VIRUS - The Agent That Shapes The Desert

Brief apology for the downtime. We aren't dead yet.

First of all, I love Ved Buens Ende. Written In Waters is easily a top ten album, and if there's one band that upsets me more than any other for a lack of output... well that's a debate but they are up there. Because of this, my relationship with VIRUS, czral's creation after VBE, an admitted departure from their sound, is a bit wish-washy. But even with the slight departure and coincidentally, my slight disappointment, I can't stay mad. Abandoning the slight black metal tinge of VBE, VIRUS becomes the janky post-punk/progressive sound that countered it expanded into it's own, previously shown on 2003's Carheart and 2008's The Black Flux.

If you've heard those, this isn't much different. It's an avantgarde rock sound somewhere inbetween Vivoid and The Pop Group with the same sort of funky groove as Talking Heads or Discipline-era King Crimson. The atmosphere is otherworldly as the guitars twinge out in the ether while Czral croons his surreal lyrics over the top of jazzy, syncopated drum patterns. It's another one of those dissonant, janky albums that still manages to be overly catchy and "poppy".

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Dreams of the Drowned - Thanatotropic Principle (2008)

I was a bit mislead here. Sometimes claimed to be nearly direct descendants of Ved Buens Ende (and that a cover of Coiled in Wings appears on here is another clue), but that's not necessarily it. For example, the first track is relatively straight, especially considering the twisted manifestations of Ved Buens Ende. Something lying in the vein of one of the "hipster black metal" bands of the current, although some horrifyingly demented vocals buried in the tremolos (a croon that is admittedly close to Czral does sound briefly); not something that you'd mistake for Written in Waters, at least. And the next song... is this hardcore punk? A riff from deep in the gut and grunting vocals lead to it and then there's even a rapid solo. hm... I guess, for those looking for a direct rip-off of Ved Buens Ende, it's not here.

But don't skip this, don't even think about it. The first song I mentioned? It's brilliant. Intense, moody and throughly engaging. The second? Wholly entertaining for anyone who's even had a feigning interest in the sort of chug-heavy hardcore/stonerish rock stuff. And my denouncement of the Ved Buens Ende sound isn't entirely accurate. They don't appear to be directly in line with one of the new "neocrust" bands (Vestiges, Fall of Efrafa) (which they do occasionally sound like), they, at the very least, have the same sort of spirit of Ved Buens Ende.

Enough with parallels, they don't share enough (or they share too many). At any given moment you could probably try to relate this to another band: this point has a little of the second wave black metal sound, this one like hardcore punk, this... what is that sound? At the most basic, they do seem to teeter between all sorts of tropes typically considered black metal, mostly keeping everything at a ferocious rate, a key on pummeling drum lines. In fact, that cover of Coiled in Wings I mentioned? The original is 7 minutes of a fairly laid back scene. This one is just under 4 and hardly intelligible. Only the replication of Czral's brand of croons seems to relate.

But, again, I must remind myself to stop comparisons, there are so few! Walls of sounds so intriguing I can't even collect myself to find anything that sounds like it. It's sonically expansive and somewhat of an aural abuse. But even as it's stretched to extremes it breaks itself from monotony with underlying sounds and structures that are just plain weird. If Ved Buens Ende is a bad trip, it's only one that creeps deep within you and leaves a lasting memory. This is the scare that leads you to a mental breakdown. In Mulholland Drive, if Ved Buens Ende relates the moody journey out of Winkie's, Dreams of the Drowned is the moment at the dumpster.

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Circle of Ouroborus - Cast To The Pits (2010)

It's a bit unfortunate to do an end of the year list so early. Not only do we miss out on a month of records, but there are, frequently, records we miss, or don't let settle in by the time we need to write. That's partially the case with one of my favorite bands, the prolific Circle of Ouroborus, with one of their several 2010 outputs.

They've made serious progress throughout the years. Early, they were a rough band, mostly working as a sort of blackpostpunk sound. They spit droning vocals, sprawling bass lines and catchy drum patterns under a thick guitar and tincan production. As they moved on, they began to get more expressive, Antti Klemi became less monotone (though still keeping that distraught tinge in vocals), production cleared a bit (still rough, it couldn't be any other way), and guitar lines shaped a bit to match. 2008's acoustic diversion, Venerations, marked a subtle change in their atmosphere, as well as a hidden bit of range, and 2009's Tree of Knowledge signaled a band in maturation, a full sound that kept the sordid tone of the earlier, with lush composition including very atypical measures, including the use of horns occasionally, as well Antti straightening his growls and groans to heighten his emotional contribution.

And here, with Cast to the Pits, it continues. They're back to their acoustic sound, as with Venerations, creating more of a black-folk sort of sound, with it's tinge of post-punk, mostly casting out those notions of some sort of black metal. Antti has seemingly become even more confident in his ability to project emotions; his trademark groans no longer set in some "Love Will Tear Us Apart"-esque Ian Curtis. He bends and shifts with the music, as well as the occasional growls that join in, and, although it probably won't make many fans that disliked him before, it works to great advantage with the full, folk sound the band is working with here. With bright guitar passages, he has a more contemplative tone, he keeps a hush whisper in the mystic rhythms of "Wind Rhyme", and he throws an near spiteful gasp in the pounding, drum-and-chord heavy "You Are A Sleeping Ghost Like Me". Somewhere in-between a nihilistic blackness and a sanguine meadow rest Circle of Ouroborus with a sort of demonic presence. Equally menacing and inviting, there may be something to gain if you let them in, and as hypnotic they are on Cast in the Pits, it's hard to not be in a trace.

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Have A Nice Life - Deathconsciousness (2008)

A review from sputnikmusic:

"There's no better way to sell a concept album then to have lore surrounding the album's narrative. Pink Floyd has enjoyed massive success with the anarchical The Wall and the spaced out Dark Side of the Moon. Dark Side of the Moon has such a deep legacy that people figured out that it can be synced up with the beginning of "The Wizard of Oz," the opening ambience of "Breathe" accompanying the Miramax lion growling. The Mars Volta have led their fans through crazy narratives. Their first album, Deloused in the Comatorium, had an accompanying booklet that gave insight into the storyline, which allegedly documents the psychological journey of a friend who ODs and while trapped in his own psyche, decides to let himself die on the last track. That album alone spawned countless fan theories, interpretations, and online communities just to investigate the odd world of Cerpin Taxt. So when I got my copy of Deathconsciousness in the mail, and was presented with a double-disc album in a slim DVD case, and an accompanying 70+ page booklet documenting the life, literature, and followers of a 13th century Italian writer and religious figure named Antiochus, I was immediately wrapped into a realm of heresy, religious persecution, and murder (which are more aptly labeled as suicides). As a historical figure, Antiochus is absurdly obscure, and the collected materials in the booklet may be the most complete documentation of his existence as I cannot find anything on the internet or using my school's library browsing system. In short, the concept is lofty, convoluted, and intense, not unlike the drug-induced dreams of The Mars Volta or Pink Floyd.

But a concept album can have a good concept but not be a good album. In the case of Deathconsciousness, the emotions and happenings of the life of Antiochus are perfectly captured in the mood of the actual music. All at once the album can sound deadly, harrowing, ambient, subdued, rough and refined. The two primary band members, Dan (ex-In Pieces) and Tim, wear their influences well, combining shoegaze, industrial, black metal, post-rock, dark ambient, and alternative to make a paradoxical, intriguing sound. While the songs are expansive and plodding, some of them taking 10 minutes to unfold in the spirit of post-rock can also be claustrophobic with digital, industrialized percussion and distorted, fuzzed out guitar. While the songs are challenging and inscrutable, they also have downright catchy moments. While the album is amazingly ambitious (the individually named discs, The Plow That Broke the Plains and The Future explore countless musical and lyrical ideas over the course of its hour and a half run time), there is something grounded about the album considering the use of both analog and digital recording and the pop-dependent genres (e.g. shoegaze). They even rhyme casually throughout the album, which is a no-no in today's hyperartsy concept album landscape (consider the through-composed style of Circle Takes the Square's lyrics). Even their band name, Have a Nice Life, sounds more like a Hilary Duff song that of a lore-obsessed, genre-blending duo. Oh wait it is. Have a Nice Life's aesthetic, which is highly original and unlike that of any band I've heard before can only be described as sublime.

More specifically, these songs are incredibly powerful. "The Big Gloom" does exactly what its title implies. It's a shoegaze epic that is as beautiful and uplifting as it is dark and oppressive. "Earthmover" is a similarly minded track that ends the entire collection on a beautifully monotone chord progression that unfolds over the last 4 minutes of the song. "Holy Fucking Shit: 40,000" ends on an inexorable industrial march that is only sated by the sweet and wistful acoustic guitar to emerges after the din subsides. "Who Would Leave Their Son Out in the Sun" is gorgeous and uses reverb to perfection. In fact the entire first disc, The Plow That Brokes the Plains is perfect. There isn't one blemish and the disc is powerful, compelling, and moving. My only problems with this album lie in the weirder moments of the second disc, The Future. The track, "The Future," is an upbeat pop romp that feels goofier than it does anthemic. The opening track, "Waiting for Black metal Records to Come in the Mail" gets sucked into a similar trap. The synthesized drums fail to galvanize me into bopping my head along to the upbeat chorus. If a few things were tweaked in those two tracks though I'd be loving the variety in pacing that they provide for the album. As it stands though, there is something off about their construction. However, these off-putting songs are completely redeemed by the closing two. "I Don't Love" takes the concept of the wall of sound to its most washed out extreme, yet has the elegance to feel more serene than anything else. The touching bassline that runs under the soundscape is the icing on the cake, providing most of the melodic content on the song. "Earthmover" as aforementioned is epic and beautiful.

People who normally read my reviews are probable surprised that I haven't really gone into detail about the technical proficiency of the rhythm guitar on the 2nd interlude of blah blah blah... Normally I get super microscopic and enjoy the minute details of a a guitar lick or a vocal quirk. On this album, I feel I wouldn't be able to sum up my feelings on the countless moments that make this album amazing. Deathconsciousnesshas a dense, reverby wall of sound and a dense, lofty concept that is opaque and difficult to see through. Moments blend together and amble along for minutes at a time in the swirling mass of ideas that permeates this album. This album is the antithesis of one created by a band like Hot Cross. It is impenetrable and atmospheric, instead of tautly constructed and brittle. Deathconsciousness is an album to be enjoyed on a long car drive or a pensive late night. I personally imagine myself when I was younger. In the winter, there would be storms that would put out the power. My mom would light candles in the dining room so that we could do homework or read on the distinctive, antique table that we had in there. I remember myself sitting there with a soft glow lighting the room as nobody spoke. I would listen to my battery-powered CD walkman, listening to the Deftones' White Pony, being massively aware of the atmosphere of songs like "Knife Party" or "Digital Bath" blending in the the heaving of the storm against our house, the peculiar light of the candles, and the feeling of being in a room with my entire family. The atmosphere was a blend of music, light, sound, weather fronts, the breathing of people, the sounds of pencils scratching. When I listen to the fuzzed-out soundscapes found on Deathconsciousness I get the sense of the recording of this album. History blends with concept, religion, analog and digital recording, vocals, sound effects, and the things listed in the 70+ page booklet: "an old toy piano Tim found," "a shitty keyboard from the 80s." I can't help but feel that I'm listening to an album that is perfectly intimate with itself and its environment, atmosphere, or aesthetic, and is well off because of it."

http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/15024/Have-A-Nice-Life-Deathconsciousness/

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Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 - Wormed By Leonard (1988)

Forming music as strange as its genesis, the San Fransisco-based band comprised mostly of Iowans, Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 showcased what is likely a reflection of that cross-American migration with their debut cassette, Wormed By Leonard. What comes through is a charming, very poppy example of the experimental "indie" rock that gained notoriety from, most famously, bands like Sun City Girls.

Which is why it's no surprise that TFUL282 later joined them on the San Francisco-based Amarillo records as well as nationwide tours. On here we get the comparison often. From the intro we're introduced to the mentality that groups them in that brand of post-punk. It's Seven is an abrasive little piece, not really accomplishing much outside of an impression of the members making an album just to put mind to matter.

And that's much like this entire album. One gets a real sense of a band making music for their own enjoyment. Little bits of humor and personality jump in and out of their broken pop hits, which is first highlighted right out of the gate, with the soft sounding and sweetly named, "Hell Rules" (which was included with it's own cheeky art, which is in the sample I'll include).

And that mostly punk attitude is a very attractive aspect of this band, shown with tons of catchy melodies, a nonsense approach to art and living, and a general lack of regard for what they're "expected to play". Not to say it's serious about that, either. Everything about this is tongue-in-cheek to the point that it's a surprise they find time to project their uber-silly lyrics, like in their epic about walking a deceivingly fierce dog, Nipper.

A remarkable aspect of this music I may have just glanced over is how catchy it is. Throwing in "Western" themes (such as Narlus Spectre's very involved "wild west" rhythms) with the California "outsider" music (not to be confused with the Californina Outside Music Association, which isn't too far away musically) they create a sound that is really quite hard to convey. I suppose that I can only say that the melodies are so natural, it's hard to imagine music this original is this original.

You're likely to hear people exclaim that something like Mother of All Saints or Stranger Than The Universe (or any other of their albums) is the band's best work, but I can't agree. I would never say that they don't deserve the title, but there is an atmosphere about this album that is wholly inviting. It's a charming album that is an output of a band playing music, and not necessarily making an album, if that makes sense. Mostly, Wormed seems like their most personal output, although I'd hate to count the other albums off as "manufactured", as they are far from such. TFUL282 could make a collection of Spice Girl covers and never once come off as impersonal and unnatural. They bleed through their music.

Sample

Note: This is the 1995 reissue with 5 extra songs, including the delicious "If I Were In A Shoe" and "Not In The Popply Dimension"

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The Soft Boys - Underwater Moonlight (1980)

The soft boys have a peculiar mix of influences and underwater moonlight exemplifies that wonderfully. They wear their influences on their sleeves(The Beatles, Syd Barret, The Byrds), but on this album they have enough originality to make it their own. Robyn Hithcock's lyrics are best described as arranged stream of conscience...being that he'll take random, off kilter thoughts and put them together to make a cohesive theme(most of the time). The music provides a superb backdrop to this. The band are very tight players(not in the sessionman sense)and stylistically diverse as well. Whether playing hyper rock & roll(i wanna destroy you), jangly pop(the queen of eyes), or loopy krautrock-ish instrumentals(you'll have to go sideways), the band pulls it off with ease. If you're a fan of late 70's-early 80's British music (Wire, Gang of Four, Joy Division, etc.), but get tired of the gloominess and (sometimes) pretentiousness of it. Then this album is your swan song. <--Yes I did just say that. Buy it
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Swans-My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky (2010)

After a 13 year absence Michael Gira has once again started up his project known as Swans. In the past they have released some of the most unique music out there and some of my personal favorite albums.

This album is defiantly a good start for them especially after having such a long absence in the music scene. While this album is not as great as some of their former work such as The Great Annihilator, White Light From The Mouth Of Infinity, and Body To Body Job To Job. It's still stands up to be one of my favorite albums released so far this year and hopefully is a preview of more to come from this band.

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Japanese Cartoon - In the Jaws of the Lords of Death (2010)

When I heard Lupe Fiasco (which he refuses to be called when performing with this post-punk band) was going to be the front-man for a punk band, I was instantly interested. The album has a good post-punk sound, and is very listenable, but it last any kind of feeling or soul that I usually expect from any kind of punk music I listen to.

Another distracting feature of the album is Fiasco's phony British accent he has on every track on the album. I understand why he wanted to separate this project from his solo career, but just because you are doing punk, doesn't mean you have to sound like Johnny Rotten or Dee Dee Ramone. The album production is also a bit lacking, but its a free download from the bands website, so you cant really fault production on something you aren't paying for.

The best track on the album is "Gasp", its a bit softer than the rest of the otherwise heavy album, and Fiasco actually has glimpses of greatness behind the mic. If nothing else, this song will remain in rotation on my iPod for a while.

Overall, its a mediocre album that sounds like the Gorillaz, if they did a post-punk album, and lost all the fun that makes their albums such a joy to listen to.

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Pylon - Chomp (1983)

I'll admit to it: I only checked this album out because I thought that was one of the most memorable covers I've seen. I knew nothing about the band or the fact that in the 80s, one of the most popular rock bands to ever exist, R.E.M., called Pylon "America's best band". Now, Pylon is known as one of the greatest underground bands of the 80s and at the forefront of the Athens, GA indie/pop movement.

They've been together three different times over 30+ years, from 1978-1983 to 1989-1991 (reformed to tour with R.E.M.) to 2004-now. The well-known venue in Athens, called the 40 Watt Club, got its name from a phrase the band used to describe the room lit by a single 40 watt light bulb.

If you're looking for a good 80s album, you've come to the right place.

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The Static Age- I/O (2009)

The Static Age are a post-punk band from Burlington, Vermont consisting primarily of Andrew Paley and Adam Meilleur. they got their name from a Misfits album. I/O starts with Damages and it's nice from beginning to end. It has an 80's feel to it from the synthesizer to the electronic beats and dripping effects. The repeating of the words "they will keep you safe" could send chills down your spine. We then transits to Already Dead, an almost Phil Collins reject song, the vocals and lyrics are soft and the style it has, it made me think of Phil Collins. Now if that's a good thing or bad thing is up for interpretation. Overall I really enjoyed this album but it's almost more of an EP with only 6 songs on the album roughly over 4 mins each equaling out to about 25 mins.

Going forward Daughters and Sons takes a new direction, the guitar sounds change and we lose some of that electronic feeling but the vocals are still soft and echoing. The chorus is the real strength of this song. it just brings the song together. These Days is next up and is another solid song. It has more of an old school rock meets new school alt rock feel. I really liked this song as well and it sticks with the 80's vibe of the album as well. Closing of the Year is probably one of the best songs of the album. It's just a mellow delicate song, Andrew Paley really brings this song together with his vocals. Rorschach, the albums closer is another Phil Collins esque song in it's style and execution, it's the perfect closer for this album. The Static Age are a very good band and I really enjoyed reviewing this album. Whatever they're doing, it's working for them. I/O is a great example of what post punk should be. I look forward to what the Static Age has for future endeavors.

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The Residents - Duck Stab (1978)

To see the Residents at their most intriguing, one cannot do much better than the Duck Stab/Buster & Glen album. The highlight of the work, "Constantinople", is a droning bit of whimsy whose effect is sufficiently hypnotic as to make you peruse the record for evidence of subliminal backwards masking. As is typical of the work, the entire album is synthesizer-laden, filled with ominously non-sensical lyrics, and a range of parody and homage which includes styles as diverse as 50s Elvis-style rock, the invented musics of Harry Partch, jazz which alternates between pre-bop and Sun Ra and veers into Beefheart-esque territory.

If you have not "bought into" the Residents, this is an excellent start--it's sophisticated and yet very D.I.Y., musically complex and yet arguably as much a product of Shreveport as San Francisco. My only real critique of this album is that it's entirely eerie, but perhaps that's one of the many points.

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Circle of Ouroborus/Crooked Necks - Ruins of Resurrection (2010)

For you that know Circle of Ouroborus, this is mostly just more of the same. For those that don't, expect raw black metal, occultist themes, alienation, depression and enough post-punk to shake a stick at. They base themselves heavily on haunting vocals, slowly developing riffs and Joy Division inspired basslines, an influence they certainly won't deny. Vocalist Antti Kelmi surely takes cues from Ian Curtis' well known drones, taking it into a raspy croon more than fitting for this "post-black" duo, extending the atmosphere to a otherworldly setting. They also point to the fact with their fantastic cover of the classic "She's Lost Control" on their first full-length album, Shores.

Crooked Necks (of whom I knew nothing about before this) are a wonderful pairing, as they also do well to mix their various post-punk and black metal influences, although I should admit, it is a bit more transparent. Although this is what certainly sets them apart, and partially why I enjoyed their side like I do, they do less to blend what links the styles, and rather mesh what sets them apart. Rhythmic, "happy" tunes, spliced with harsh vocals and the occasional thick distortion creates a juxtaposition of sound that is both inviting and jarring.

To say the least, it's unlikely you'll find anything quite like it. You could compare the atmosphere of Circle of Ouroborus to the likes of Urfaust or Nuit Noire (both appearing on split records with CoO), and you could compare Crooked Necks to the new wave of "blackgaze" or whatever other name is applied to these recent post-punk/shoegaze inspired bands such as Amesoeurs, Dopamine, and Shyy, but it's hard to say that anything is quite like the mix you'll find with these bands.

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Circle of Ouroborus myspace (fan page) | last.fm

Crooked Necks myspace | last.fm