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: Nuclearhammer - Serpentine Hermetic Lucifer (Nuclear War Now! Productions)

Famous for their brand of "war metal" Canadian bands like Blasphemy, Ouroboros, Rites of Thy Degringolade, Conqueror, and a slew of others have been pumping out extremely chaotic hellstorms of records for roughly three decades now. Not only that, but more recently bands like Mitochondrion and Antediluvian have been taking that crude, war-like formula and altering it to make it even more warped by adding new layers of hypnotic dissonance to the already dense art-form. Enter Nuclearhammer, who on their new full length Serpentine Hermetic Lucifer tread a fine line between the staggering chaos of their Canadian forefathers and the dense and at times experimental works of their peers, creating an album that is distinctly Canadian but also distinctly Nuclearhammer. 

Serpentine Hermetic Lucifer begins with "Multidimensional Prism of Black Hatred" (possibly the greatest song title of all time) which blasts forward with total intensity, blunt repetitive riffing collides with a screeching guitar solo before distant echoing vocals are grunted over the swarming horror. Along with such staggering brutality Nuclearhammer brings atmosphere that is uncommon within the "war metal" genre, equal parts destructive and ambient the track blisters onwards charging to the furthest points of extremity. Emphasis is placed on repetition, on the longer tracks this repetition is used to a hypnotic effect, putting the listener into a trance-like state. Utilized in a way that is typical within black metal albums, however the coldness and sorrow that accompanies black metal's repetition is replaced by Nuclearhammer's brand of hateful, mesmerizing fury. 

The bewitching hypnotic effect of the music adds to the cosmic theme that runs throughout the album. Lyrics of occult dimensions and apocalyptic mayhem are barked forth by three of the members who all assume vocal duties; Axaazaroth, Doomhammer, and Impugnor all taking variants of the same hellish rasp. The metal tracks on the album all basically follow this formula, echoing vocals over devastatingly barbaric blast beats and hypnotic driving riffs. Some variation is thrown in, "Phosphorous Clouds Descend on Mecca" offers a trudging lead in before the bestial destruction starts again. Shorter tracks like "...Rise No More" and "Parasitic (Temple of Rats)" offer a more grindcore inspired approach, but still contain the repetitive structure of the rest of the album. The monotony is not tiresome, it only adds to the unforgiving atmosphere Nuclearhammer conjures. This album is not meant to be technical, there is no attempt to impress the listener with guitar theatrics, their only goal is to bring as much cataclysmic fury as possible. 

Nuclearhammer also offer something unique between the sprawling blasphemy of the heavier tracks with industrial noise moments. These songs act almost as gateways, leading the listener into the next dimension of Serpentine Hermetic Lucifer. All titled with odd scientific names like "24-Cell (Octoplex)" and "H3po4 (Orthophosphoric Acid)" the noise ranges from industrial sounds to unsettling ambient drones. These pieces are a welcome addition to the album, adding another layer of insanity. They also help Nuclearhammer to stand out amongst the ranks of blasphemous black/death metal bands, distinguishing themselves as purveyors of all things harsh and unforgiving whether it is metal or noise, taking extremity to new limits.

On Serpentine Hermetic Lucifer Nuclearhammer have brought their deranged take on the already barbaric genre to new heights. Offering some of the most aggressive and chaotic music to be released so far this year the album stands as a tribute to the madness that lurks far beyond human reach and comprehension. It is available in CD and LP format from Nuclear War Now! Productions and can be streamed through the label here. Do not sleep on this monument of insanity.

Review: Impetuous Ritual - Unholy Congregation of Hypocritical Ambivalence (Profound Lore)

When I first heard Impetuous Ritual's form of death metal I wasn't ready. I had of course heard Portal and I was searching for more music treading the same cacophonous path, but Impetuous Ritual were different. Gone were the theatrics, the hoods (and clocks) all that was left was pure unhinged death metal. It took some time getting used to but after forcing myself to listen to the ilk of Relentless Execution of Ceremonial Excrescence over and over it became a cornerstone of my listening habits. Portal comparisons are obvious (due to the sharing of members) but Impetuous Ritual achieve something different, something more sinister in intention. Their intentions are quite clear, complete suffocating devastation. Guitars play jagged horrific riffs, drums crash along with equal parts ferocity and technicality while bass provides a throbbing low end to the murk. With their new album Unholy Congregation of Hypocritical Ambivalence the band not only continues down this path but pushes the sonic boundaries of death metal even further.

Density is key to the Impetuous Ritual formula, every single song on the album is packed with layers upon layers of guitars, providing the album with nearly harsh noise levels of density. The atmosphere is smothering, created by horribly twisted and repetitive instrumentation. The band takes death metal and deconstructs it, until all that's left is a teeming mass of riffs, representing death metal at it's most abstract and unfiltered. Impetuous Ritual take the already repugnant genre and make it even more so, it's dangerous, unpredictable, and disjointed. Occasionally twisted guitar solos rise over the primordial fury, frantically cutting through the thick riffing and further adding to the unsettling aura of the album. 

The first three tracks of the album all follow a similar formula, one of sheer intensity. There is no reprieve, the band continuously bludgeons the listener until the crawling doom of "Despair" interrupts the sheer madness for only a moment, beginning with a doomy rhythmic opening before abruptly descending back into tremolo-picked chaos. The next track "Inservitude of Asynchronous Duality" begins with a warlike, processional opening of poundings drums and swirling, repetitive riffs before sinking into utter madness. Vocalist Ignis Fatuus utilizes a multitude of vocal stylings on this track, deep grunts, harsh growls, piercing shrieks, and demented barking. Impetuous Ritual's deranged approach is at times accompanied simple accent elements like the tolling of a bell in the track "Metastasis" which adds to the intense ritualistic atmosphere that Impetuous Ritual conjure. The album comes to an end with "Blight" a nearly fifteen minute long onslaught of doom drenched death metal evil. The final track pushes the jagged experimentalism of the album to it's peak, chanting is utilized to add to the ominous ambience, guitars writhe and squirm while drums plod forward menacingly. The album closes with a droning guitar passage, an eerie ending to this monolith of death metal.

On Unholy Congregation of Hypocritical Ambivalence Impetuous Ritual succeed in deconstructing death metal into something horrifically barbaric yet intellectual and abstract. Combining suffocating atmosphere and unrelenting brutality to create something completely otherworldly. The album can be purchased through Profound Lore here. 

Review: Teitanblood - Death (Norma Evangelium Diaboli/The Ajna Offensive)

Hideously oppressive is the most apt description I can come up with to describe the most recent offering from Spanish black/death masters Teitanblood, simply entitled Death. Their caustic approach on the unholy combination is ferocious and unforgiving and wholly indicative of the blunt, vague title of the album. Released in conspiracy by two of the most excellent and unwavering underground record labels currently active; Norma Evangelium Diaboli and The Ajna Offensive, Death stands as a tribute to all things occult. The cryptic cavernous atmosphere the band creates would be a fitting soundtrack to any blood-lusting, deranged, midnight ritual. 

Straight out of the gate "Anteinfierno" rips forward with reckless abandon. Guitar's screech and wail over a churning mass of riffs while drums pound furiously at the same breakneck speed. It's barbaric, band members NSK and J are a duo who can conjure forth some of the most brutally devastating music imaginable. Going past just blurring the lines between black and death metal by creating an ungodly mixture of the two, Teitanblood have crafted a formula of sheer primitive force and by primitive I in no way mean rudimentary. Both musicians technical prowess is immense, instead what they create sounds archaic and ancient, like a long forgotten crypt with detailed carvings by the madmen that built it. The knuckle-dragging opening of "Sleeping Throats of the Antichrist" is a perfect example of the savagery Teitanblood wield in every single chord and crushing blow. The song is also layered with haunting operatic vocals, which, combined with the muddy, swarming madness of the instrumentation create an even deeper sense of the occult religiousness Teitanblood set forth to evoke. 

Death is a very different beast than Teitanblood's also astonishing debut Seven Chalices, the debut contained numerous ambient tracks to cut through it's cryptic madness. Death provides the listener no such escape (save for short introductions), instead Teitanblood reign down blow after blow, each track more deranged than the last. "Plagues of Forgiveness" begins with yet another complete disregard for sanity and does not let up throughout it's entirety save for a short moment of pummeling doom drenched horror which is not exactly an escape from the madness. Death is also less formless than the band's recent EPs Purging Tongues and Woven Black Arteries (both of which are excellent), opting for a more straightforward approach to their arcane craft. The short interlude to the track "Cadaver Synod" provides grating noise before the jarring annihilation that follows. The opening riffing of the track is reminiscent of a horribly decomposed and disfigured rendition of Slayer's "Black Magic" full of driving riffs that eventually descend into pure madness as guitars begin to squeal over the bestial mayhem. The whole album acts as a descent into chaos, every cavernous chord and warlike strike of the drums heralding the approach of complete and utter devastation. 

After the seething interlude of "Unearthed Veins" complete with incoherent guttural incantations "Burning in Damnation Fires" greets the listener with diabolical riffing and manic vocals. Some of which come courtesy the mighty Chris Reifert (of Autopsy fame) whom Teitanblood enlisted to assist them in their horrible quest to descend further into pandemonium. Lyrics summoning the damned into the pit are sickeningly spewed forth and accompanied by Teitanblood's vile mania, layer upon layer of horrible noise are thrust upon the listener. The final blow of Death is upon us with "Silence of the Great Martyrs" opening with ritualistic chanting before the immense riffing power of Teitanblood presents itself again. The vocals on the track are astounding, absolutely indecipherable and possessed. As Death reaches it's mayhemic apex the fury subdues, giving way to something even more sinister. Church bells chime out while eerie ambience and religious chanting take the place of the blistering aggression. The conclusion is just as unsettling as the savagery of the rest of the album, acting as epilogue to Teitanblood's ritual of religious destruction.

Death is an exercise in severity. It seems that NSK and J were intent on bringing absolute obliteration with the release of this megalith and they have most certainly succeeded. The Spanish duo have created one of the most deadly albums of the year. It can be purchased through The Ajna Offensive, this is not an album to sleep on, if you haven't already, buy this and experience total death.

Review: Coffinworm - IV.I.VIII (Profound Lore Records)

Coffinworm are a band that combine knuckle dragging caveman doom, swampy sludge murk, distorted and horrific death metal, blistering grind, and blackened blasts all performed with a vitriol that is shockingly brutal. Though Coffinworm touch upon nearly every sub-genre in the extreme metal cannon their music never feels incoherent or scatterbrained, rather they effortlessly combine all the defining characteristics from all theese styles into a bleak and twisted concoction of crushing madness. Every malicious shriek and growl is a misanthropic curse upon mankind, filled with mysticism and complete disregard for life. On IV.I.VIII Coffinworm push their horribly ugly sound even further towards insanity.

"Sympathectomy" begins the album with a blackened grinding assault. Guitars churn forth blistering riffs while the bass and drums rip forward, giving the track a massively heavy low end. The bass is extremely present throughout the whole album, as with all great doom and sludge albums. Bassist Todd Manning's playing is the muddy glue that holds this madness together, either plodding along or galloping forward ferociously with the guitars. Speaking of the guitars, the dual guitar approach the band takes is perfectly executed, creating the haunting yet brutal atmosphere I've come to expect from Coffinworm. The beginning of "Black Tears" is a trudging doomy section ripe with bleak dissonant chords. Riffs that cloud the mind with black murk, hypnotizing the listener in their decrepit doom. Coffinworm craft songs that sound distinctly their own, there are really no comparative artists to grasp on to because their music is so different from anything due to the sheer quantity of styles reflected in their horrible ilk. They even bring flourishes of noise into the frenzy on the track "Of Eating Disorders and Restraining Orders" creating another level of horrific destruction. Every track on this album contains a different mixture of the aforementioned styles, keeping the album interesting, making the listener anticipate which ungodly mixture of styles will assault their ears next.

It would be imposible for me to continue forward without talking about the lyrics contained in IV.I.VIII, vocalist and lyricist Dave Britts conjures some of the most interesting and deranged lyrics I have ever had the pleasure in reading. Through exposing the harsh realities of the world we live in, yet cloaking them in mysticism, Britts creates an interesting juxtaposition between our world and other unearthly realms, seeming to speak to the idea that the world is far more twisted and horrible than commonly thought. Every track is laced with this sort of urban occultism with lyrics like, "Shooting syringes made of filed-down bones/Injecting the filth left from our subconscious minds/Stemming from our previous lives" Britt's continuously brings together blunt realism and surreal occult elements throughout the entirety of the album. All the lyrics are spewed forth by Britts either in a venomous rasp or a deafening guttural roar.

IV.I.VIII is simply put a record that pushes the sonic boundaries of extreme metal to new heights. It is clear that every member of this band is a gigantic supporter of the underground scene and has been for some time. The evidence lies in the band's ability to craft a record so unlike anything else (besides their debut) from stylistic reference points across the metal spectrum. The album is available for purchase from Profound Lore here and streaming here. Yet another success from Coffinworm, a band I will continuously support and keep an eye out for, as should you.

Review: Weightlessness - Of Lachrymose Grief (Graceless Recordings)

Weightlessness is a young death/doom project from California playing a style which is completely somber and emotionally draining. While the tape remains at a dismal doom pace for most of it's duration there are bursts of death metal fury that shine throughout, creating a balanced and aggressively depressive experience.

Somber guitar ushers in the first of four tracks, "The Fostering and the Adjournment". This is joined by a funeral paced plod and harsh whispered vocals. The music is very cyclical in nature, constantly flowing forth with a similar rhythm but fluently moving between delicate melodies and crushing riffs. Even when the pace is changed to a blast or an acoustic interlude the same haunting flow of the song remains, creating a familiarity, it feels as thought I've listened to the tape hundreds of times. It is apparent that sadness and general despondency serve as inspiration to the band, as with most bands of this style but Weightlessness makes you feel it. The second track opens with another intricate guitar interlude but soon the band begins their blasting charge, something feels different about the way they play death metal, a sluggishness pervades their music. Not born out of laziness but seemingly coming from the purest grief and released through this, a testament to sorrow.

The third and final original song, "Swallowed the Sun and the Moon" displays a different nature of Weightlessness' music, triumph. While it crawls forward an uplifting melody is present, displaying an unmatched power. It's as if they have harnessed negativity, found strength and unleashed it. The song still moves predominantly at a funeral pace but it contains harmonies that flow over the music and are beautifully played. The final track on this album is a cover of Black Sabbath's "Solitude" Weightlessness take the song and give it a complete death/doom rehashing with guest vocals from Mike Meacham from the mighty Loss. Mike's low, nearing guttural vocals played over the slow plod of Weightlessness' tortured rendition of the classic complement each other perfectly and are a worthy testament to the fathers of doom.

(Source: Facebook)

"A showcase of music to the nature of life, emotions, and death" is how Weightlessness describes themselves, a more fitting description does not exist. Contained within this tape are moments of despair and also moments of triumph all displayed through doomed metal of death. Graceless Recordings is quickly becoming my favorite record label and this Weightlessness tape is another example of the label's ongoing dedication to releasing great dark music. The tape can be purchased from Graceless here, I strongly suggest you do so.

Label Spotlight: Primal Vomit Records

Primal Vomit Records is a record label based in Jacksonville, Florida run by Sam Morgan. Specializing in black metal and almost every variation of the genre, P.V.R. has an extensive roster. I recently received a number of cassettes the label released between 2010 and 2012 and while they are not new releases they deserve your attention.

Ov - Pleasure

This demo, released in 2011 is pure audial filth. Ov plays a style of black metal that is extremely muddy and death metal influenced. Alternating between blasting madness and slow doomed out death metal passages this tape is full of variety. This album features no guitar, only bass giving the tape a low end, pulsating feeling. The bass riffs are extremely distorted, they tend to meld together creating a claustrophobic wall of sound. Some of the riffs have an almost punk like feel, this mixture of primitive playing and raw production values is the foundation of this release. The recording is very lo-fi but in Ov's case this is an advantage, the raw recording gives the tape a decrepit atmosphere, dripping with misanthropy and malice. The vocals are performed in a hoarse rasp, the perfect accompaniment to the music. Ov is a great example of black and death metal being mixed in an interesting way. The two genres are combined so often it is easy to sound like one's contemporaries, Ov is an exception. By adding punk influence and a great variation of tempos they distance themselves from the heard. According to the Metal Archives the status of the project is unknown, hopefully Ov will surface again and release another monster.

Vomikaust - Morbid Way to Suffer

Thrashing black metal is Vomikaust's specialty. This is the most violent release featured in this spotlight and once you hear it you'll immediately understand why. This entire tape is full of evil riffs over frantic blasts. The guitar tone on this tape is perfect, thick and distorted but clear enough to fully hear all the great riffs. Equal parts black and thrash Vomikaust's strength lies in a similar territory as Ov's, in the ability to seamlessly meld two genres into an interesting, cohesive whole. Yes there are elements of black metal: blast beats, tremolo picks, rasps, but there are also thrash elements like interesting and riff heavy guitar leads and the occasional Tom Araya-esque scream. The band also throws in an awesome cover of Von's "Devil Pig", this is one of the few instances a cover surpasses the original. I absolutely love Von but Vomikaust add a certain furry to the track that gives the rather one dimensional song a completely new and revamped feel. Everything about this release is smothering and oppressive, the fourteen minutes fly by in a furious rage, and it provides another example of P.V.R.'s dedication to all forms of the unholy genre of black metal. 

Ill-Tolerance - Prospects of Terror

The final release highlighted here is the second demo from the two piece, ski mask clad, Ill-Tolerance. Playing a mixture of numerous styles including black metal, grindcore, and powerviolence, that is melodic while still maintaining an extremely vicious edge. The guitar tone is thick and the riffs are crushingly heavy. There is a sense of the pummeling brutality utilized by many of the forefathers of the powerviolence genre like Infest or Crossed Out. This mixed seamlessly with black metal blasts and rasps makes the tape a full force onslaught. Each song is very distinct, containing different rhythms and grooves, something that can often be lost in a record so rooted in grindcore and powerviolence. Melody plays a large role here, while the genre tends to steer clear of melodic sensibilities Ill-Tolerance uses them as an advantage, even if not at the forefront there are hidden, lingering melodies. This is quite a unique project with a distinct sound. The band is still active so hopefully they will release something new soon.

This concludes my spotlight on P.V.R. and I've only scratched the surface of what this label has to offer. Other acts like Floridian Winter, Ives, and Fields of Passing also demonstrate P.V.R.'s stedfast dedication to the underground. Find them on Facebook here and at their blogspot.