REVIEW: Schammasch - “The Maldoror Chants: Hermaphrodite” (EP)

By: Conor O’Dea

Album Type: EP

Date Released: 09/06/2017

Label: Prosthetic Records

Schammasch have created something remarkable with this most recent artistic expression, sophisticated, complex and yet somehow, eminently accessible.  Get lost. It is worth your time to find a way out.

“The Maldoror Chants: Hermaphrodite” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). “Prologue”
2). “The Weighty Burden Of An Eternal Secret”
3). “Along The Road That Leads To Bedlam”
4). “These Tresses Are Sacred”
5). “May His Illusion Last Until Dawn’s Awakening”
6). “Chimerical Hope”
7). “Do Not Open Your Eyes”

The Review:

"May it please heaven that the reader, emboldened and having for the time being become as fierce as what he is reading, should, without being led astray, find his rugged and treacherous way across the desolate swamps of these sombre and poison-filled pages; for, unless he brings to his reading a rigorous logic and a tautness of mind equal at least to his wariness, the deadly emanations of this book will dissolve his soul as water does sugar. It is not right that everyone should savour this bitter fruit with impunity. Consequently, shrinking soul, turn on your heels and go back before penetrating further into such uncharted, perilous wastelands." Comte de Lautréamont, “Les Chants de Maldoror”

There can be only deep silence after the invocation of the triune. It is time to pause. An initiate, waiting, in the shadows, barely breathes, as the adept brings one deeply important ritual to a close. You know where you were left, but are unclear where the way could possibly open again. Ab initio, ab vacuo, a ritual begins, revitalized, innovative, and redacted: but only in the paths it wanders, not in the powers it invokes. Thunder, perfect mind.

Schammasch have created something remarkable with this most recent artistic expression, something that draws deeply and effectively on both the painterly and writerly roots of its inspiration. It is sophisticated, complex and yet it, somehow, it is eminently accessible. It is a sort of roman-de-clef, but it does not seek to intimidate, browbeat or baffle the listener with fabricated dissonance or obfuscatory elitism. It invites the listener to enter its mysteries and get profoundly lost within them. Schammasch here effectively create auditory and lyrical topographies that bend the common conventions of compositional and narrative structure in surreal ways. I am using surreal here in the sense of Magritte and Dali, both of whom illustrated Lautreamont's “The Lay of Maldoror”; it is a bending of reality, a reconfiguration of the real through symbolic interpolation. The six songs following the prologue mirror the Canto division of Lautreamont's poetic novel, a glimpse into the fin-de-siecle madness that performed this superlative Dada-like twist on both the” Divine Comedy” and “Paradise Lost”.

“May His Illusion Last until Dawn's Awakening” and “Chimerical Hope” are perhaps the most immediately 'moving' of these tracks, but as with all things Schammasch, this album should be taken as a whole: in contemplation, in mindful inebriety. Get lost. It is worth your time to find a way out.

"I am the silence that is incomprehensible and the idea whose remembrance is frequent.
I am the voice whose sound is manifold and the word whose appearance is multiple.
I am the utterance of my name"The Thunder, Perfect Mind

“The Maldoror Chants: Hermaphrodite” is available here

FFO: Behemoth, Secrets of the Moon, Deathspell Omega, Triptykon

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Conclave - "Sins of the Elders"

By: Brandon Green

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 10/06/2016

Label: Patac Records |

Lost Apparitions

Overall, Conclave are a band you should absolutely pay attention to if you’re a fan of the stoner doom genre and love bands in the riff worship category. They bring a refreshed approach using melodic/harmonized guitars, reverb soaked leads, soaring yet aggressive vocals, and highly energized drumming. Conclave paced this release very well, and I frequently found myself having riffs stuck in my head long after listening

“Sins of the Elders” CD//CS//DD track  listing:

1). (Intro) Descend

2). Funeral Fyre

3). Black Lines

4). Cut it off

5). Mammut

6). Cold Comfort

7). Sins of the Elders

8). Kaltas (Outro)

The Review:

In a world where it seems stoner doom is king; Conclave pull off their best work to date with an anger-soaked massive riff machine. I was lucky enough to see Conclave live in Boston a few times, and they were overwhelming with their stage presence, masterful song crafting, and beastly amp setup. It’s rare that a band captures their live sound on a record, and Conclave have totally nailed with this. With each song clocking in around 7-9 minutes, this is a doom release begging to be cranked. The album invokes visions of punishment, despair, hopelessness as you wander through the tomb-like atmosphere this album creates.

“Sins of the Elders” starts off with “Descend” which sets the mood using rain samples, reverb/delay drenched clean guitars, and spoken word before tossing the listener into a dark well full of pummeling riffs. “Funeral Fyre” is loaded with powerful hits and soaring growled vocals, layered with massive sounding distortion/fuzz. Jerry’s vocals really shine on this release, giving a melodic feel to the angry shouting style seen in stoner doom. His vocals remind me of the style seen from Tom Fischer in Triptykon’s releases. It’s clear the band has a fantastic handle on the genre and introduces their own spin with more variation, catchy riffs, melodies, and killer guitar solos reminiscent of 90s era death metal.

The third track, “Black Lines,” hones in on the more stoner doom sound of the band and builds up with crushing riffs and amazing drumwork. Dan Blomquist is a fantastic drummer, and the highly creative drum riffs follow the guitar work and add an entirely new amazing layer to the song writing on this entire album. “Cut it Off” immediately reminded me of early Crowbar with the slow tempo drums and a darker more progressive approach to the Sabbath riff style. When the chorus comes into the first solo, this song quickly became one of the highlights of the album for me.

“Aethereum” stood out to me with the low spoken word vocals over the crushing doom riffs and syncopated drums. The reverb/delay drenched leads in this song make it sound particularly evil mixed with the spoken vocal style. The alternating solos on the song were a welcome addition, and showcase that Conclave are far more than your run-of-the-mill stoner doom band. I loved this vocal approach so much that I wish it was peppered into some of the other songs. “Cold Comfort” grabs the listener in anticipation with guitar feedback and overdrive bass/drums to build atmosphere before the band crushes the listener with what they do best.

The title track, “Sins of the Elders,” was my favorite of the entire release with a down-tuned melodic Iron Maiden inspired riff which invokes feelings similar to the killer album artwork. The guitar harmonies sound great and really showcase the chemistry of the band. The harsh backing vocals in this song and double bass bring a welcomed dynamic to the band’s sound. The final song, “Kaltas” brings a calming atmosphere similar to how the album started using a reverb-laced acoustic guitar and subtle cymbal hits. An excellent closer giving the listener the feeling they completed a journey back to familiar territory and conquered the welcomed horrors in the depths of “Sins of the Elders”.

Overall, Conclave are a band you should absolutely pay attention to if you’re a fan of the stoner doom genre and love bands in the riff worship category. They bring a refreshed approach using melodic/harmonized guitars, reverb soaked leads, soaring yet aggressive vocals, and highly energized drumming. Conclave paced this release very well, and I frequently found myself having riffs stuck in my head long after listening. For $10 on bandcamp, you get master-crafted doom with a full 6 panel digipak with amazing artwork completely reminiscent of how the record sounds. Throw on some headphones, and descend into the bleak punishing atmosphere of “Sins of the Elders.” I highly recommend it.

“Sins of the Elders” is available here

Band info: bandcamp

FFO: Tryptikon, Crowbar, Electric Wizard, Windhand, (early) The Sword

Triptykon - Melana Chasmata (Album Review)

Album Type : Full Length

Date Released : 14/4/2014

Label : Century Media Records

Melana Chasmata, album track listing :

1). Tree of Suffocating Souls 07:55

2). Boleskine House 07:12

3). Altar of Deceit 07:06

4). Breathing 05:47

5). Auroræ 06:17

6). Demon Pact 06:06

7). In the Sleep of Death 08:10

8). Black Snow 12:25

9). Waiting 05:54

The Band :

Thomas Gabriel Fischer |vocals, guitar

V. Santura | guitar, vocals

Norman Lonhard |drums, percussion

Vanja Šlajh | bass, backing vocals

Review :

It’s been four years since Triptykon, led by the legendary Thomas Gabriel Fischer (Tom G Warrior), unleashed their debut album. The album was a return to form for Warrior, who had been much maligned for his experimentation and output since the more fruitful Celtic Frost releases.

As Melana Chasmata opens its doors, the styles and sounds of Fischer’s sound are evident in abundance.

Mirroring the sound of Eparistera Daimones, opener, ‘Tree of Suffocating Souls’ sets off at a rapid pace. Pounding and pulsating, it is glorious to hear ‘that’ guitar sound again. The real curve ball in the track comes in the form of the first solo. An almost eastern sounding guitar heightens the early interest. The tone of the guitar is reminiscent of the sounds utilised by the immortal Frank Zappa in the late 80’s. After a short burst of the more radical sound, a fiery few licks see the track settle back into its crushing, doom laden groove.

A gloomy bass and drum combo opens ‘Boleskin House’, before Warrior’s sullen and distinct vocal tones are beautifully complimented by the gothic-folk vocals of bassist Vanja Slajh. This dual vocal style is exploited more than once throughout the 65 minute duration of the album. ‘Altar of Deceit’s’ closing strains see Warrior’s vocal at its most rabid and vicious.

An early sampler for the album was put out in the form of ‘Breathing’. Different styles and ideas are employed for the duration of the track. There is the pounding death metal style that has made Warrior legendary, but there is a real sense of power in the shimmering riffs that are generated. Around the mid-point of the track, out of nowhere, the track descends into a power metal track. It’s this inventiveness and the ability that the band has to pull it off that makes Melana Chasmata a fantastic listen. The solo that is borne out of this section is furious and frenetic fret board work. Simply awesome!!

‘Aurorae’ offers a small portion of harmonic respite, although a great, and soaring solo finishes off a more serene moment amongst the album. Although ‘Aurorae’ feels more serene, it still has mitigating power. ‘Demon Pact’ conjures up all the imagery you would expect with such a song title. A menacingly high pitched noise is prevalent the whole time as the bass takes its place at the forefront of the track. The track is another high point amongst many peaks of greatness.

The reverberating thuds at around a minute and a half into ‘In the Sleep of Death’ is testament to the way that Melana Chasmata has been produced. It is with these skills, amongst the immense musical talent, that helps create the despairing and desperate mood. The vocal is extremely harsh; a few of the vocal passages would not have been out of place amongst Behemoth’s The Satanist. Drumming that sounds like a spiral down to hell is punctuated by high pitched guitar notes and a repetitive, pirouetting riff.

Penultimate track, ‘Black Snow’, is the longest track on Melana Chasmata. It clocks in at over twelve minutes and evokes the finer, lengthier tracks of Eparistera Daimones. Not for one second does the long duration veer from anything but exciting, and for sections, challenging. In particular, the shrill screaming that adorns the middle section of the track is wince inducing. Dense guitars begin the journey to the end of the track, with Fischer’s trademark, menacing vocals prowling like a jaguar waiting to kill. The repeated chants are akin to ‘The Prolonging’ from the bands debut opus.

A seamless move towards the final track is greeted with more tender vocals from Slajh. Her funeral march worthy bass is mournful for the first two minutes before the track bursts into life with Slajh’s vocals duelling once again with whispered, haunting vocals from Fischer. Repeated crashes of epic proportions break into more dreamy bass and ambience, before a cleanly picked guitar solo leads back to the repeated shoe gaze vocal motif, and devastating crashes. It’s an uneasy end to a fantastically crafted album.

Eparistera Daimones was a very long album, and as good as it was, it sometimes felt a track to long. Melana Chasmata has taken four years to come to fruition, and it feels as if Triptykon have trimmed the fat and refined the edges. Whilst also being a lengthy affair, Melana Chasmata holds your attention throughout, without a shadow of a doubt. 2014 has already produced some seriously good records. This is another one.

Words by : Dominic Walsh

You can get it here

For more information :

http://www.triptykon.net/

https://www.facebook.com/triptykonofficial

https://twitter.com/Triptykon

The Sludgelord News : Triptykon 'Breathing' single details and pre-order!

Triptykon's second album, 'Melana Chasmata' (rough translation: black, deep depressions/valleys) will be released on April 14 (Europe) and April 15 (North America), 2014, through Century Media Records/Prowling Death Records Ltd.

To commemorate the unveiling of Melana Chasmata, Century Media will release a collector's gatefold 7" vinyl single, featuring the album songs Breathingand Boleskine House. 'The Breathing' single will contain an approximate playing time of 13 (!) minutes and its cover artwork can be seen above.

The single will be available on March 17, 2014 via CM Distro and be limited to a pressing of 1000 units (800 copies in black vinyl and 200 copies in transparent red vinyl). As of today, you can pre-order the 7” from CM Distro at the following location: http://smarturl.it/triptykonCMD

'Breathing' and 'Boleskine House' will also be available as a digital single (including the option for a digital booklet), and they will be streamed on YouTube and Soundcloud as of release date.

Melana Chasmata will feature the following nine songs, at a playing time of around 67 minutes:
1. Tree Of Suffocating Souls
2. Boleskine House
3. Altar Of Deceit
4. Breathing
5. Aurorae
6. Demon Pact
7. In The Sleep Of Death
8. Black Snow
9. Waiting

Like its predecessor Eparistera Daimones, the album was produced by Triptykon's singer/guitarist Tom Gabriel Warrior and guitarist V. Santura and recorded and mixed at V. Santura's own Woodshed Studio in southern Germany as well as at Triptykon's rehearsal facilities in Zurich, Switzerland, in 2013 and 2014. Those who have already heard Melana Chasmata have described it as "atmospheric, dark, diabolical, and dramatic", "diverse, epic, and doomy, but on an entirely different level", "a fierce boulder of abhorrence", or "very heavy and yet very aesthetic at the same time".
Triptykon consists of V. Santura (guitar, vocals), Norman Lonhard (drums, percussion), Vanja Slajh (bass, vocals), and Tom Gabriel Warrior (voice, guitars).

Triptykon Live:
21.02.2014 Bergen (Norway) - Blastfest / www.blastfest.no
13.04.2014 Tilburg (The Netherlands) - 013 / Roadburn - Afterburner / www.roadburn.com
20.04.2014 Munich (Germany) - Backstage / Dark Easter Metal Meeting / Link or Link
22.05.2014 Baltimore (USA) - Maryland Deathfest / www.marylanddeathfest.com
06.-08.06.2014 Gelsenkirchen (Germany) - Rock Hard Festival / www.rockhardfestival.de
27.-29.06.2014 Dessel (Belgium) - Graspop Metal Meeting / www.graspop.be
30.08.2014 Wörrstadt (Germany) - Neuborn Open Air Festival / www.noaf.de

Triptykon online:
www.triptykon.net
www.facebook.com/triptykonofficial

Century Media online:
http://www.centurymedia.com  
http://www.myspace.com/centurymediaeurope   
http://www.youtube.com/centurymedia  
http://www.twitter.com/centurymediaeu  
http://www.facebook.com/centurymedia 

Century Media Webshop:
http://www.cmdistro.com

Source : The Noise Cartel