other. I was wary when I heard that there was little physical interaction between members but my worries were unfounded. These two musicians create something unique in the ever growing (and redundant) world that is depressive black metal. Their work is extremely repetitive and utilizes keyboard in a way that is not overdone or too "dungeon synth" for it's own good.  While most depressive black metal falls somewhat flat for me, Inurn give the genre new life through their stedfast dedication to repetition, using it to create a somber, meditative atmosphere.

The opener, "Anchorless, Adrift" is nearly eleven minutes of crushingly dark, hypnotic, swirling guitars, crashing digital percussion, and gentle droning synths. The guitar tone is surprisingly thick, not the typical paper-thin tone implemented by depressive bands, adding a new texture to the genre. Throughout this record old ideas are indeed rehashed but not in a way that leads to stagnation, instead the ideas a worked with and built upon by the two musicians. Yes, repetition has been a cornerstone of the black metal genre since it's creation, but Inurn takes that repetition to a whole new level, barely ever striving off course, completely submerging the listener in the music. Luke Henley's vocals also provide a unique stamp on Inurn's sound. Rather than opting for solely traditional black metal screeches or wails, he utilizes a wide variety of styles to express a range of emotions. The screeches and wails are still present but a gruff bark and a pained shout are also part of his vocal stylings, helping to make the album not grow stale. Inurn I is just an extremely well crafted piece of music, it's obvious it's two creators know exactly what they are doing and understand what it takes to use repetition in a way that does not grow tiresome. Their addition of synths and loud thunderous drumming, plus the distinct and varied vocals only add the the wave of guitar fuzz that washes over the listener.

Inurn breathes cold, dismal life into the depressive black metal genre. While obviously incredibly derivative of the works of some of the dreary art form's masters the duo leaves their own stamp on the genre. One which is full of heavy digital percussion, white-washed guitar fuzz, and tasteful synth work. This will appeal to longtime fans of the more depressive stylings of black metal and to those who are looking for something that is not a carbon copy of the likes of Xasthur, Moon, etc. Highly recommended and can be found here.

Review: It Only Gets Worse - Creation Myths

The first submission to Horn of Woe comes courtesy of this new collaboration between Matt Finney of Heinali and Matt Finney and Mories of Gnaw Their Tongues, Aderlating, Cloak of Altering, etc. etc. Matt contacted me and said he had a new project with Mories and was wondering if I would be interested, of course I was. I am no stranger to Matt's work, the masterful droning soundscapes of his collaboration with Heinali had easily filled the hole the demise of the Angelic Process left, but it was much more than that as well. Rooted in the duos ability to create intense, emotional, and reflective music. Finney brings spoken word vocals and cripplingly personal lyrics over Mories instrumentals. Mories, for those of you who do not know, is a Dutch practitioner of all things depraved and noisy. His projects run the gambit from dark ambient to black metal nearly always falling somewhere between the two. A creator of some of the most challenging and forward thinking music lends his instrumental talents to this three track EP.

Beginning with "Dropped" immediately heavy synthetic drums pound along with distant floating synths. The tone of this album is reflective from the offset, clouded like a distant memory. Over the fluttering synths and mechanic drums a simple, subdued synth plays a coldly mournful melody. The instrumentation is joined by Finney's spoken word. Calm, whispered vocals guide the listener through Finney's despondent lyrics. The music acts as a platform for him to lay bear his poetic expressions ripe with illusions to longing, regret, and failure. The words are deeply personal, covering lost love, dysfunction, hurt. Perfectly accompanied by the synth work of Mories, the two work together to create a cloud of negative emotion, both pouring themselves into the project. The second track "Indian Summer" displays more upbeat percussion, rhythmic yet distant, while synths glide and Finney whispers pure melancholy. The final track "Creation Myths" makes use of choral vocal sampling to add yet another grief stricken layer to the music. Finney utilizes dark humor saying, "knew that his death would at least get this album some critical acclaim" proving yet again that his ability to use words is nearly unparalleled. What Finney writes is poetry, plain and simple, and Mories provides the perfect soundtrack to his dark and reflective whispers.

It Only Gets Worse successfully straddles the line between it's two creator's works. A plodding, post-industrial synth filled drone scape ripe with vivid whispered lyrics. Mories brings his dark instrumental ability into new realms, focusing less on noise and more on slithering synth compositions, while Finney continues to write some of the most personal and heart-felt lyrics I have ever experienced. These two musicians work extraordinarily well together and I hope that soon their paths cross again. Find the album on bandcamp here, you won't be sorry you did.

Review: Jute Gyte/Venowl - Split (Black Horizons)

Black Horizons is a label that is constantly pushing the boundaries of what dark music can become. The label has increasingly become a house for the obscure, releasing works from acts like death industrial legend Trepaneringsritualen or a recent demo from American black metal luminaries L'Acephale consisting of original tracks and completely reimagined covers of Darkthrone, Current 93, and Emperor. Everything the label releases is challenging and makes the listener rethink the confines of dark music, which, in turn makes it the perfect label to release this split. A union of two bands that take their respective genres and completely warp them until the foundation is non-existent, only leaving traces of what was, Jute Gyte and Venowl act as perfect compliments to one another.

Jute Gyte strikes first on the split, the project of sole member Adam Kalmbach who creates eerie and surreal black metal. The music created by this individual is honestly unlike anything else, it squirms and writhes creating an incoherent cacophony of squealing guitar, bashing drums, and snarled vocals. At times there is a break from the reckless abandon of the song and a heavy riff will present itself, showcasing a more straightforward form of madness. Jute Gytes approach is discordant and unsettling, relying heavily on odd time signatures and layers upon layers of noise accompanying the metal. The second track from Jute Gyte, "The Rib" immediately hits the listener with disjointed doom, seemingly off-key notes piece through a trudging malice the track presents. Soon after this the doom is gone and back is Kalmbach's frantic style of playing, chords and notes are scattered over noise and ambience. His contribution ends with an almost deathrock feel, echoing guitar and haunting ambience, creating a wholly unsettling atmosphere, a fitting end to the spastic horror found on Jute Gyte's side of the split.

Venowl have recently become a staple of my listening habits. Their brand of black/doom/noise/insert another arbitrary genre here is exceptionally challenging and disturbing. The three members who are simply called ::, ][, and // approach music in a way that, like Jute Gyte, is completely outside the realms of influence and categorization, meaning there is no reference points. One could point to funeral doom or black metal or noise but in reality what Venowl create is something different, something completely their own. A creation that is non-musical yet extremely meticulous and oddly rhythmic. Utilizing the sinister ambience of a violin along with crushing guitar and bass trudging, minimalist drumming, and horribly pained shrieks, Venowl's piece "Snowbed" is twenty-seven minutes of drudging and depraved pandemonium. The only comparison I can make is that of a machine lurching to a grinding, violent halt after being over-worked for hundreds of years the sluggish, lumbering approach is industrial yet strangely organic. Through "Snowbed" the three musicians have yet again solidified their place as one of the most exciting and forward thinking acts currently active.

This split is a testament to how well splits can be executed, a perfect pairing of bands who are both pushing sonic boundaries rather than rehashing ideas. Jute Gyte's atonal and vicious black metal is complimented perfectly by Venowl's horrific dirge. Through this release Black Horizons, Jute Gyte, and Venowl yet again solidify themselves as a major forces within the underground dark music scene. Highly recommended and can be ordered here.

Review: Leather Chalice - Sweet Perfume of Coffin Air (Opaqus Records) & Luna (Broken Limbs Recordings)

Purveyor of blackened everything Jan Slezak has been quite busy in 2014. His amazing "blackened stenchviolence" band Ramlord recently released a split with crusty Dutch comrades Nuclear Devastation and has another split release with USBM stalwarts Krieg out shortly. Not only that but his solo project Leather Chalice has released two phenomenal tapes already this year, one a full-length, Sweet Perfume of Coffin Air which was put out by Opaqus Records. The other a one song 15 minute EP, Luna, which was released by Broken Limbs Recordings. Both are murky rides through a blackened punk nightmare but they each travel very different paths.

Sweet Perfume of Coffin Air

From the creeping ambient intro to the last scuzzy chord of "Despondent Reign" Jan takes the listener on a journey, one of punk ferocity mixed with mournful black metal. Punk and black metal have been a natural combination for quite some time with bands like Bone Awl, Furdidurke, and Raspberry Bulbs making waves in the underground but Leather Chalice's approach is different. Conjuring images of drunken trips to the graveyard Jan's ability to play sloppy (a term used ever so fondly) punk laced with the morbid atmosphere of black metal stands out amongst the hordes of bands playing in a similar style. Some tracks are almost pure punk like "Necrohenosis," which starts off with an almost uplifting post-punky riff but soon turned into a stomping display of swampy punk madness, graced with Jan's howls. Other are purely black metal like the guitar instrumental "The Worshippers Garden," displaying a more traditional black metal sound, melancholy in it's execution. These two songs juxtaposed against one another, one grimy punk one sorrowful black metal work perfectly. The way Jan weaves the two together is astounding. Some tracks seamlessly combine the raw elements of both black metal and punk, like "Conquest of Terminal Despair" which begins with an icy tremolo picked portion that sounds like it's coming straight from the second wave and quickly become a punk ripper before descending back into the black metal framework. The two genres contaminate one another forming a hybrid between the two, not punk, not black metal but some warped combination of both. 

Luna

If Sweet Perfume of Coffin Air is straightforward, Luna represents Jan's foray into the abstract and experimental. Still rooted in the combination of black metal and punk the tape is a 15 minute long delve into the warped psyche of it's undertaker. Filling the Leather Chalice sound with more ambient and noise he and his cohorts, Ben on drums, Tim on OP-I/electronics, and Devyn providing "dungeon ambient" create something unsettling and deranged. Washing the blackened punk in a spacy haze Luna is almost coldly psychedelic at times, guitar harmonies ring out over hypnotic drumming with odd noises fluttering in and out of focus. This is not to say that the blackened punk isn't as vicious as ever, it definitely is, but instead the unsettling atmosphere is amplified by the inclusion of new sounds. Jan's guitar playing is also given new life on the track, often rising above the murk and playing creeping guitar solos. At times the noise takes over, acting as a segue into a new portion of the track, being a huge fan of noise and electronics these additions only add to Leather Chalice's sound, making it more cryptic and providing the album with an experimental touch. The production here is certainly improved, with clarity highlighting the skilled composition of the 15 minute opus, maintaining a raw edge without drowning the instruments in a sea of dirt, perfect for this type of expansive yet filthy music. After all the insanity Luna ends abruptly, coming to a howling (literally) and crashing halt. 

I personally enjoyed Luna more out of the two, the extra elements and the lengthy structure allowed for the album to develop as it went. That being said, both of these albums demand your attention, and will grip you for their duration. If you have any sort of interest in black metal or punk and would enjoy a unique combination of the two Leather Chalice might just be your new favorite band. Sweet Perfume of Coffin Air is available from Opaqus Records here, and act quick the edition of 50 looks to be running out. Luna is available from Broken Limbs Recordings here. Pick both of them up and be dragged into the scummy world of Leather Chalice.