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This is 'Liberation through Amplification.'
By: Richard Maw Album Type: Full Length
(Reissue) Date Released: 21/01/2022 Label: Nuclear Blast
“Violent Revolution” CD//DD//LP track listing: 01. Reconquering
The Throne
02. The Patriarch
03. Violent Revolution
04. All Of The Same Blood 05. Servant
In Heaven - King In Hell
06. Second Awakening
07. Ghetto War
08. Replicas Of Life
09. Slave Machinery
10. Bitter Sweet Revenge
11. Mind Of Fire
12. System Decay The Review: Kreator are de facto my favourite
German thrash band and, as has often been said, are the only thrash band from
any nation in the mid 80s who made a record which rivals “Reign In Blood”
for sheer violence and intensity. Of course, there is much more to the band's
catalogue than just “Pleasure To Kill”. While
this album is not in the classic run which featured the aforementioned, “Endless
Pain”, “Extreme Aggression” and “Terrible Certainty”
(not in that order!) it is the first of Kreator's modern era purple patch which has
run from this record through to “Phantom Antichrist” and “Gods
of Violence”. After a somewhat shaky 1990s, the band really did roar
back with this record. Kreator,
to their credit, never went away but they had drifted from their core sound and
simply did not maintain much of a presence when thrash found itself out of
favour with the press. I'm
aware that the reissue features bonus tracks, but as I have only the album
here... that is what I'll focus on. It's a fairly raging album. The band meld
their socially conscious and socially liberal political leanings with righteous
rage. Incredibly, this record is now over 20 years old and still sounds vital
and relentlessly heavy. Opening
with “Reconquering The Throne” is a vicious mission statement; it really
did reassert their thrash credentials at the time and listening to it now, it's
no less potent. From there, the material is as weighty as it is well delivered.
The production is pretty great; it's not like 2001 was 1971, but even so I was
surprised, revisiting this, how clear and powerful the sound is. The drums in
particular really benefit from the crystal clear mix and it sounds, well, just
really good. Pleasingly,
it is also fairly relentless. There are no real detours into melodic territory
which have featured more often in later records and instead this is just a
pretty straight ahead thrash record, played and delivered expertly. It's a far
cry from the endearingly inept “Endless Pain” but not quite as
polished as “Gods of Violence”. In short, it is thrash metal with
no surprises other than (un)pleasant familiarity. While
more mid paced material is not as interesting as the ragers here (“Servant
in Heaven”), they are still engaging and nasty enough to be worthy of the
band and the record. Strangely, “Violent Revolution”has never
been an album from their discography I've played that much. I've usually gone
for “Hordes of Chaos” or “Phantom Antichrist” as a
go-to from the band's latter period... but I'm now wondering why I overlooked
this. As
reissues go, this is well worth shelling out some cash for if you missed it
first time around or if you never paid it much attention. The band keep the
pedal to the metal right through to “Bitter Sweet Revenge” and “Mind
of Fire” and the eleven tracks are all at least good- no clunkers.
Negatives? Well, about the worst thing I can say is that a couple of tracks are
a little long- but this is small beer really. The songs are pretty focused
overall and certainly are fiery enough to power through on attitude and
commitment even at the longer song running times. “Violent
Revolution”
is available HERE
Simply put, this is a classic recording
and one that shaped the genre and continues to do so all these decades after it
was laid down on tape. Masterful.
“Judgement
of the Dead” CD//DD//LP track listing:
1. Pagan Altar
2. In the Wake of Armadeus
3. Judgement of the Dead
4. The Black Mass
5. Night Rider
6. The Dance of the Banshee
7. Reincarnation
The Review:
There
is not that much that can be written about Pagan Altar that has not already been written.
To summarise, they are regarded as one of the first doom metal bands and one of
the most influential- despite being NWOBHM in origin and not releasing an
official album until the millennium that followed the NWOBHM boom.
“Judgement
of the Dead”,
then, is their earliest work in remastered form which first saw the (official)
light of day decades after being recorded as a top end demo. Armed with that
knowledge, it is up to the listener to decide what they are listening to;
charmingly lo-fi lightning in a bottle which planted seeds still growing today
or amateurish and crude heavy metal which would be perfected at a much later
date.
For
me, there is something about “Judgement of the Dead” which lends
itself to the former description. There can be no argument that the “Mythical
and Magical” and “Room of Shadows” are amongst the
best doom albums ever put out, but the murky production here may be too much
for some to overlook.
With
that debate set out, we can now focus on what is here: an unmistakably English
vibe, a father and son at the heart of the band and a very eccentric set of
songs. Viewed through the lens of the early 80s, this must have been very
unusual indeed; satanic invocations, occult themes, crashing chords and huge
riffs of plodding slowness. Terry Jones' plaintive wail is present and correct
and the guitar work has been emulated countless times since.
From
the opening of the band's titular theme song to the lengths of some of the
songs themselves, you can tell this is simply not standard early 80s metal
fare. The gulf between this and other metal of the time is huge. If the title
track brings the epic feel, then “Night
Rider” brings the swinging feel utilised so effectively by Sabbath,
Trouble
and even Saint
Vitus. The acoustic “The
Dance of the Banshee” is a welcome interlude before the epic closer “Reincarnation” (recorded much later
than the bulk of this release).
That
the origins of Pagan
Altar are so murky and mysterious only adds to their allure- they
were there at the start but only came to prominence after years of their legend
building up by word of mouth. Where “Judgement of the Dead” fits in their
discography is hard to say. Their latter day material is so imperious that it
is hard to compare this nascent effort in any meaningful way- a little like
comparing Priest's
“Rocka
Rolla” to “Firepower”.
Pagan Altar are essential to any doom
fan, so this is essential too. Don't expect crystal clear sound and mixing par
excellence, but do expect to hear a uniqueness and an arcane vibe from which
you can draw a direct correlation to all the best doom bands operating today.
Simply put, this is a classic recording and one that shaped the genre and
continues to do so all these decades after it was laid down on tape. Masterful.
Imperfect though
it may be, "Vol. 1" is a fascinating introduction to Uncle Acid and
the Deadbeats' bold vision
"Vol. 1” CD//DD//LP track listing
1.
Crystal Spiders
2.
WitchesGarden
3.
Dead Eyes of London
4.
Lonely and Strange
5.
Vampire Circus
6.
Do What Your Love Tells You
7.
I Don’t Know
8.
Wind Up Toys
The Review:
Psychedelic
band Uncle
Acid and the Deadbeats has gained somewhat of a cult status over the
years. However, it is the best kind of cult status imaginable. The group has at
once achieved notoriety while not gaining a level of household name currency.
Such presence is a sweet spot for musicians: people know you, but not their
moms, and not being played at the mall is absolutely not for lack of skills. Uncle Acid and
the Deadbeats' style of stoner rock with old-school heavy metal
burnish has flashes of panache that bands like Electric Wizard have in
abundance. Over its releases, the Kevin Starrs-fronted group has supplemented
that with pulpy themes in its music and as such their music is truly fun to
listen to, and the band's music has received well-deserved acclaim for it.
If
you have been following Uncle Acid over its young career – from 2011's
“Blood Lust”, 2013’s “Mind Control” or “The Night Creeper”, the 2015 entry – chances are the group hooked
you with its fuzzed out freaky tales that always came across as more Dusk to
Dawn than Leatherface. It is a catchy and creative mix that draws comparisons
to some of the genre's all-stars, not to mention progressive acts like Pink Floyd.
Among the stories that have circulated was how the celebrated band's story
began on a 2010 debut, which originally made the rounds via CD-R. However, that
recording has been elusive to most fans, save Youtube downloads and live shows.
That is, until its longtime label, Rise Above Records, stepped in to reissue the
out-of-print first recording.
With
"Vol. 1," fans of Uncle Acid and
the Deadbeats finally get a glimpse at the band's formative work.
Perhaps it is no surprise that it is not the best the crew has performed, but
it is among the most original.
"Crystal Spiders" begins the
album, and it is filled with the energetic guitar work and the sticky rhythms you
know of Uncle
Acid and the Deadbeats. The back story to "Vol. 1" is that it is truly a do-it-yourself endeavor.
It was reportedly self-recorded. This hardscrabble tale proves readily apparent
as you tune in for the duration. A little too much volume and some loose
production are evident. With "WitchesGarden," the vocals are a bit
more washed out by the rest of the arrangement than usual. However, it, just as
with the next song "Dead Eyes of London," is a
priceless look at a performer building a sound it is today loved for making.
Its cornerstones – that classic rock 'n' roll feel, a lyricism that weaves a
mystical tale into the music – are gestating on its debut. On "Lonely and Strange," the
bass and drums take a more prominent role, just like they do in later releases and
are a hallmark of this vibe. Imperfect though it may be, "Vol. 1" is a fascinating introduction to Uncle Acid and
the Deadbeats' bold vision.
Starrs
has been quoted as saying he wanted to oversee remixing and ensuring the new
record met the standard he expected for fans. He does an admirable job in
touching up the base material. "Do
What Your Love Tells You" in the original telling, available online,
gets its retro doom amped up on "Vol.
1." Similarly, the closer, "Wind
Up Toys," is markedly improved from the original.
If
you are a fan and caught "Vol.
1" online, the reissue is a treat you will not want to miss. And if
you are curious about this burgeoning UK phenomenon, "Vol. 1" may help you understand how it all began.
In
a time where doom is flourishing in all directions and manners, Southern Lord exhumed the sole full-length from Massachusetts'
Warhorse. Long out of print, rabidly sought after, and
unconditionally vital in foreshadowing the plethora of current acts who partake
in long form, recklessly downtuned sound voyages, 2001's ‘As Heaven Turns To Ash’ was reissued on double LP and digital formats on
February 24th, 2015 combined with their final 7" EP, I Am Dying.
Formed
in 1996 and lasting the best part of a decade, Warhorse
wallow deep down, grooving at the kind of frequency usually associated with
imminent natural disaster. But in addition to their intricate delivery, Warhorse possesses an experimental, verging on psychedelic
streak which gave rise to gritty and memorable riffs, and saw them sharing
stages with the iconic likes of Electric Wizard, Khanate, Acid
King, High On Fire and Unearthly Trance.
‘As Heaven Turns To Ash’
and ‘I Am Dying’ are sinister
demonstrations of ultra-heavy riffs as a weapon, and with Southern Lord
delivered a stellear rerelease, doom
fans worldwide will need to start saving pennies for the subwoofer damage they
are sure to inflict. Today we are rewinding the riffs back a mere 2 years in order present “As
Heaven Turns To Ash’.So
if you missed it the first time or even following its reissue in 2015, be sure
to remedy your error by checking out our review in full below.
By: Daniel Jackson
Album Type: Full-Length
Date Released: 29/09/2001
(24/02/2015
for the reissue)
Label: Southern
Lord
Were ‘As Heaven Turns To
Ash’ to be released in 2017 for the first time, it would be in a
league with 2014 standouts Conan and Ommadon and the reason, much like
‘As Heaven Turns To Ash’ itself
is simple: execution. Especially for its time, but even now; Warhorse knew how to craft
a deep fucking tone.
If you told me that the guitars were tuned to a previously non-existent z flat
and played through a baritone guitar, I’d believe you.
‘As Heaven Turns To Ash’ DLP//DD track
listing:
1.
Dusk
2.
Doom's Bride
3.
Black Acid Prophecy
4.
Amber Vial
5.
Every Flower Dies No Matter The Thorns (Whither)
6.
Lysergic Communion
7.
Dawn
8.
Scrape
9.
And The Angels Begin To Weep
I Am Dying EP:
1.
I Am Dying
2.
Horizons Burn Red
The Review:
Warhorse may not sound all that unique by
today’s standards, but in 2001 ‘As Heaven
Turns To Ash’ just wasn’t something you heard every day. It’s pretty easy
to figure out from which wells Warhorse drew their
inspiration: Black Sabbath, Sleep,
and Eyehategod. In 2017, you’re going to look at
that list and think “So? There are hundreds if not thousands of bands in that
camp, and I’ve gotten my fill of it over the last 10 years”. That’s a fair
point. It’s hard to argue that as of this writing, doom with stoner tendencies
is a well-worn style and bands have needed to add more and more into the mix to
come up with a fresh approach. There have been a few that have made
stripped-down, basic doom in the Sleep and Eyehategod traditions work, though they’re often the
exception rather than the rule.
Were
‘As Heaven Turns To Ash’ to be
released in 2017 for the first time, it would succeed in that same way, with
the added benefit of a much larger audience for their style. It would be in a
league with 2014 standouts Conan and Ommadon and the reason, much like ‘As Heaven Turns To Ash’ itself is simple: execution. Especially for
its time, but even now; Warhorse knew how to
craft a deep fucking tone. If you told me that the guitars
were tuned to a previously non-existent z flat and played through a baritone
guitar, I’d believe you. The drums are given plenty of weight in both
performance and in production. In a way, this album should serve as the bar
which all bands in a similar style should strive to meet, at least
production-wise.
The
song writing here is strong, despite being deeply indebted to its influences.
It also helps that whenever it sounds like the album might be stuck in a groove
or idea for too long, the band knows when to include a softer dynamic break or
change the emotional tone enough to keep things from getting stale. There are
several softer instrumental pieces throughout the album, and along with the
subtle diversions sprinkled in throughout the bulk of the album, they manage to
avoid letting the bloom fall off the rose.
I’m
not entirely certain what ended Warhorse after just one
full length and a few EPs. I’d certainly speculate that it’s possible they just
had the one album in them. The two songs from the ‘I Am Dying’ EP that came out the following year (also included in
this reissue as bonus tracks) suggest that Warhorse were kinda
running in place. Even on ‘As Heaven
Turns To Ash’, nearly twenty minutes of the album had been recorded in demo
form around three years earlier. It would be safe to say that even considering
the brief window of time they were together; Warhorse
wasn’t a terribly prolific band. They came together and created one great
album’s worth of material and moved on. You’d have to try pretty damned hard
not to respect that.
It's a very engaging
listen, 33 years on and is an absolute must have for any fan of doom- or anyone
looking at how the genre started to really form into something (along with the
work of Vitus, Trouble et al). An
essential album and a worthy reissue. Enrich your record collection and your
life by buying it!
“King of the Dead”(Ultimate
Edition) CD//DD//LP track listing:
1. Atom Smasher
2. Black Machine
3. Master of the Pit
4. King of the Dead
5. Death of the Sun
6. Finger of Scorn
7. Toccata in Dm
8. Cirith Ungol
9. Last Laugh (Live)
10. Death of the Sun (Alternate Mix)
11. Master of the Pit (Live)
12. King of the Dead (Live)
13. Cirith Ungol (Live)
The Review
Cirith
Ungol
occupy a strange place in the book of heavy metal; a true cult band that mixed
sword and sorcery themes with classic rock, traditional metal and true doom,
all punctuated by Tim Baker's unique (the best word for it) voice. “Frost and Fire” was a good debut- with
one foot in the 70s. “King of the Dead”,
meanwhile, is regarded by many as their best album, being as it was self
produced which gave the band a certain amount of freedom to do what they
wanted. The band now occupy a similar space to Manilla Road- cult, underground,
quirky and worshipped by their true disciples.
This
ultimate edition of the revered album gives a new remastered sheen to the main
album and adds on some live tracks and alternate mixes. The album itself sounds...
pretty great, actually! This is a well produced record with an unusual sound.
The lead work reminds me of Iommi (in tone as well as content), the bass is
prominent (as per the debut) and the drums still pack a forceful percussive
sound.
Let's
be honest, the album is a classic; it's weighty, but never over the top in
terms of heaviosity . The songs are there- “Atom Smasher” and “Black
Machine” are a fearsome opening twosome. “Master of The Pit” is a doom classic, straying into epic territory-
as does the title track. There is some quicker stuff on here (“Death of the Sun”), more melancholy
fare (“Finger of Scorn”), an
instrumental (“Toccata in Dm”) and
the band's theme song. It's a very engaging listen, 33 years on and is an
absolute must have for any fan of doom- or anyone looking at how the genre
started to really form into something (along with the work of Vitus,
Trouble
et al).
The
ultimate edition comes with the aforementioned bonus tracks- live versions
(some very recent, some contemporaneous), alternate mixes and what have you-
but as usual, all you really need is the original album- particularly in this
superior audio form. The remaster is great and made my old CD sound very wooly
indeed. An essential album and a worthy reissue. Enrich your record collection
and your life by buying it!
“King of the Dead”(Ultimate Edition) is
available here
6.
Korgüll the Exterminator, 7. Technocratic Manipulators, 8. Macrosolutions to
Megaproblems,
9.
War and Pain Medley, 10. Brain Scan, 11. Psychic Vacuum, 12. Order of the Blackguards
13.
Holiday in Cambodia,
14. Batman
The
Review
For
at least a decade, since the remastered re-release of 1984’s debut album “War and Pain”, Voivod fans have clamored for the
long-promised follow-up reissues/expansions of the key “Noise Records Era”
triumvirate of thrash-speed-prog-punk-industrial madness from Quebec’s cornerstone quartet of metal.This desire to “plumb the vaults”, as it
were, was only exacerbated by the untimely death of guitar wizard Denis D’Amour
in 2005.D’Amour, better known as Piggy,
left enough material to cut two
additional albums: “Katorz” (2006)
and “Infini”(2009).Remarkably, the
band has continued to perform and produce new albums, though not at D’Amour’s
breakneck pace.In that time, performers
as disparate as Dave Grohl, Vektor, and Ryan Adams have espoused the legacy of Voivod,
arguably raising the profile far beyond what D’Amour would have expected in his
lifetime.
As
for the records themselves, what else can be said for Voivod’s early output in
2017?For one, this is the sound, the
feel, the overall aesthetic of a band enmeshed in creative unity.In the lengthy essays accompanying each
album, D’Amour’s surviving band mates explain their remarkable commitment to
collaboration: Away took a year off to hone his drumming ability before the
recording of “War and Pain”, while
developing the visual elements of band.Snake, presented with Away’s artwork and Piggy’s compositions, crafted
lyrics that distinguished Voivod’s unique brand of obliquely political,
dystopic storytelling.Blacky,
meanwhile, worked extensively with Piggy to create complimentary riffs that,
especially when reviewing the live tracks and videos, illustrate the remarkable
sonic fullness of the band, despite lacking a live rhythm guitarist.With these four elements operating at the top
of their respective games, it’s still remarkable that in the span of three
years, Voivod
created a trio of albums that thrash harder than 90% of thrash acts today.
“RRRÖÖÖAAARRR”, the “pure”
thrash record, is a step up from their Metal Blade debut production wise,
though the band laments the subpar bass tracking, due to a last minute robbery
of the recording space.This may be a
case of artistic perfectionism, as the dynamics on display are as crisp as any
I’ve heard recently.Thankfully, none of
these reissues suffer from the massive compression of some others from the same
era, eschewing the excessive volume tinkering and allowing the original recording
to mostly stand on its own merits.And
over the course of its nine tracks, “RRRÖÖÖAAARRR”
proves why it won over early skeptics – from the first minute, it just fucking
rips.Sure, Snake’s vocal attack is
idiosyncratic at times, but as a veteran performance artist, he sells every
verse with a punk’s intensity.Away may
still be imitating Motörhead, but the propulsive energy is
undeniable.And Piggy’s chaotic riffs on
homemade guitars and effects pedals stand up to any of his contemporaries’
technical precision.
If
“RRRÖÖÖAAARRR” was the reiteration of
Voivod’s
place among the cutting edge of thrash, “Killing
Technology” is the anarcho-punk speed metal hybrid that cemented their
reputation as genre defying tech wizards.Now a road hardened machine, the band was expanding their musical
tastes, and it shows: while the metal spirit remains, there are definitely more
hardcore and punk influences on display.Piggy’s riffs are sometimes minimalist, creating tonal soundscapes
before erupting into technical acrobatics.Away continues to hammer out double-bass marathons, but also shifts on a
dime throughout, verging on jazz polyrhythms in classics like “Tornado”, “Order of the Blackguards”, and the explosive title track.Snake sounds even better, embracing
production to slide into different characters.And ok, the bass really does sound better than on “RRRÖÖÖAAARRR”.
“Dimension Hatröss” is, without a
doubt, a full on prog metal masterpiece.While the earlier albums were arguably conceptually unified, for the
first time Voivod
crafted a true concept album around their band “mascot”, Korgüll, who travels
through a universe created by a particle accelerator.With their avatar charting new territories, Voivod
was spiritually freed – incorporating industrial elements, fusing thrash
shredding with propulsive hardcore riffs, and all the while Snake blossomed
into the singer/storyteller/actor he’d always verged on becoming in the earlier
records.Perhaps the most remarkable
element of “Hatröss” is the relative
economy of songwriting; each song hovers around 5 minutes, but doles out
concentrated prog power that most bands can’t equal in multi-part “epics”.Plus, they’re actually catchy!“Chaosmongers”
would feel at home in a punk compilation, albeit with the most technically
skilled punkers you’d ever encountered.Like a perfect short story collection, each track is stellar on its own,
but together spells out a terrifying vision of extradimensional nightmare
exploration that’s as exhilarating as you can imagine.Plus, the Batman cover really rips.
Along
with the original albums, these Noise Records deluxe 2 CD/1 DVD editions of “RRRÖÖÖAAARRR”, “Killing Technology”, and “Dimension
Hatröss” include hours of supplementary tracks, video, and bonus
materials.All the live video content
is, not surprisingly, very raw stuff, mostly captured on camcorder, while the
live CD audio varies between competent and pretty good bootleg quality.In all, each DVD contains at least 5 hours of
video footage, culled from each album’s respective tour, plus live demos that
most diehards have already traded with other Voivod completists.Perhaps the most interesting “bonus content,”
for a visual obsessive like me, are the slideshows of Langevin’s artwork, a key
component to this era of the band.It’s
easy to see how the disturbing, Heavy Metal inspired pieces Langevin was
producing could help Snake craft such evocative lyrics, and inspire Piggy and
Blacky’s discordant, broken tech songwriting.
At
the purely musical level, the bonus discs increased my admiration for Blacky’s
bass-as-rhythm-guitar style, and Piggy’s ability to balance both rhythm and
impeccable lead, nearly simultaneously.As a testament of a version of Voivod that many of us have never seen,
however, these archives are invaluable.There’s undeniable exuberance and showmanship even in the dingiest punk
clubs (some remarkably sparsely attended), while the increasing ferocity of the
band’s following is evident from tour to tour; Voivod was infectious in a way
few can comprehend, relying largely on word of mouth and a relentless pace of
output and live performance.In what can
be seen now as a disastrous precursor, the band was sidelined after “Dimension Hatröss”, as D’Amour has his
first terrifying encounter with cancer, from which he would eventually
recover. They would go on to push the
genre even further with the major label releases “Nothingface” and “Angel Rat”
(which could use the same type of loving reissues), but still mostly headline
the club and theater circuit, perhaps too abstract for the metal masses of the
early 90s, but also victims of bad luck.Blacky would leave the band and they would hopscotch among indie labels
before D’Amour’s death from colon cancer at the age of 45 – which would spell
certain doom for 99% of other bands.And
yet, here we are, with Voivod touring, still receiving raves for
their current output, and we’ve been presented an embarrassment of riches that
serve as testament to a band and a guitarist whose statures only seem to
increase with each passing decade.That
is, perhaps, the most unlikely triumph of this trio of albums: exceptional
dedication, artistic integrity, and solidarity are timeless.Dimensional displacement, war, apathy, cancer
– all are subsumed in the power of undeniable artistic triumph.Voivod cannot be killed.Now crank it up or Fuck Off and Die!
Each new Mouth of the Architect release
is my new soundtrack to oblivion, but revisiting “Time and Withering” is
definitely worth your effort. It has held up over time and is still as
big and bold as it was 13 years ago.
“Time and
Withering” DD//LP track listing:
1).
A Vivid Chaos
2).
Soil to Stone
3).
Heart Eaters
4).
The Worm
The Review:
After
13 years, 5 full length LP’s and numerous line up changes, Mouth of the Architect have
survived to remaster and re-issue their first album, “Time and Withering”, for a vinyl treatment. I’m not sure why they
chose the 13th anniversary for this auspicious occasion, but given
their current “three year per album” rate of production, this reissue is a
welcome windfall coming only 8 months after their previous effort, “Path of Eight.” It also provides a
great opportunity to see where MotA have come from and examine the threads
that hold their entire catalogue together.
There
have always been areas of overlap throughout their body of work. The
way they carefully build and layer a song together, each new layer drawing on
another emotion, sometimes destroying itself in release, sometimes taking the
listener hostage. “Time and Withering”
is where that body of work begins, with four massive tracks of gloomy sludgy
post metal. Describing the ins and outs of tracks like “A Vivid Chaos” and “The Worm” don’t do the work justice
because there are just so many ins and outs per track. Each MotA
production evokes a mood that takes the listener on various twists and turns.
The mood of “Time and Withering”
drifts between somber and fragile to hugely aggressive and furious. The
vocals throughout, when they are present, are a shredded and tortured blend of
dark whispers and all out rage, much in the classic Neurosis style, lulling you to
an uneasy slumber before eviscerating that fragile niche they had carefully
carved out.
In
contrast, MotA
definitely throttled back on the sludge and aggression with “Path of Eight” leaning more toward a
pensive and progressive sound throughout, along with mostly clean singing. The
beast still slips the leash on tracks like “Sever the Soul” and “Stretching
Out”. That isn’t to say that those moments can’t be found on “Time and Withering”, but that the whole
feel throughout is just more foreboding and brutal. Not knowing exactly when
the caustic pot is going to boil over may be what ties everything MotA
has ever done together. They may choose to grab a riff for 6 to 10
minutes, while building a Russian Circles worthy soundscape around it,
just to let the tension build. Maybe it dissolves without a whimper or maybe it
goes full berserker, until you’re sure they have nothing left to give.
Then they create a whole new tapestry. Each new Mouth of the Architect release
is my new soundtrack to oblivion, but revisiting “Time and Withering” is definitely worth your effort. It has
held up over time and is still as big and bold as it was 13 years ago.
“Time and Withering” is available here
(Digital) and here
(Vinyl)
