The Black Twilight Circle/Crepusculo Negro collective of musicians have made some serious waves in the black metal community over the last few years. But, one cannot live by black metal alone, as evidenced by this self-titled three track cassette from Muknal, a mysterious trio that one can only assume is comprised of the usual BTC suspects (although I have not been able to confirm this, perhaps some THKD readers can?).
Continue reading “Muknal – s/t (Crepusculo Negro, 2012)”
Tag: Ajna
4 Apocalyptic Albums to Celebrate the Rapture (if it had really happened, of course).
Pictured above is one Harold Camping. Creepy looking old fucker, eh? Mr. Camping is the California-based Christian radio broadcaster who started all this Rapture nonsense that we’ve been hearing so much about lately. May 21st, 2011, Camping’s predicted date for when the proverbial shit would hit the fan, has come and gone without any signs of God’s wrath. Turns out the crazy old coot also predicted the end of the world for September 7th, 1994 and has now revised his most recent epic fail for October 21st, 2011 (probably so he could swindle more suckers out of their life savings over the next five months). Give me a fucking break. Nonetheless, it got me thinking, if any of this poppycock were true, what metal albums would I put in heavy rotation in order to ring in the Beginning of The End? After some deliberation and debate standing in front of my CD rack, I chose the following four albums as the soundtrack to the impending Twilight of the Idols.
VON – Satanic Blood Angel (Nuclear War Now! Productions)
San Francisco’s VON only recorded a handful of material during their brief original incarnation, but that material, collected on Satanic Blood Angel, is encoded in the malformed DNA of black metal as we know it. The hypnotic repetition, lo-fi recording quality and themes of Satanism create a blueprint for the genre that is continually being copied, re-shaped and built upon to this day. Black metal is an inherently apocalyptic form of music, so including one of the fountainheads from which the genre sprang is a must for any Armageddon festivities. Unlike a lot of other black metal, VON’s recordings sound genuinely frightening and ritualistic without being comically over-the-top. This is raw, grim ‘n’ gritty stuff that just might be a field recording from the depths of hell, the invocation that begins our march towards oblivion. Pray Satan. Pray Satan. Pray Satan.
Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones (Century Media/Prowling Death)
Tom G. Warrior has been working on crafting the perfect soundtrack to the End of Days for almost three decades. He came close on multiple occasions with Hellhammer and Celtic Frost, but his vision seems to have reached a climax with Triptykon’s Eparistera Daimones. A lurching, heaving leviathan of an album, the Earth shudders under the sheer suffocating heaviness of tracks such as “Abyss Within My Soul” and “Myopic Empire”. Warrior refers to his lyrics as “epistles” (a term typically referring to parts of the Christian Bible’s New Testament which were written as letters to groups of people, i.e. First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians, etc), but if anything they are sermons for black masses to be celebrated during the Tribulation. Eparistera Daimones is an utterly draining listen, physically and especially mentally. Prolonged exposure to its haunting blackness could ultimately lead to complete and total erosion of the soul, which might be the only respite from Hell on Earth.
1349 – Revelations of the Black Flame (Candlelight)
For Revelations of the Black Flame, Norway’s 1349 largely abandoned their monotonous, blasting brand of black metal in favor of noise and ambience, creating an utterly polarizing album in the process. Once the initial shock wears off though, the soundscapes 1349 conjure here slowly begin to seep out of the speakers and infest your ears, worming their way into your soul. It’s none too surprising that Tom G. Warrior also had a hand in the recording, as the claustrophobic blackness here is very similar to that of Triptykon and latter-day Celtic Frost, although the material on Revelations… is much more adventurous in its execution. It’s no mere coincidence that Revelation is the hallucinatory book of the New Testament in which the Apostle John describes the Apocalypse, because while some call this album 1349’s nadir, I call it their first (and so far only) foray into a sound that is utterly deranged, horrific and esoteric, a perfectly sublime sonic accompaniment to Ragnarok if ever there was one.
Godflesh – Streetcleaner (Earache)
“If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face – forever.” The quotation is from George Orwell’s 1984, but it perfectly sums up Godflesh’s 1989 debut album, the monolithically heavy Streetcleaner. The recording is the equivalent of having your skull marched over by a thousand dirt and blood-caked mechanical boots, while visions of a world irrevocably scarred by over-population, urban blight, unchecked greed and absolute power corrupting absolutely run through it. The crushing, metronomic pulse of the drum machine gives the album a soulless, mechanical vibe, while the grimy distortion of the guitar and bass, as well as Justin Broadrick’s beastly vocals, are undeniably human; the sounds of mankind struggling against the onset of subjugation via technology, only to be crushed under its aforementioned heel. Regular readers will remember that I recently used almost identical imagery to describe a trio of forward thinking Norwegian black metal albums. Streetcleaner is a direct precursor to those recordings and its apocalyptic visions are far more terrifying than any hellfire ‘n’ brimstone sermon, precisely because it is rooted in the all too tangible realities of our everyday world.
Of course the sad thing is that twenty or thirty years ago, before the of the internet, social networking and all the other platforms we now have in place for wackadoos to advertise their messages of moronitude (yes, I made that word up) across the globe, Harold Camping would only be known as California radio’s local nutcase for Christ. Articles such as this one wouldn’t be necessary because Camping would be a regional footnote at best. But regardless of what you think of faux-doomsday prophecies and whether or not the universe implodes, I think you’ll find these four albums well worth your time (though hopefully you’ve already explored at least some of them). If nothing else, they prove that Satan has the best tunes, even on Judgement Day.
Interview: WEAPON
Canada has always had an extremely fertile metal scene. However, few if any of the legions of bands hailing from the Great White North are capable of unleashing the level of musical devastation that Weapon effortlessly conjures forth on their sophomore album, From The Devil’s Tomb (Ajna/Agonia, 2010). Sure, their Drakonian Paradigm debut was a blistering mix of black metal, thrash and death, but From the Devil’s Tomb ups the ante in all respects; heavier, gnarlier and more complex than it’s predecessor, it is the sound of a band hitting their stride and finding their sound. I contacted Weapon guitarist/vocalist Vetis Monarch via e-mail to discuss the new album, the nature of Satan, and other arcane subjects.
THKD: Tell us about the circumstances surrounding the creation of From the Devil’s Tomb. How has the band evolved since Drakonian Paradigm?
Vetis Monarch: With the elimination of my heroin addiction, and the accumulation of a stable line-up, things finally started to happen for Weapon. Forget the glamorous clichés of the druggie lifestyle – it does NOT work if you want to be in a functioning band.
We are very proud of ‘Drakonian Paradigm’ the album, but have qualms surrounding its release. The production lacks power; the distribution wasn’t far-reaching enough; and of course, at least one of the people involved in the band at that time was perhaps never meant to be in Weapon. All of those things affect our opinions regarding that album.
Most of ‘From The Devil’s Tomb’ was created in 2009. The Disciple (percussion) and I had very clear ideas regarding what we wanted this album to sound like; the mistakes made on previous releases would not be repeated and we made sure that every aspect of this album was indeed up to our standards; Kha Tumos (bass) and Apostle VIII (lead guitar) were the missing pieces of that puzzle.
THKD: Where was From the Devil’s Tomb recorded? How would you describe the experience of laying these songs to tape?
VM: It was recorded / mixed / mastered at Sound Extractor Studio in Edmonton, Canada. We basically spent most of our waking ours there from March to April 2010. The producer (Stew Kirkwood) is a good friend of ours and works well with our combined eccentricities, so to speak. He isn’t a ‘metal guy’ by any means but has a vast musical palette to be able to accommodate just about every genre of music. Plus, we already had experience working with him during the mastering process of ‘Drakonian Paradigm’ so he was well aware of what we were / weren’t looking for in terms of production. We all knew that this was going to be a very special album.
The recording process itself was quite standard – percussion, then guitars, followed by bass and then vocals – yet it all fell into place with little to no difficulty. This was also Apostle VIII’s first time in a professional studio but he came in very well-prepared and laid down his rhythm and lead tracks like a total pro. All in all it was a fantastic experience.
THKD: From the Devil’s Tomb brings a stronger death metal influence to Weapon’s sound and the album as a whole is much heavier. Was this stylistic shift intentional?
VM: As much as we don’t try and control our sound too much, we were definitely aware that the DM foundation of the band was emerging more and more as we were working on the album. It wasn’t intentional but we also didn’t shy away from this ‘change’; this stylistic shift, as you put it, was actually very organic and seamless. Besides, for people in our age group, real Black and Death Metal are but two sides of the same coin.
THKD: For From the Devil’s Tomb, you once again enlisted Benjamin A. Vierling to create the cover art. What does his artwork bring to Weapon? What does the cover represent?
VM: The union of great music, great art and great literature is very important to us. Of course, said greatness is subjective, but as far as we are concerned, Benjamin Vierling is one of the few artists of this era who is capable of illustrating in colors and shapes what Weapon conjures via music and words. I’ve said this before and I will say it again – Mr. Vierling is a modern-day master.
‘From The Devil’s Tomb’ image actually incorporates several iconic motifs from the major arcana of the Tarot, including: The Devil, The Tower, The Last Judgment, The Hanged Man, and to a lesser degree, Death, and The World.
Benjamin decided to elaborate on the ‘as above so below’ maxim to greater effect, incorporating archaic icons for the ascent and the descent into one image – which to my knowledge has never been done effectively. We don’t wish to over-explain the particulars, because the composition should really speak for itself, but the inverted figure of the hanged man with eviscerated bowels obviously mirrors traditional crucifixion motifs. He also forms the inverted Algiz rune; like Odin, the self-sacrifice that he offers is not for mankind, but for his own gnosis. Weapon doesn’t directly reference the Norse mythos, but Mr. Vierling has woven several traditions into this image. Furthermore, an inverted crucifixion is always suitable iconography for spiritual self-immolation!
The ascending, multi-limbed, wrathful-deity figure evokes Shiva the Destroyer, and well as Goddess of Death Kali, and even Baphomet; an eclectic synthesis here! To the left the sky is raining blood, to the right, a storm of lightning. The heraldic angels have black wings and empty eyes. Both the ascending Daemon, and the descending Son, are grounded by the flaming wheel of destiny- the rotating cosmos; note that this also forms the pupil of the eye of the nimbus. The nimbus is simultaneously the third eye of gnosis, the Ajna chakra, and the gaping vulva of creation & oblivion. Naturally, it is crimson.
The guardians of the subterranean kingdom – the Devil’s tomb – are a vulture and wolf-headed sentinel, and in the towers, a fly and a worm. In the background is a coiling abstraction of serpents; the spears held by the sentinels penetrate into the inner strata of the nimbus-eye-wheel.
All that being said, one could stare at this piece for hours on end and find hidden messages many times over.
THKD: Weapon has gone through some lineup changes since Drakonian Paradigm. How did this affect/change the band? Is the current lineup stable?
VM: The line-up of the band for the past 2.5 years has been the most stable one in the band’s 8-year history. Of course, this can be attributed to the fact that the current members share the same vision of success, we get along well and most importantly, we share the same musical and spiritual interests.
The removal of the 2 members from the ‘Drakonian Paradigm’ lineup was inevitable; the guitarist lived in another city 3 hours away, and the bassist wasn’t up to par musically with the rest of us – a lot of talk but no follow-through; so, we have absolutely no regrets with those decisions. This change has made us stronger, more focused and far more determined to succeed than ever before.
THKD: Describe Weapon’s approach to songwriting/composition. Do you compose material alone or together with the other members?
VM: Most of the time I compose material alone and then the whole band works together on arranging the songs up to their completion. Apostle VIII and myself have been writing together in recent times, but I still find it most comfortable to compose by myself.
The lyrical part is entirely up to me, although I do bounce thematic ideas back and forth with the crew. We are all involved – at some level or another – in every aspect of the band.
THKD: You are originally from Bangladesh. How does your heritage influence what you do with Weapon? Does the traditional music of that region inform your approach to playing metal in any way?
VM: If by heritage you mean Bengali culture, it has little to no influence at all on what I am doing with Weapon. Nationalism, patriotism, solidarity etc mean nothing to me. Evil has no boundaries and borders are fucking useless.
Eastern art forms inspire me profoundly. I have no classical training in music, but the pulse and scales of eastern music are ingrained in me; The Disciple is also very embracing of eastern percussion. However, these are subtle, subconscious influences; Weapon is a metal band above all. We have no intentions of becoming a gimmick band with a penchant for exploiting ‘exotic’ instrumentation just to stand out from the crowd.
THKD: In addition to anti-Christian lyrical themes, Weapon is unafraid to express anti-Islamic sentiments. Is this a direct result of your background/up-bringing? Do you think other bands are afraid to tackle Islam?
VM: If a band has no first-hand experience of dealing with something, they shouldn’t write songs about the subject in question. Most European / North American people playing this kind of music only know Islam through the mainstream media; it’s unlikely that they have ever even conversed in-depth with a (practicing) Muslim, much less have a direct problem with one on a personal level. I spent a large part of my life around those people and speak from personal experiences.
I can’t comment on other bands’ fear of Islam, but perhaps they feel threatened by Muslim fundamentalism? After all, say what you will about those dirty Muslims, I don’t think that anyone in their right mind can deny that those militant fundamentalists do walk the talk.
THKD: I’ve been asking this of many bands with a satanic message of late. What does Satan mean to you? How does Satanism influence Weapon’s music?
VM: Satanism influences everything in my life and in Weapon. What does it mean to me? Satan is knowledge and power, manipulating the cosmos, lawless existence and unbound freedom. Satanism is embracing all that is rejected by the ‘civilized world’, and improving the Self; attaining total enlightenment. Satan is the physical / spiritual manifestation of the being and becoming.
THKD: Can you talk a little about the themes derived from Eastern religions/philosophies crop up in Weapon’s music? How do they intertwine with the satanic side of Weapon?
VM: What / who we are referring to as Satan, is in fact prevalent in several Eastern religions / philosophies. We study the dark/destructive aspects of those traditions – Shiva & Kali, Aghora, Iblis cults, Mesopotamian daemonology and several other disciplines. The dark current runs in countless veins under different semblances.
THKD: There are several references to the trishul, which is a Hindu religious symbol. What is its significance in the context of Weapon?
VM: The trishul / trident (which means ‘three spear) was wielded by Shiva, Poseidon and Neptune; all 3 deities used this archaic weapon as a means of destruction of cataclysmic proportions. As the weapon of Shiva, it destroys the three worlds – the physical world, the world of the forefathers, and the world of the mind. Weapon gives praise to this in that the Trishul was the choice of Shiva (Lucifer) for awakening the caustic eye.
THKD: Your current country of Canada has a stellar metal tradition from Voivod to Blasphemy. How do your surroundings influence your approach music?
VM: Canada’s overall metal map is nothing short of spectacular; but as far as Weapon is concerned we are inspired by the likes Blasphemy, Disciples of Power, Gorguts etc. We aren’t very inspired by our current surroundings, except maybe for the fact that we want nothing to do with that war metal scene that tends to be associated with Western Canada. Newer bands like A.M.S.G., Mitochondrion, Augury, Gyibaaw etc are very interesting to my ears.
THKD: Will you be playing live in support of From the Devil’s Tomb? How would you describe the Weapon live experience to someone who hasn’t seen you?
VM: We already have played live in support of ‘From The Devil’s Tomb’ and shall continue to do so. Our live performances can be described as a complete and utter assault on all the senses – a well-oiled machine that is primal, raw and blunt! There are no subtleties, no pretences of politeness. Weapon live is the synthesis of all the elements of the Left Hand Path.
THKD: Are there any final thoughts you’d like to add?
VM: Buy our albums, don’t download them; come see us perform live and get soul-raped in the process.
Hail Satan.
In Praise of Teitanblood
Spain is not the first place I think of when it comes to metal. Hell, it isn’t even the 20th place. But one of the gnarliest bands to come along in years hails from the land of bullfighting and Salvador Dali. The band is Teitanblood, who released the brilliant Seven Chalices in 2009… and I slept on it. Yes, I somehow managed to miss out on the duo’s eerie, crushing, miasmal black/death assault until early 2010, but once I did finally hear it, I became obsessed. Had I heard the album sooner, it would have given my 2009 top ten black/death albums (as seen in Dethroned Emperor #25) a run for their money, to say the very least.
What is most interesting about Teitanblood’s assault is how difficult it is to categorize. Elements of black metal, death metal, doom and even a hint of crust all rear their ugly heads throughout Seven Chalice’s lengthy duration, creating a sound that is extremely enjoyable in it’s fetid, suffocating noxiousness, but also extremely difficult to pin down. The picture becomes even more hazy when you consider the numerous ambient/atmospheric interludes (which sound like orchestral maneuvers in hell) that pop up throughout the album. It is almost as if the band distilled everything that makes 4 decades worth (if the release of Black Sabbath’s s/t marks year one) of dark and evil sounding music great and out came the vile afterbirth that is Seven Chalices.
There is a very ritualistic quality to the album and an emphasis on atmosphere characteristic of black metal, but the crushing and cavernous guitar tones are pure oldschool death. Indeed, this is what is missing from so much modern so-called extreme metal, the average big budget death metal album is about as nauseatingly squeaky clean and sterile as the average Disney film. I sincerely doubt anyone believes the true purveyors of the coming apocalypse will use Pro Tools to deliver their message of destruction. Seven Chalices sounds like it was recorded in a dank garage by people that are actually possessed, but instead of doing crab-walks and 360 degree head-spins, Satan is compelling them to beat the living shit out of their instruments.
Bands that take this violent/primitive/lo-fi approach often forget about two of the most important aspects of good metal, guitar riffs and leads. This is not the case with Teitanblood. There is some killer sludge-ridden buzzsaw guitar-work going on throughout the album, and the leads are psychotic, atonal spasms of distortion that conjure images of early Slayer on a crack binge. The drums are a bit buried in the album’s deep, dark mix, but they perfectly suit each song and have a punk/d-beat quality to them at times that makes the record feel like Teitanblood could fly right off the rails at any moment, impaling your skull with projectile guitar necks and drumsticks. But they keep it together even when the songs reach a psycho-Satanic fever-pitch, always managing to return from the brink of total chaos.
It seems as though there is a return to the primitive happening in the metal underground and Teitanblood are arguably the focal point of this movement along with a handful of bands such as the mighty Vasaeleth, Blasphemophagher, Diocletian, Deiphago, Impetuous Ritual and Proclamation (who shares a member with Teitanblood). As someone who has recently grown increasingly fed up with the pap the “bigger” metal labels are attempting to cram down our throats under the guise of death metal, Teitanblood is a breath of fresh air… even if I am kicking myself for not discovering them sooner. If you share these feelings and have yet to check out Seven Chalices, I strongly recommend you rectify the situation at any and all costs.
THKD 