PLAYLIST with COMMENTS/REVIEWS

[sportfan]

Swans - The Glowing Man  Really enjoying this record.  I feel like it captures the live feeling more than any other.  Makes me excited for the upcoming show i'll be seeing.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

I also really enjoyed "Circle Of Positivity." That was the one that made me realize I couldn't expect anything consistent from SSRI, in a good sense. One of the only projects that strikes me as totally different each time I hear a new release.

This release was kind of Freak Animal -esque in way that I received bunch of materials which I selected ones I liked the most and felt it made best wholeness. This obviously is reason why I tend to favor this over several other SSRI, which is purely bands own vision, which seems very... SSRI! Deranged, made in heat of moment, often with cruel torment towards listener. Not that Circle Of Positivity would be too easy and entertaining, but perhaps less of sounds of rubbish and racket what seems aimed to mostly disturb and leave uneasy. Circle Of Positivity has also the sort of "ass kick" element of noise to it, hah...

[Bloated Slutbag]

Recently topped up with a few other items from Mr SSRI's other ventures.

Notables:

Gelsomina – Greenaway = pure sex

Sick Seed – Helsingin Synagogat
Despite the Jandek dedication, I was first put in mind of Swans, or better- the more dissonant ditties on Angels Of Light New Mother (a fair bit noisier needless to add). I've occasionally remarked on the faint echoes of Public Castration era Swans heard in the man's work – including the above commented Circle Of Positivity. So perhaps to say: Jandek meets Gira in a swampy burnt out industrial shithole. Could be a leading candidate for that ill-advised "Swamp Music" thread some of you may recall...

In other things Swans,

Swans – Glowing Man
Probably the closest yet to a "natural" continuation of Sountracks For The Blind.

[Vega360]

This was a while back, but I still hear it in my head at times. Me and a buddy sat down with a large amount of beer and a couple of oversized drinks, warmed up with Japanese Torture Comedy Hour, and then got down to the main event:

Cosmic Weapon of Thule - Aryan Unity, C90 (the actual recording is somewhat shorter, perhaps C65 or so)
While the title would lead one to expect either NSBM, or possibly "atmospheric" black metal ambient, this is something completely different. It is released on Lunar Heathen Front, a sublabel of Winter Solace Production. I noted just now that some of their releases have been advertised on this board, but not this one.

The front cover of "Aryan Unity" simply features the title and a picture of Hitler - why complicate things? Inside, it gets interesting. We find a manifesto which, while obviously ripe with heavy trolling, is pretty damn amazing. We learn that mankind and the early Hyperboreans originated in Ethiopia, "nourished by the water of the mighty Nile", that the "Zionist forces [..] even constructed the Jews to blend in with the humans" and that listening to the tape "under proper guidance" may cause one to be visited by Adolf Hitler. It then goes on to inform us that it is possible to transform oneself into the form of a disc, which the manifesto's author has done in order to abduct "several negroids" (creating South Sudan in the process), that physical cannibalism must only be practiced within one's own race (but metaphysical cannibalism, where only the spirit is absorbed, is acceptable over the race boundaries) and finally that the Lunar Heathenfront was founded after the awakening of its leader to be, Aryan Necropaedophile. There is plenty more where that came from. What the point of all of this could possibly be escapes me, but when getting slightly smashed it makes for some fine reading aloud.

Listening to this tape is an arduous process, although it has its rewards. I think the way we did it, being more than one person, may make it more bearable, though perhaps it would be possible to find more subtle and esoteric qualities in it if listening alone. I suspect that being drunk is a basic prerequisite, either way. The basic theme is a recurring beat, which can only be described as a "ploink", or possibly a "space ploink". This space ploink ploinks on for pretty much the whole tape. Layered upon this simplistic rhythm, whose BPM varies a bit, are various piano and synth lines (at least in part improvised) and at times complementary drum machine work. It is a mix of absolute monotony with almost child-like instrument abuse. The best way to describe it would be hardcore easy listening - VERY simplistic, but not at all unoriginal. Not sure if or to whom I should recommend this stuff. It is fascinating, though.

A word of warning: we were not visited by Hitler at all, just by some guy and his girlfriend. Both of whom, I might add, were expected and probably unrelated to the tape. We obviously did not have the proper guidance.

The mind boggles at some of these NS releases from WS - the Nazi Yoga one was also a headscratcher.

LOL, I've put things into this world that even I will never fully understand.

[tiny_tove]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05c6e_huVoA

beartrap

[metalpunk]

ENCEPHALOPHONIC - X (Freak Animal/Audio Dissection)

I wouldn't expect that I would ever listen to something that is too harsh. My expectations changed after I got to listen to "X" by ENCEPHALOPHONIC. This is an intense and very heavy album by the project of Emanuele Bonini from Italy. Well what we do have here? Feedback, noise blasts, metal junk, heavy frequencies. It sounds like a typical harsh noise album. But everything here is just pushed to its limits. Feedback is sharp as a razor's blade, it cuts deep. The noise is suffocating and toxic. These are not just standard labels which you can easily use to describe each and every noise album, this thing is REALLY harsh. After only a few minutes in I felt nauseous and just a few minutes later I felt very sick and almost barfed. I had to go out to breathe some fresh air and I was just about to stop this damn album, but then the character of sound changed drastically all of the sudden. I started to breathe deep and realized that the CD is still playing. The second part of the album is much more enjoyable. What can you find there? Mid-speed cut-ups drowned in deep reverberation and roaring feedback. That feedback however isn't as sharp and intense as before, and the sound in general is delightful. It still retains its heaviness but it doesn't feel almost af it was going to hurt you.
The album is long and while you suffer during first part, the second part is like a medicine for some disease. There is a very thin border between pain and pleasure. Believe me this is extreme stuff. 

[scumwalski]

MAAAA - Abhorrence and Dismay (Triangle.Records, 2016)

These rare moments when I actually feel compelled to give out my opinion on an album usually come when I'm dealing with something new from one of my absolute favorites in the genre. Having heard "Abhorrence and Dismay" dozens of times now, I must say that MAAAA has most definitely placed himself among artists who are on the forefront of harsh noise. This album is very unique in the sense that it's both strongly rooted in classic sounds and techniques but also shines with an open-minded approach. In times when many artists tend to fall in the traps of repeating themselves over and over again or trying to sound like it's the 90s all over again, MAAAA consciously (I think) tries to take what's best from the industrial and noise classics and translate it to the contemporary era. He therefore utilizes old-school techniques such as amplifying objects, manipulating tape loops and blasting rough textures but at the same time is not afraid to utilize digital techniques to make it sound tight as fuck. Everything is beautifully mixed and lacks that typical tape-like muddiness (which I sometimes like but it's a nice change to listen to something that isn't murky and barely audible). The sound of the album is pristine (a quality which I'm very fond of) and sounds great on studio monitors as well as on regular consumer-grade headphones. The two tracks on the album are completely composed which is a great step ahead on MAAAA's part and I'm very glad to see this project evolve from this typical chaotic harsh noise improv to the mature, planned-out and meticulous approach. That's a rare thing to see.
In my opinion this is one of the best albums to come out in 2016.

[Bloated Slutbag]

MAAAA - Abhorrence and Dismay (Triangle.Records, 2016)
This album is very unique...classic sounds...open-minded approach...completely composed.

Took the words right out of my fingers!

[Deadpriest]

Khanate - Things Viral (the sound of a lonely Hell ponderous cripplingly slow crushing and beautiful riffs tortured lyrics and vocals screaming about murder. Fucking marvelous!!)

TLASILA - 30 Minutes Mannercreme (so sweet sounding and weirdly accessible for such an experimental album)

Torturing Nurse/Government Alpha Countercurrent (Chinese/Japanese extreme psychedelic harsh noise collab/split)

Dove Yellow Swans - Live During War Crimes #3 (dark and abrasive for a Yellow Swans album but also reminding of a darker version of the ambient interludes on Sunn o))) White1)

Brainbombs - Burning Hell (the nasties, most evil riffs I've ever heard)

Slogun - Visit/Revisit (John Balistreri also at his psychotic best screaming about murder)

[Fluid Fetish]

ENCEPHALOPHONIC - X (Freak Animal/Audio Dissection)
After only a few minutes in I felt nauseous and just a few minutes later I felt very sick and almost barfed. I had to go out to breathe some fresh air and I was just about to stop this damn album, but then the character of sound changed drastically all of the sudden. I started to breathe deep and realized that the CD is still playing. The second part of the album is much more enjoyable. What can you find there? Mid-speed cut-ups drowned in deep reverberation and roaring feedback.

Just starting to get into Encephalophonic and this will be the next release I buy, especially after your review here.

The Cosmic Weapon of Thule- Aryan Unity review had me cracking up.

[martialgodmask]

Have had a few things on but this morning the new Con-Dom album arrived and it's in a league of its own. So utterly fucking brilliant. Both content and context are harrowing but beautiful.

[SiClark]

Have had a few things on but this morning the new Con-Dom album arrived and it's in a league of its own. So utterly fucking brilliant. Both content and context are harrowing but beautiful.

Looking forward to listening to this.

[cr]

Have had a few things on but this morning the new Con-Dom album arrived and it's in a league of its own. So utterly fucking brilliant. Both content and context are harrowing but beautiful.

Looking forward to listening to this.

Received it yesterday and listened twice. As already mentioned above, it's brillant and amazing record, though I can't exactly describe why. And that's a quality in itself for me. Or - as it fits to the theme of the record - that it requires to dig deeper to get to the bones. Looking forward to play it again.

[david lloyd jones]

ENCEPHALOPHONIC - X (Freak Animal/Audio Dissection)

I wouldn't expect that I would ever listen to something that is too harsh. My expectations changed after I got to listen to "X" by ENCEPHALOPHONIC. This is an intense and very heavy album by the project of Emanuele Bonini from Italy. Well what we do have here? Feedback, noise blasts, metal junk, heavy frequencies. It sounds like a typical harsh noise album. But everything here is just pushed to its limits. Feedback is sharp as a razor's blade, it cuts deep. The noise is suffocating and toxic. These are not just standard labels which you can easily use to describe each and every noise album, this thing is REALLY harsh. After only a few minutes in I felt nauseous and just a few minutes later I felt very sick and almost barfed. I had to go out to breathe some fresh air and I was just about to stop this damn album, but then the character of sound changed drastically all of the sudden. I started to breathe deep and realized that the CD is still playing. The second part of the album is much more enjoyable. What can you find there? Mid-speed cut-ups drowned in deep reverberation and roaring feedback. That feedback however isn't as sharp and intense as before, and the sound in general is delightful. It still retains its heaviness but it doesn't feel almost af it was going to hurt you.
The album is long and while you suffer during first part, the second part is like a medicine for some disease. There is a very thin border between pain and pleasure. Believe me this is extreme stuff. 


quoting the above in terms of recordings that were too much, would have to include ' flesh
biting  paedophile by mxmon mother savage initially, but industrial recollections, which tecording, blew hith speakers and amp!
been scared to lay at full volume ever since!

[Yrjö-Koskinen]

Shambala - Agyptiaká (Grey Matter Productions, Tape)
A good looking little release. This peruvian project apparently only recorded these two live sets, performed with a fairly normal range of instruments. There are drums, guitars, etc, but the music is not exactly your run of the mill rock'n roll. Somehow I feel like this is something that someone would say to me is "krautrock", which I've never been able to understand what it is even after reading several articles on the subject, but I think I'll have to go another route to describe it. There are some regular drum work, quite a few little melodies (including flutes of the snake charmer variety). Much of it is improvised, competently so. The overall feel would be something like a far more melodic Metgumbnerbone, mixed with an oriental sounding Brainbombs, though this description only makes slightly more sense than my nonsensical kraut rock suggestion. Whatever, this is nice stuff.

V/A - Tala i Avskurna Tungor (Bolvärk, Tape)
So, we're back on HKSO. This is primarily a black metal compilation, though Alfarmania and a few other less metal-y bands make appearances here and there during the 90 minute run time. This is some raw shit right here, and while I knew about a few of these bands even before the tape was released in 2010, many I haven't heard (or heard of) either before or after. Most of them are marked by an extremely filthy style, so that the whole tape has a surprisingly consistent feel to it. This general feeling is amplified by the excellent booklet, containing a great deal of the typical HKSO artwar, with a black metal twist to it. An angry manifesto with a very black metal tone does hint of a little "meta perspective" - its conscious omission of most definite articles being quite easy to interpret as a tribute to mr. Aspa, and its actual content being, once again, very, very black metal. Either way, there is some great, filthy stuff on here. Some relatively well known bands like Seges Findere and Sadomator coexist with one off projects of unknown origin and very obscure bands with short discographies. Many bands have a style I'm normally not that into, but the totality is so nicely framed and thought-out that the tape becomes an excellent experience anyway. My only gripe is that my recently purchased Walkman (actually, a Philips) starts screwing about during the last few tracks, but that might have more to do with the way the tape has been stored than anything else. Either that, or the Deadly Dope Demons of northern Sweden have taken residence inside the tape, and struggle to come out.