PLAYLIST with COMMENTS/REVIEWS

[MT]

S.T.A.B. Electronics - Temple of Self-Disgust tape
A-side is alright, B-side is much much better, the last song kinda falls out thought.

Terg/Squamata - The Walls Close In tape
Terg side is the great rumble, not so much variation but really powerful noise. Squamata delivers, in your face junk noise with nice bursts of feedback.

STROM.ec - Heartbreaking Love From God CDr
Two tracks, title track has strong vocals (as usually) and good lyrics. Wavy, rhytmic background. The typical goods STROM.ec gives. Perhaps the next full lenght could have more powerful rallies like this one.

Sick Seed - Beasts Among Men
After digging up my old stereo set mainframe from basement my tape listening experience has gone million times better. No more that old ghettoblaster fuzz. And this gains from it insanely, A side has screeching and grinding tracks with vocals, but B side is marvelous. Trash barrel ritual from hell, best listened to at loud volume with a couple of beers.

[XXX]

Hands Rendered Useless - Deathbed Visions

Project of Yellow Tears and Halflings member Ryan Woodhall. Anyone into either bands should make a point of finding this release. Sound wise, very close to halflings more seething moments mixed with fierce and bombastic drumming. This is what more American PE should sound like.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

PAIN JERK "Brutalica" tape
5 shorter songs, some are amazing, some remain behind the high standards of Pain Jerk. I feel that B-side perhaps obliterates better? Brutalica offers the more cut-up approach, where sounds abruptly change from one to another, which is very well done, but after all I do prefer:

PAIN JERK "Loud Acoustics For Nude Mobile" tape
2 long tracks. A-side being utmost killer harsh noise in the finest tradition of early 90's Japanese pedal orgy. Fierce Merzbow'ish wah-wah sweeps, heavy duty bass rumbles, crispy high end. Sounds moves relatively quick pace, yet not really cut & paste method, but natural flow like live set. B-side seems little less heavy, more quick loops, bubbling filtter sounds, etc. It offers less brutality but no less of sonic substance in general.

Haven't listened these tapes for years, and it reminds how vital would be re-visiting good noise releases more frequently!

Which leads to:
HANDS TO "sfo" CD
which I didn't care for much when it originally came out. From this Zabriskie Point label, I originally liked only Incapacitants and S*Core releases, but later on realized the genious qualities of many of them. Including this. The master of utterly decayed walkman field recordings layers and edited crudely into beautiful sound art!

IANNIS XENAKIS "Col legno" CD
Modern classical. I think best moments happen sometime in latter parts of the album. Massive 74+ minute ballet must be fierce experience for someone who'd expect swan lake or something. Dis/harmonic orchestral textures beyond the "usual" approach.

JOHN DUNCAN / ZEITKRATZER "Fresh" CD
10 people in orchestra, with sax, trumpet, tuba, violin, cello, double bass, piano, according, percussion and sound/electronics. And the result is? Perhaps one could file this under some sort of "dark ambient" meets contemporary classical? It is not nowhere as "classical" as Xenakis above, and compositions rely more in pretty easy solutions as opposed to hectic skillful pseudo-chaos. This is more about harmony and relaxing quietness.

[ImpulsyStetoskopu]

PAIN JERK "Brutalica" tape
5 shorter songs, some are amazing, some remain behind the high standards of Pain Jerk. I feel that B-side perhaps obliterates better? Brutalica offers the more cut-up approach, where sounds abruptly change from one to another, which is very well done, but after all I do prefer:

PAIN JERK "Loud Acoustics For Nude Mobile" tape
2 long tracks. A-side being utmost killer harsh noise in the finest tradition of early 90's Japanese pedal orgy. Fierce Merzbow'ish wah-wah sweeps, heavy duty bass rumbles, crispy high end. Sounds moves relatively quick pace, yet not really cut & paste method, but natural flow like live set. B-side seems little less heavy, more quick loops, bubbling filtter sounds, etc. It offers less brutality but no less of sonic substance in general.

Yeah. PAIN JERK (old) is my favourite nippon noise project. His CD with DOGLIVEROIL is one of the best in my noise collection.

[Ryöstö]

Goatmoon/Dead Reptile Shrine-Winterforest

Maybe I had way too huge expectations for this split, but after few listens Goatmoon side seems to be a bit of a dissapointment for me, both metal songs being a bit too folky for my tastes, but I think it'll grow on me after a few more listens and after I've read the lyrics, which are by Devamitra, if I've understood correctly.

Dead Reptile Shrine on the other hand delivers maybe their best songs here, atleast from what I've heard of them. Not metal at all, maybe some kind of ritual music? Acoustic guitars, buzzing soundscapes, clear vocals, great stuff.

Also the presentation of the LP is top notch, very nice looking gatefold cover, I just wish there would be DRS lyrics included.

Goatmoon-Death Before Dishonour digiCD

Although already owning the vinyl and tape versions of this album, I just had to get this digiCD too, DBDH being one of my favorite BM albums of all time. Great soundscape, great songs, great looking dig.

Also at work I've mostly been listening to various Ride for Revenge releases and the ever so great Satanic warmaster/Clandestine Blaze collab split.

Also I need to mention Kärsimysnäytelmä! CD, absolutely great black metal/noise filth, tracks Maria Magdaleena Puhuu and Öljymäellä always make me smile while working, hopefully they'll release another theme album for some other christian holiday.

[Ashmonger]

Brethren - The Chosen (10", Freak Animal): just had a first listen, sounded good, but it seems I like the Kingdom Coming 7" better.

The Vomit Arsonist - Birth Recovery (3"CDr, L.White Records): Sounded like typical Vomit Arsonist style, really liked it.

Halthan - Collapse in Progress (3"CDr, L.White Records): Should listen to it again, didn't give it my full attention, but style seems similar to the Corrupt tape, although a bit harsher.

[andy vomit]

SICK SEED - beasts among men
SICK SEED / XENOPHOBIC EJACULATION - split
GOATLAB - sevigny/eris
R.S.P. - ultimate fucking
ISOLRUBIN BK - crash injury trauma
ULTRA - roman hoilday

[Ashmonger]

Survival Unit - one man's war/no surrender (7", Stateart): sounds like typical Survival Unit stuff, although the vocals sound a bit different, other effects used, I think.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Goatmoon/DRS split LP, indeed DRS side dominates. I like the atmosphere of GM, which reminds me of the glory days of Polish pagan/bm. Where intros/outros and folky riffs takes most of the demo tape while actual "metal" remains only small fraction. Out-of-tempo, clumsy result adds to the atmosphere. DRS is experimental dark sound. Something which I consider far far beyond all the "black noise" and "dark ambient". It has no metal in it at all, but neither it fits to any other category.

Shallow Waters -first tape??
For whatever reason, this tape had been laying on my cellar floor for like 4 years. No real reason why, and no idea how it got there. Been just moving it around, but not actually taken it where it belongs, until now. And C-10 is quick to give listen. One guy with electronics, one guy vocals. 1st side is little bit weak, but things improve by the end of b-side. One could think of Slogun, Brethren and such american acts, where lyrics are the key focus. Shallow Waters remains behind those acts with lacking the sheer violence of Slogun and more complex & original solutions of Brethren. Noise is relatively well done, but the clean shouted voice going through Crass type of endless lyrics, start to lose its impact when approach is nothing but shouting.  It's decent tape, but also would make one wonder, is there is such a strong message intended to deliver, why vocal approach is more of the crust-punk and less of and political speech? One should take a look into politics of the past, where good spokesmen could lift the speech into utmost rage even without backing noise.

Shikaky "ribald" tape
New japanese noise?! Hmm, always curious to hear. Is this C-20 or something? Guts of Love is much more noisier while Malfunction Orchestra on b-side relies on experimental approach. It's good to hear something that isn't exactly the most "trad" jap noise what one could think of, but most certainly wouldn't be out of place if it was released on 90's Vanilla Records, Endorphine Factory or such labels. No heavy noise brutality but a band to keep eye on!  Not to mention this is put out by Shit-eye cassettes, so can it go wrong? Limited 66.

Atheist "jupiter" CD
my teenage years heroes of progressive ultra technical... thrash? They promised no comeback recording will be done. I went to see them play c. 2 years ago in their tour and it was very good. And this album? I'd say it is.. good. Its better than Elements, but most certainly can't match the superiority of Unquestionable Presence. Modern day production values are usually doomed to fail, but in case of Atheist they can make it work. I do miss the REAL drum sound of days when metal sounded metal, yet in general it is quite acceptable production. Listened in handful of times and yet to really capture feeling of "album". More like barely over 30 minutes of songs put together.

Swans new LP
I was quite surprised how good it was. It's not heavy and it's not such a crushing and dark as Swans at their best. But can you expect them to re-create their most "legendary" times? It seems more honest that they actually do something else than the most classic moments. I have yet fully digest what this album is about, but lets give it few more spins...

[sportfan]

Shallow Waters -first tape??
For whatever reason, this tape had been laying on my cellar floor for like 4 years. No real reason why, and no idea how it got there. Been just moving it around, but not actually taken it where it belongs, until now. And C-10 is quick to give listen. One guy with electronics, one guy vocals. 1st side is little bit weak, but things improve by the end of b-side. One could think of Slogun, Brethren and such american acts, where lyrics are the key focus. Shallow Waters remains behind those acts with lacking the sheer violence of Slogun and more complex & original solutions of Brethren. Noise is relatively well done, but the clean shouted voice going through Crass type of endless lyrics, start to lose its impact when approach is nothing but shouting.  It's decent tape, but also would make one wonder, is there is such a strong message intended to deliver, why vocal approach is more of the crust-punk and less of and political speech? One should take a look into politics of the past, where good spokesmen could lift the speech into utmost rage even without backing noise.

I'll take it off your hands if you don't want it.  I feel like this is one of my favorite PE acts.  I haven't heard this tape, but I really like most of the songs.  There's this massive noisy rumble, and every so often a melody starts to sneak through. I like the vocals, although sometimes the vocal aspect becomes long winded.  It's simple, but good.   tapes 2/4/5 are my favorites.

[bogskaggmannen]

DEATH IN JUNE "Peaceful snow" 2X10" (NER)

So Douglas finally decided to lay the guitar to rest and go for...piano instead? Of course not himself playing, so final result is Douglas singing (or in reality most often more "talking") and one Miro Snejdr to do piano interpretations of Douglas songs (first written on guitar?). Snejdr's playing is perhaps more diverse and "free" than, say, C93's "Soft Black Stars" album but it also gets a bit tiring after a while. One might wonder if Douglas' men now is VERY old and only enjoys these kind of loungy tracks, so if he wants something up his ass, better write tunes like these.... I was quite amazed how "uplifting" these bits are, not really dark at all. One some of the tracks the nature of the recordings with vocals probably recorded afterwards does not work so well, while others actually does work. Overall an OK album - I will probably see myself putting this on several times this winter. Interesting to see how the last albums have been overwhelmed with photographs of himself wearing the mask, and therefore manifesting the role of the mask as a "logotype" - something I don't think he intended from the start.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Been on the ride to catch up with A LOT of tape releases that happened already while ago, but been buried in shelves for reason or another. Lets comment some of them...

SHARPWAIST "the night of and the morning after" tape
Nil By Mouth
Pretty strong new wave of PE from USA. Loud, distorted, pretty straight forwards even if attention is given to noises. Vocals are up front and distorted. It feels pretty good, but with short tape like this, yet to really show do they have enough talent. Decent tape, nevertheless!

CHERRY POINT "Smog City" tape
Harsh Head Rituals
This is crushing and heavy. Fucking brutal and merciless. It's basically what is best in loud noise wall. Two guys slowly modulate their sounds, all the time with highest energy and highest level of noise. It's nothing new for C.P. or genre in general, but this C-20.. or C-30 goes down so smooth in your ears it's a jackpot.

SEWER ELECTION / WEREWOLF JERUSALEM collaboration tape
Trash Ritual
Huh... I could say exact opposite what above. This is like heinous crime towards noise! 30 minutes is such a dull listening experience, one wonders how it can be? Werewolf Jerusalem at its best, is obviously one of leading names of the genre. Sewer Election has only few misses among strong line of hits. But THIS? What the fuck is this? A-side titled singular is like test how far joke can go. stupid crackling one dimensional noise that sounds simply bad. On the beginning on B-side, called Linear, you feel yeah, it is probably a concept music, and indeed little improvement with sound, but soon to be watered down to utmost failure. It's hard to even imagine how to be able to make so lame noise, so I guess it must be intentional. Not looking good either.

OVMN "III" tape
Mother Savage
It can't match the power of the absolute undisputed classic debut OVMN tape. A-side suffers from dull distortion, that works on similar badly crackling and utmost overdriven sound, where every sound is distorted into powerless numbness. It doesn't explode into loud noise. Tape improves little by little and when you reach perhaps 45 minutes time (half way b-side), it gets close to what Mother Savage crew is known for. Still not to be raised among the classics.

RU-486 "Princess of Rot" tape
Destructive Industries
2nd release of the label, and pretty early on discography of the band. I guess this C-10 was re-issued too? Since mine is ltd 25 copies and I think its been available quite recently? Prurient comes to my mind instantly. Being C-10 and being feedback drenched shouting/screaming vocals with some drum blasting on back. Perhaps the Black Vase era?  RU-486 did also all the distorted melodic keyboard things Prurient is known for, but little by little band has started to take shape, building some of its own form beyond obvious follower of big names? This is big improvement for very earliest releases, but still way behind what they have recently done. One would hope bands wouldn't rush so quick to do releases if they progression happens as fast as this.

PARANOID TIME "Pregnant Nun" tape
Harsh Head Rituals
Loud, energic, brutal and fast. Sounds like pretty simple sources and easy pedal solutions, but in all its simplicity, it works. It's not as total hammer-in-the-face as Cherry point, but they can deliver. I like this much more than the recent "tape, metal & glass" which was quite dull in sounds and way it was put together.

[Max]

SEWER ELECTION / WEREWOLF JERUSALEM collaboration tape
Trash Ritual
Huh... I could say exact opposite what above. This is like heinous crime towards noise! 30 minutes is such a dull listening experience, one wonders how it can be? Werewolf Jerusalem at its best, is obviously one of leading names of the genre. Sewer Election has only few misses among strong line of hits. But THIS? What the fuck is this? A-side titled singular is like test how far joke can go. stupid crackling one dimensional noise that sounds simply bad. On the beginning on B-side, called Linear, you feel yeah, it is probably a concept music, and indeed little improvement with sound, but soon to be watered down to utmost failure. It's hard to even imagine how to be able to make so lame noise, so I guess it must be intentional. Not looking good either.

hah! don't remember reading / hearing any positive comments about this tape. i was listening to this with a friend and he refused to believe that this is actually the sound intended by SE & WJ, he thought the tape must be corrupt or something. well, i actually like it a lot! there's just something in that dull crackle that tickles my nerves the right way. it's definitely stupid and one dimensional noise. a joke? maybe to an extent. there's a "fuck you" attitude to this tape (my own assumption, of course), a bit like with Kasettemusik - which too raised a lot of negative response when released and which i also like.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

BURNING STAR CORE / PRURIENT "ghosts of Niagara" 10xtape box
Hospital
I know whole deal about this 10x 10mins tape for 100$ seemed little dubious, but it was most of all benefit of Hospital shop being able to keep going in very difficult situation. I guess many who criticized without hearing or seeing it, expected exaggerated price over too little of substance for quick cash? Luckily one can say that in fact, this box offers perhaps more value for the money than many other items in the bands discographies. In this case, I could say that C-10 is clearly a benefit for the material. You don't get some yawning long tracks or whatever random cheap collaborations, but whole package seems very well planned and even better executed.
Huge vinyl case designed to house 10 tapes (in c. 10" x 10" size), full color covers, full color collage booklet, each tape individually labeled. Each tape with two tracks which sound as they indeed were recorded intentionally to be this. Not just random cuts of some longer piece, but actual songs which all differ from each other. You can hear plenty of "usual" trademark sounds & methods of the projects from this era (c. 3 years ago), but I have this gut feeling that how come once again some small edition limited tape is more inspiring and refreshing than some bigger edition CD/vinyl releases? Melodic keyboards, spoken vocals, emotional screams, noisy drones, harsh loops and metal clatter, all the "usual" elements build 20 tracks which stand strong and one could think 10x7" box would perhaps made good re-issue, unless wanting to make it tolerable cost in double CD.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

well, i actually like it a lot! there's just something in that dull crackle that tickles my nerves the right way. it's definitely stupid and one dimensional noise. a joke? maybe to an extent. there's a "fuck you" attitude to this tape (my own assumption, of course), a bit like with Kasettemusik - which too raised a lot of negative response when released and which i also like.

Then I could recommend you also:
THE RITA "predators" 7"
Second Layer
Latest The Rita 7". I liked previous one quite a lot, but this, this is just a simple and straight forward "crackle study", "noise object", or whatever harsh noise experts call it. One dimensional dull crackles, not noisy, not harsh, not dense, not loud. Mere mid range slow crackles of sound you can't really identify what it may have originally been. I recall when someone said, Roemer of Macronympha was the last true legend in noise. Maybe to some extent, but, I'd say Sam has almost alone guided harsh noise to such a personal and die hard routes, perhaps the time of true legends isn't over. Regardless how I feel about this particular recording.

SEWER GODDESS "verdigris" 7"
Perhaps even less "PE" than 12" and more into cinematic death industrial. One of the sides starts to sound to me close to soundtrack of sci-fi/horror movie, while other side still has little elements of oscillating synth waves connecting it with "pe". Heavily processed vocals, thick and dense dark tones, reverb drenched colossal rhythm loops...

SONNE HAGAL "Läuthner 2a" 7"
Luftschulz
After I had listened that new Der Blutharsch split 7", not only DB was pretty lame, but that other band was like lazy Neurosis type of band. Nothing experimental, nothing industrial or related. Just mid paced aggro vocal whatever...  Though, I rather cleanse my ears with some pure neo folk then! And that's what Sonne Hagal delivers. Nothing more, nothing less. It's predictable, easylistening, harmless,....  Basically something I'd say I both can admire in some occasions, and can hate in other. I do miss the slightest traces of personality and difference. I miss the apocalyptic post-industrial connection and charismatic performers doing songs. I do listen Sonne Hagal rather than Of the Wand And The Moon for example.

Taskmaster "Kriemhild Anal Saxon" tape
Harsh HEad Rituals
HHR is one of those label, which to me, has been pretty much the culmination of good things in harsh noise. Unlike just about all the other labels focusing on doing a lot of harsh noise, this label is pretty much 100% guaranteed satisfaction. It's not like only 1 out of 3 (or less) would be good, but pretty much all of them. Is there something new in this? Of course not, but the heaviness of crunchy harsh noise is such a bliss, it simply captures your senses by this very straight forward primal offering!

Treriksröset / Sewer Election "rågsved" tape
Thorax Harsh Cassettes
Another collaboration of these guys, done in live recording. I guess... c-40? Something like that. It is basically what you expect. After Taskmaster tape, it felt like these guys didn't build as heavy low end rumble, but it is also the advantage. Even if starting loud and fast paced noise chaos without any hesitation or holding back, there is still room to move both high end and low end, to build this massive set somewhere. And that's exactly what happens. I think the best moments are probably close to the end, when set is about to react the climax and little by little is "sharpened" and intensified, making you think can it still be punched up a notch? And will they do it on low end or even crispier high end?

A.M.B. "Implosions" tape
Zikachudoku Self-released tape from 1995. A-side has "self scission" and B-side "self explosion", "self expansion" and "self abrasion". Underlined: All instruments as my cock! One of those bands from Japan which has remained pretty small and unknown and I guess also relatively hard to find? I do have pretty decent amount of old AMB tapes, and amount they get listened, isn't perhaps enough. A-side of tape is focused on high pitched synth oscillations and lo-fi mid-low rumbles. It's ok, but nothing special. Flip on the b-side discards most of synths and we're experiencing hands-on (or cock?!) metal junk/pedals etc what Japanese know well. It is not like AMB is re-inventing the wheel, BUT, he doesn't spill the beans immediately, but there are great moments when you have been listening loud and fierce noise for a while, and suddenly low, wider stereo sound bass rumble hits in. It's like the kick what is missing from majority of noise today, when all is maximum at all the time. Despite AMB isn't perfect. It perhaps doesn't belong to the hall-of-fame of Japanese noise, but this mid 90's original noise cruncher has lesson or two to show contemporary artists!
Just one question: Anyone else have this tape? HOW lo-fi it is meant to be? Is my ferric tape already decayed or maybe even little failed dub? I feel that there is occasional lurking high-end crisp what almost hits in. I mean, in style of Pain Jerk or such. Now, whole tape is somewhat blurred and without the very highest crispy clarity. Not that it would hurt the tape. Not at all. Just curious.