This is not a straightforward love
story as one might expect, but, as ENDON describe in the liner notes for Boy Meets Girl, a narrative is merely
abstraction set within a series of governing symbols.
Boy Meets Girl stutters the album to life, launching the listener
into a slab of squelching noise, whilst illegible wails hover high against a
lurching, stoned backbone of guitar. Heart
Shaped Brain backs up against the opener, following in similar vein, though
the pulsating heart of the former appears to have been given a shot of
adrenaline.
There’s a certain ecstasy to Born Again, even though acted out over
the course of two minutes. A minute of screaming gives way to looped electronic
textures, abstract in form compared to its preceding neighbours.
Doubts as Source, is the central opus of the album (11 of its 30
minute total). Its length and central position lends it an allusion to
narrative significance of the whole. Said narrative, however, is illusive. Nagura’s
increasingly erratic panting seemingly utilises anxiety as a form of
transcendental breathing exercises. This chaotic panting carries the song, morphing
into the cries of an infant child. This eventually drops pace into a sludgy
riff, before flat lining into a haunting, yet captivating noisescape which all
but collapses into unaccompanied tortured wails. The track is finally recovered
from complete self-destruction by the emergence of a bleeping electronic refrain,
carrying the event to its close and allowing ENDON’s story to move to the next
chapter.
Said next chapter, opens to the
sound of church bells. The church bells, with their recognisable cultural
associations, act to set a scene, merging into the fractured electronic, bass
laden stomp of Love Amnesia, its
vocal screeching suggesting alternative emotive outcomes to the event with each
listen.
Final Acting Out is a guitar led freak out, whilst Red Shoes feels mildly psychedelic
compared to the rest of the album, though in a dark Lynchian sense, and
disembodied figures mock our protagonist with laughter in its closing moments.Closer Not For You with its punky vibes feels to provide an air of
liberation and renewal to our journey. Story ends. Story begins again.
Though the albums’ narrative
(intended or imagined) may be glimpsed only occasionally, the suggestion of
such invites a new dimension to the chaos. In its extremity and abstraction Boy Meets Girl creates a structure unto
itself, reaching heights of ecstatic abandon and murky, unsettling lows.
Unless you've inexplicably managed to escape the constant airplay, you will most likely have heard Disturbed's cover of Simon and Garfunkel's The Sound of Silence. Here at DarkSmile,DeadElectric there are mixed feelings over the song, but in this vein NG has put together a pretty diverse playlist of rock and metal covers you may or not have heard. Enjoy.
Ten years have passed since the release of Cult of Luna’s Somewhere Along the Highway. To
celebrate this, the band has reissued SATH
(along with Salvation) on a limited
pressing of vinyl through Earache, and have embarked on an anniversary tour. Whilst
Johannes recently told an interviewer that this anniversary tour was the idea
of their agent[1],
it is a decision which has certainly excited a lot of fans (myself among them)
who now get both of this as well as their newly released album with the mighty
Julie Christmas, Mariner[2].
I was fortunate enough to catch them at Sound Control, Manchester and treated
to a fantastic two hour set encompassing tracks from Salvation through to Vertikal
II.
To help the band celebrate this happy anniversary we look
back on the album, one which I would suggest is their most important to date.
It is an album totally embedded within the surroundings it is recorded, as well
as their most intimate, expressing not only an artistic output but a creation
essential to the bands needs at the time.
Shedding some of the hardcore aesthetic of salvation, along
with some of its more self-destructive tendencies, SATH, though more stripped back, has a certain warmth. This said, it
is without a doubt that the cold-dark Umeå nights creep through into the music;
the warmth present is one pertaining to life echoing its rural background, some
distance from the more abstract and polished Salvation.
Salvation's abrasive
sounds at times seemed to protrude from the beyond, grasped through cracks of
dilapidated city buildings and industrial landscapes. It appears that Cult of
Luna didn’t quite cross over to that other space; rather they seem to have
glimpsed an introspective moment and were catapulted right back, back to their
roots, literally the landscape where they grew up. SATH then can be understood as realignment, a detox of both body
and mind, and in a way a searching for a purer, less refined, organic sound;
completed after months of intensive touring.
The album was completed over a period of three months and recorded,
mostly live by Magnus Lindberg at the Octagon Barn, Norrfors outside of Umeå in
the winter of 2005. The recently reissued anniversary vinyl provides some stunning
new photography and artwork as well as some additional liner notes from
Johannes.
In the current anniversary tour, this Salvation/SATH contrast
is strikingly apparent, choosing to end the first half of their set with the
blinding white hot intensity of Waiting
For You, before commencing Along the
Highway.
.
Opener, Marching to
the Heartbeats, sung by Fredrik Kihlberg, opens the album with sombre
feedback. It’s crisp, like ice crackling as the sun slowly makes its
appearance, placing the album solely in the here and now of the landscape. That
essential facilitating property of landscape feels prominent, and a long way
from Salvation (“To escape the suffering we keep our emotions at a distance”, Into The Beyond, Salvation). We are
witness to the embedded stories and interactions. It’s an album not just of the self, but of the
longing for another. Personal histories evolving in place.
“The sun, the light in your eyes, trapped me in a cage.
When you saw me you saw yourself.
We were the ones that marched and fell.”
This sense of longing is reflected in the ethereal
distortion that hangs over the track, the stretched notes seem echo a sense of
time and a feeling of waywardness.
Perhaps this waywardness is a disconnect between the internal
and the external, of body clocks needing to be re-synced with a natural cycle. The
return to their home town to record this album representing “[t]he longing to
find a home in myself, to find peace and tranquillity”.[3]
With symmetry of intent, the drums pen a simple heartbeat.
The initial aggression of Finland doesn’t take long to subside into a more tranquil state,
building to a precipice which it cannot help but plummet. It feels
introspective and considered. Whilst the recording of this album was completed
in a short space of time, any sense of urgency is not apparent. The moments of
heavy intensity and those quieter, tranquil ones here feel less diametrically
opposed, more fluid and natural.
A flicker of electronics around the four minute mark
conjures thoughts of some night time creature call. Perhaps the beasts of the Eternal Kingdom calling out. It’s an
eerie if not slightly unsettling call. Linked with the lighting in a live
setting to great effect, the electronics are more prominent and imminent, where
as in its initial recording, there is a sparse and facilitating aspect to
Anders Teglund’s flourishes. Recent addition Kristian Karlsson seems to have enthusiastically
taken on role with keyboard/electronics, which, since Vertikal seem to have come forward in the mix.
The drums feel very raw, for the most part, a long way from
the maximalist percussion of Hedlund / Lindberg on Eternal Kingdom. Lyrically
the track relates personal events[4].
Compared to the precise extended builds of Salvation, the beautifully textured
opening of Back to Chapel Town feels
more like an awakening of the dawn chorus. There is an odd, staggered sense of time
however, this dawn chorus quickly descends into night; the band in sync with
the seasonal cycles and the fleeting winter sunlight.
Though more loosely conceptual that the bands following
releases (attempting more generally to capture the image of the environs it was
recorded) it is of note that so many have made this connection, resorting to
allegories of nature to describe the aesthetic of the album. Perhaps most
recently by Jack Chuter “…tracks developed with the fluid inevitability of
plant growth and seasonal shift, repeating certain sections without the
diarised schedule of the city to hurry them along.”[5]
That is so clearly realised, stands as testimony to the
artistic integrity of the album, to its completeness. The video for Back to Chapel Town was filmed in the
location the album was recorded; depicting "a man waking up in a world he
doesn't know, he knows nothing of his past or where he is, people treat him
like air or are very suspicious of him."[6]
As with most elements of the album there is a thoughtful correspondence
between passages of sound, lyric and artwork. Here the dissociated lyrical
content of Back to Chapel Town is
captured in the cinematography.
As in Marching to the
Heartbeats, Kihlberg returns to centre stage. And With Her Came the Birds acts as both interlude and central to
the albums nature. Sonically it is the clearest reflection of where the album
was recorded and has an interesting back story.
“One day a woman emerged from the forest, she looked thin
and her clothes were ragged. She started to dance in a meadow outside of the
cottage. We looked at her through the window and made sure not to make any
noise that would have made her aware of us.
Later that night we recorded And With Her
Came the Birds. The studio was only lit up with a few candles and we
recorded it live. Magnus set up a mic outside the cottage to capture the
atmosphere. The temperature was just above zero and if you listen really
carefully in the first few seconds you can hear the melting water.”[7]
I had always felt it had some almost folkloric element to
it, though had not until recently heard its associated back story. Here, and
throughout the rest of the album, this rural setting in many ways taps into a
national psyche.
With a boom in popularity of Nordic noir over the last few years in the UK, I was always
reminded, when watching programs such as Wallander, of the provoking imagery on
SATH. It seemed to me, that there
existed a deep fascination of the rural countryside of Sweden, often depicting
those living there as isolated and archaic, perhaps viewed with slight
suspicion. Of course this is a popular fiction portrayed in most countries.
Here the modern myth takes on its own national hue and corresponding sounds and
aesthetic. Whether knowingly or not this girl and her birds, and “dead man with pitchfork arms” tap into these
ideas and weave into their own myths of identity.
Having been absent from set lists for the past decade it was
an extra treat to get to see Thirtyfour
performed live. A cacophony of drums fills the space of the barn on its
recording. This interplay of duel drummers reaches their natural climax before
cascading.
There is optimism at times, an elated feel within the track,
its peaks offer a heady mingling of electronics, guitar and drums, swirling crescendos
which provide momentary hooks.
As elsewhere in the album, these briefest moments of
rapture, quickly to descend to darker passages, like the fleeting glimpses of winter’s
daylight.
A sparse and beautiful track, Dim arises with a certain fragility, its layers build gently before
Lindberg and Hedlund’s drums are allowed to accompany as the track finds its
trajectory, continuing to take shape. Its transience allowing it to float
somewhere above ground, though managing to wrench at the heart.
At its peaks it offers such ecstatic beauty before returning
the listener back into their seat. If there is a contrast of light and dark,
night and day throughout the album, Dim,
despite its name seems to linger within the light for the longest, though when
eventually enveloped by the inevitable night, the skin shivers. You’d be
forgiven for not noticing the tracks length due to its immersive qualities; caught
on the breeze with the sounds.
Vocals roll in at the nine minute mark in line with the
intricacies of their depictions.
“From the skyline dark clouds move in. They shroud me with her cold
cover.
Eyes like daggers puncture the skin. Isolated in a room with no others.
Where do I turn when all hope is lost? Where do I find forgiveness?
My search for salvation has begun. To find a place where our hearts beat as one.”
The sense of dissociation found throughout the album,
lyrically at least ends Dim with an
agonistic implosion. It’s here that we find the artistic pinnacle of the album,
with its desperate searching and ultimately crushing poignancy.
Themes of male loneliness in Perssons lyrics, are embedded
throughout and provide a further conceptual focus throughout the album[8].
Sonically you feel wrenched at times, as notes are stretched, and space opens
between the sparse and raw interplay of instruments.
Electronics pulsate and interrupt, as raw energy is
unleashed and the track is forced to collapse on itself, its fragility and
impermanence once more apparent. The pulse eventually calming and slowing to a
close.
This steady pulsating heartbeat eases us into our closer Dark City, Dead Man. If Dim was our moment of light, we will be
ending in darkness. This massive track, moves with a speed fitting to its
density.
The momentum carries it through, unstoppable at times as the
eight strong group organise. With its many chops and changes, we are led
through dark city streets, offering unrivalled immersion.
For a long time this closed many a Cult of Luna set, and
perhaps for this reason it is best experienced in live setting. You are
required to give yourself over and embrace its oblivion. Its final climax is
one of sensory overload, white lights flash as the band erupts. I’ll let this one speak for itself.
“I let go and fall deeper. This will be the end of me.”
.
It’s the imagery (delivered sonically of course) which this
album conjures that really makes it an outstanding and important record. Whereas
conceptually SATH’s intent is more
loosely delineated, perhaps more humble, than its successors (Eternal Kingdom, Vertikal & Mariner),
it forms a cohesive whole. The overall aesthetic emerges from the sum of its
parts, and it feels that whether knowingly or not, embedded within wider social
commentaries.
If its aim was to reflect the environment where it was
recorded, then it is a resounding success. Whereas, its emotive narrative is powerful and
feels intertwined with this landscape.
This association of certain sounds with place or theme is an exciting prospect and one which Cult of Luna
seem to be adept at doing (at least over the last three “conceptual” records
they have yet to slip up).
That this association exists, points to the influence of wider
social influences. I wonder for instance whether I would identify such
pictorial references in non-western sounds? Or perhaps it’s just that my senses
have been influenced by a combination of graphic design, photography and press
releases? When it comes to aural representations of certain landscapes, I am reminded of the claustrophobic
post-industrial dearth of Birmingham envisioned by Napalm Death; or on another
extreme, the intentional Romantic creations of Grieg, who tapped into traditional
folklore and folk music to depict an idealised cultural landscape. It is as though there exist socially recognised correlates of sound, evolved as human histories are entangled with the environment.
The artwork itself plays an important role here,
streamlining perception and expectations of what sounds lie within. The hues of
greens, the eerie half-light of the Scandinavian winter and the vast expanses
captured in the photography, combined with the minimal graphic design put
together by Erik Olofsson. Olofsson acting essentially in a role of artist in
residence equally as musician (at least since Salvation), a role he has continued, creating the artwork for Mariner despite leaving the band in
2014.
I have always been impressed at how well the fit of the
album artwork, the colour schemes and graphic design have fit with actual sound
of the album, as well as the overall theme[9].
Here there is a certain complexity hidden within simplicity, as though Rothko
was commissioned to create an Umeå landscape in green white and black. This
visual imagery clearly plays an important role in the creation of a Cult of
Luna album[10].
.
The emotional intensity throughout SATH’s hour duration is powerful, though with its spacious and
organic approach it’s never claustrophobic or overwhelming. The dissociation depicted
is real at times, but with the reflective beauty of the countryside envisioned,
this provides only introspection which is, in the end only positive.
The outside world finds its way into the music, sending
shivers like gusts of wind in its darkest moments; bringing warmth and optimism
at its lightest.
With such on point symmetry throughout between sound, art
and lyrical narrative Somewhere Along the
Highway is a stunning and cohesive piece of work of audio-visual merit, its
poetry ever revealing upon further listen. A modern masterpiece.
At the same time an extended version of Marching to the Heartbeats, entitled Heartbeats was released as a download
with the intention to be kept alive by file sharing.
[2]Somewhere Along the Highway was ranked
#5 in Decibel’s Best of 2006 Top 40 (interestingly #2 was super group Battle of
Mice’s A Day of Nights (featuring
Julie Christmas) and #31 Made Out of Babies Coward,
so you could say this year’s Mariner
is a perfect anniversary collaboration). http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/decibel.htm;
http://www.earache.com/archive/cultofluna/Decibel_06_Top40_CoL.jpg
[3] On
the subject of extensive touring following the acclaimed Salvation. Johannes, November 2015, taken from liner notes of Somewhere Along the Highway vinyl
reissue (Earache, 2016)
[7]
Johannes, November 2015, taken from liner notes of Somewhere Along the Highway vinyl reissue (Earache, 2016)
[8] An
influence on this theme for Olofsson is reportedly the novel Life And Times Of
Michael K by J M Coetzee http://metalstorm.net/pub/interview.php?interview_id=376
[9] I
am reminded of how the bells appear from the blissful wave of drones in Crossing Over from Salvation, beckoning toward a pure white light of the beyond as
depicted in its cover artwork.
[10]
Erik Olofsson discussing the importance of imagery in the creation of Vertikal https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=149&v=02lZaL_0aSU
TOP TIP FOR THE HOPELESS ROMANTICS OUT THERE; FORGET YOUR POINTLESS OVERPRICED
MEALS AND SHITTY FLOWERS, TRUST ME, THE BEST WAY TO A GIRL’S HEART IS TO TAKE HER
TO A GIG SHE WILL MORE THAN LIKELY HATE. IF SHE MAKES IT TO THE END AND
RESISTED HITTING YOU, OR WORSE, STOOD IN SILENCE WITH A FACE LIKE A SMACKED ARSE, YOU’RE IN THERE.
SPEAKING FROM THIS PAST WEEKENDS EXPERIENCE,
FOR ADDED GUARANTEED SUCCESS, TAKE HER TO SEE THE HELL. SHE MIGHT FIND THE MUSIC A
BIT ‘NOISY’ BUT SHE’LL GET A FEW CHEAP LAUGHS IN THE PROCESS, AFTER YOU’VE
TRANSLATED THE LYRICS FROM METAL TO ENGLISH. YOU CAN ALSO HAVE A SOPPY LITTLE
JOKE ABOUT IT ALL LATER. WELL, THANKS TO THE HELL MY DATE WAS A ROARING SUCCESS,
AND IT WAS TOTALLY FUCKING IMPROVISED! STILL GOT IT, NEVER LOST IT.
SATURDAY SAW THE RETURN OF THE HELL TO BRISTOL, LAST TIME
THEY PLAYED HERE TWO PEOPLE GOT SO OVERWHELMED BY THE MUSIC THEY GOT ENGAGED WHICH
GOES TO SHOW IT’S TOTALLY POSSIBLE TO FIND LOVE IN THE STRANGEST OF PLACES.
SPEAKING OF WHICH, OF ALL THE OUTRIGHT RIDICULOUS VENUES I’VE SEEN OVER THE
YEARS, THIS ONE TOOK THE PISS. A FUCKING BOWLING ALLEY! WHILST THE BANDS WERE
PLAYING, PEOPLE WERE ACTUALLY BOWLING. TYPICAL BRISTOL
RIGHT THERE, QUIRK CAPITAL OF ENGLAND.
ALTHOUGH, IF THE GIG TURNED OUT TO BE SHIT, I COULD HAVE ALWAYS JUST TAKEN HER BOWLING
INSTEAD. PLAY IT COOL AND IT MIGHT NOT JUST BE THE BOWLING PINS GETTING SPREAD
LATER.
(DISCLAIMER: NO)
THE SELF-PROCLAIMED BEST METAL ACT IN THE UK RIGHT NOW,
THANKFULLY MANAGED TO BE MORE INTERESTING THAN THE TEMPTATION OF A FEW CHEEKY
HURLS.
THE BEST WAY
TO DESCRIBE THE HELL IS TO TAKE SOME VERY ENGLISH UK HARDCORE AND REPLACE THE LYRICS
WITH A VIZ COMIC. OUR AMERICAN READER(S) ? SHOULD BE MORE CONFUSED THAN USUAL BY
NOW, IDIOTS. SPRINKLE A BIT OF SUICIDAL TENDENCIES OR BRUJERIA’S GANG SHTICK (EXCEPT
THE HELL’S BANDANAS HAVE FALLEN DOWN A BIT) AND FINALLY COMPLIMENT THE MIX WITH THE FOOLPROOF
SLIPKNOTHEAD BUSINESS MODEL OF ANONYMITY AND VOILA! DICKHEADS. ACTUALLY NEVERMIND THAT'S TOO COMPLICATED, THE CLOSEST COMPARISON I
CAN MAKE IS TOWARDS FELLOW UK
HARDCORE LADS TRC WHO DESPITE BEING DEADLY SERIOUS, ALSO SOMEHOW MANAGE TO
SOUND LIKE THEIR TAKING THE TOTAL PISS. PRETTY SURE I’VE SEEN A FEW OF THE MEMBERS
PLAYING IN OTHER BANDS RECENTLY, BUT HEY, THIS ISN’T A GAME OF GUESS-FUCKING-WHO. BESIDES THE MAIN ATTRACTION FOR ME IS THAT THE HELL HATE THINGS THAT I HATE, LIKE DISTURBED...AND MILTON KEYNES.
BY THE WAY I WAS TOTALLY HAMMERED BEFORE THE BAND EVEN STARTED SO STOP READING NOW IF YOU WANT AN ACTUALLY DECENT REVIEW WITH THE SONGS IN THE RIGHT ORDER AND CLICHE REMARKS LIKE 'ENERGETIC LIVE PERFORMANCE.'
WITHIN SECONDS OF OPENER YOU’RE LISTENING TO THE HELL,
FRONTMAN NAIL$ SHOWS HIS APPRECIATIVE SIDE AND CALLS US ALL CUNTS. RULE 101 OF HEAVY METAL ETIQUETTE: BE GRATEFUL OF YOUR AUDIENCE. MY DATE IS KEEN TO POINT OUT THAT THE HELL SAYS ‘DICKHEAD’
AND ‘CUNT’ A LOT. I EXPLAIN THEY’RE FROM WATFORD AND THAT’S JUST HOW PEOPLE NORMALLY SPEAK THERE. I GET SOME BONUS POINTS FOR SHOWING CULTURAL AWARENESS.
DURING REALLY OLD SONG SHIT JUST GOT REAL, SHIT GETS REAL. ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WANKERS STILL BOWLING LEFT WONDERING WHY ALL THEIR PINS ARE
FALLING DOWN ON THEIR OWN AMIDST A FLURRY OF RIFFS AND INSULTS. WHEN THE BAND PLAYS NEW SINGLE THE FEVER, THE HELL ENCOURAGES US TO DANCE LIKE RIGHT DICKHEADS AND COPY THE MOVES FROM
THE VIDEO. CALL ME CYNICAL BUT NOT SURE I NEED TO LOOK ANYMORE LIKE A DICKHEAD RIGHT NOW. I’M IN A
CLUB NAMED AFTER A FUCKING SUM 41 SONG. MOST OF THIS AUDIENCE WERE ABOUT
FOUR WHEN THAT SONG CAME OUT. THIS OLD BASTARD IS CLOSER TO THIRTY. THE SHAME OF BEING IN A CLUB NIGHT DEDICATED TO EMO AND POP PUNK IS TRAUMATISING ENOUGH. HAVE MERCY.
SPEAKING OF OLD REFERENCES, THEY EVEN PLAY
THAT MONEY SONG THAT HARRY ENFIELD SANG IN THE EARLY NINETIES. MADE ME FEEL PROPER NOSTALGIC. FOR AUDIENCE
PARTICIPATION, THEY ENCOURAGE US TO LOB SOME CHANGE AT THEM. DESPITE JUST
CLAIMING THEY HAD LOADS. BACK TO THE DATE AND THE DRINKS IN THIS SHITHOLE COST
MORE THAN THE GIG TICKET. SEEMS IT’S JUST THE KIDS THAT ARE LOADED THESE DAYS. SEND
SOME OF THAT CHANGE MY WAY, I'VE GOT A TAXI TO PAY FOR.
MOST OF THE MATERIAL TONIGHT COMES FROM 2014’S ‘WORLDWIDE
NUMBER ONE ALBUM’ GROOVEHAMMER. POINTLESS BUT TRUE STORY. I WAS WORKING AT HMV
WHEN THAT ALBUM CAME OUT. I SOLD IT TO SOME IDIOT AFTER I SUGGESTED IT MIGHT BE
SLIGHTLY BETTER THAN THE FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH ALBUM THEY WANTED INSTEAD. YOU
ARE WELCOME AND HOPEFULLY YOU GREW SOME BALLS.
JUST AS THE BAND IS ABOUT TO FINISH WITH EVERYBODY DIES,
BLACK MI$T MAKES SOME JIBE ABOUT THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE HOPING TO GET SUCKED OFF
BY THEIR EX-GIRLFRIEND. WOULD HAVE BEEN FUNNY HAD I NOT JUST NOTICED HER.
THOUGHT I COULD FEEL SOMETHING BURNING INTO MY SOUL ALL NIGHT. HOW
APPROPRIATELY BOLLOCKS.
ALL IN ALL, VERY ENTERTAINING. NEXT TIME I’LL TAKE MY NAN. NOT IN A DATE SENSE THOUGH. OBVIOUSLY.
In dreams we can
transcend and transform, change perception and perspective. FromMars
to Sirius opener Ocean Planet
begins a fluid journey which weaves through dreamlike states and waking aggression,
contrasting swathes of alternating passages (sonically personified by moments
of crushing heaviness interspersed with calmer moments, fast with slow, loud
with quiet, sparse with intense), which make the listener feel at times
objective observer whilst at others immersed and involved. These changing
dynamics flow through the entire album.
As Ocean Planet
opens the album we are greeted by whale song. A calm before the storm, as this
slow burning track progresses with alternation between kick drums and palm
muted guitar with repeated refrains. Like a tumbling procession of waves
cascading, the narrator and listener are carried through oceans and waking
dreams alike.
Before long the two collide dragging the listener into the
currents below. The lyrical content seems to document an enlightening dreamlike
voyage to a receptive traveller; a confused dialogue with mystical whales.
For the message itself, it appears to be one of despair;
"The ocean planet is on burn”.
From Mars to Sirius
celebrated its 10 year anniversary in the summer of 2015. Upon release in 2005 the album received high
praise for its new sound; progressive, emotive, inspired, and conceptual.
Certainly upon first listen all those years ago I was blown away, it seemed
revolutionary and has managed to stay timeless, retaining nuances still
undiscovered to this day. Certainly at 67 minutes long it is somewhat of a
giant, so it is unsurprising that there is much to explore. It is worth noting that
for a lengthy album such that it is, the experience is never dragging but
continually refreshing and rewarding.
Regardless of sound there was another element to the record
which set it apart from its contemporaries. The fundamental core of the albums
narrative focuses on environmental concerns; the destruction of our ocean
planet. It is a theme rarely explored with such acuity within the metal
community.
The narrative, as crafted by lyricist and frontman Joe
Duplantier (in the words of D.X. Ferris writing for Metal Sucks in 2009) “…relates
an interplanetary quest to resurrect a dead planet. We’re talking life, death,
and rebirth on a grand scale.”[1]
The story manages to traverse a conception of dawning
awareness (to the mysteries of the universe and to the catastrophic destruction
of our environment), anger, despair and hope. As a journey it is one shared by
the musicians and the listener over the course of the record allowing it to
avoid any accusations of being sermonising. In fact Gojira rarely have felt
preachy, as with any form of art the content relates to concerns and experience
of the creators, and as such the quartet are well qualified to relay this
powerful message.
As we enter 2016 we stand on a pinnacle. Increasingly
extreme weather as a result of climate change is becoming a norm. Environmental
disaster seems inevitable as we fail to adapt consumerist and unsustainable
lifestyles and economic systems, with scientists warning that some marine food
chains are on the verge of collapse[2]
(the ocean is enlisted as a powerful metaphor by Gojira). Throughout From Mars to Sirius despair is
counterbalanced by optimism, perhaps for us in 2016 this optimism resides form
of the recent Paris climate deal agreed in the bands home country.
It is now that Gojira’s message seems even more poignant.
In contrast to the steady pace of the albums opener, Backbone explodes into being. “Indestructible” declares Joe Duplantier,
as the track jerks back and forth.
From time to time the pace is forced to a halt before the listener
is thrown into some otherworldly depths, as drummer Mario Duplantier offers
punishing assault of kick pedal as the track lurches between powerful attacks
on drums and abrasive, screeched / muted guitar from brother Joe and fellow
guitarist Christian Andreu, before returning above ground and to Joe’s powerful
declaration.
When interviewed for Dutch site Fourteeng Joe Duplantier
elaborated on the lyrical background of Backbone:
“…the lyrics are about I feel indestructible.
I believe that! When you believe in life after death, life after life…you feel
indestructible.”[3]
For those wanting their fix of easily consumed, crushingly
heavy tracks, the duo of Backbone and
successor From the Sky offer these
up.
Double bass provides the backdrop for much of the duration of
From the Sky, in part providing an
almost drone-like and ethereal quality to the track. The lyrical content here
appears to hint to the creation of the universe, non-dual in nature as alluded
to in traces of the bands philosophy. Bouts of intense emotion and wonder, track
against monumental slabs of sound.
The placidity and Zen-like qualities of instrumental
interlude Unicorn enable a moment of
contemplation and time to recollect after the intensity of what proceeded.
Moments like these were used to effect on previous album The Link (2003) with tracks like Connected
and Torii, the band clearly aware of
the need for replenishment when faced with such monumental music. The whales
reappear, no longer a powerful and threatening presence, but vulnerable and
majestic.
Where Dragons Dwell
continues the relative peace with contemplation and introspection, again
highlighting a further element of harmonised dichotomies present, of the inner
and outer worlds. The ability to meld such introspective moments into these
pieces is another reason the band are able to create such emotive compositions.
Throughout the albums calmer moments Jean-Michel Labadie’s paced and extended
base notes create an almost placid underlying calm.
One of the techniques used to great effect, is the
alternation of focus upon either drumming or guitar. This allows the group to
speed up or slow down the pace of the music, creating build before unleashing
powerful and protracted flurries.
In The Heaviest Matter
Of The Universe, rather than creating the illusion of unstable seas, the
opposing forces act to facilitate the stretching and bending of space time. The
themes of the cosmic appear in much of Gojira’s music (a particular favourite
of is Space Time from Terra Incognita (2001)). The opposition that they use can be seen to
relate back to the philosophy which threads throughout the record, one that acknowledges
the more recognisable vastness of space, to point toward the infinite here on
earth.
What is notable on From
Mars to Sirius however is the skill in which the terrestrial and
extra-terrestrial are weaved together in a single narrative, rather than
finding them stood in stark opposition as it at times felt on previous
releases. A literary analogy would perhaps be Ouroborus, a character who makes an appearance on successor The Way of All Flesh (2008).
The whales return once more for what is perhaps the masterpiece
and central focus of the entire album, Flying
Whales. Without urgency the first 2 ½ minutes of the almost 8 minute track,
rests comfortably as guitars and drums form a rhythmic tranquillity
interspersed with the language of whales. The conversation intertwines with
itself, causing ephemeral wisps to dissipate around the listener. As before a
dialogue seems to be uniquely bridged, you feel as both observer and yet bought
into the entire affair.
This is broken by one of the most memorable riffs of the
record. As the narrative progresses we are drawn to seek these majestic creatures:
“Now I can see the
whales
Looming out of the
dark
Like arrows in the sky
I can’t believe my
eyes
But it’s true”
Crushing riffs and double bass rage in jolting abruptness.
The musicality is always timed and measured, precise in its technicality and
structure. Skies appear to open up in the tranquil breathing space offered
toward the end of the track before returning to claustrophobia with an
aggressive closure.
In The Wilderness
is a top heavy juggernaut, exchanging the majesty and precision of Flying Whales with primal rage. The
world is alive and riled from its slumber by some angered ancient force.
“Living respectful
Low your axe
And learn from the
trees.”
Structured shifts in the dynamic of the song provide it with
a continuing renewal, demanding the attention of the listener. Closing in on
the end, feedback and distortion begins to build before being engulfed by a powerful
emotive riff (perhaps the most emotive moment on the album). With repetition
the sound gains momentum, feeding back into itself and providing a
self-sustaining power as it advances to its eventual closure. In the background
distortion seems to mutate into muffled screams of anguish. One suspects of the
forests, the mountains and the rivers, their voices on the wind for those
attentive.
The inevitable implosion of In The Wilderness seems to ring in the end of one world and the
beginning of another, if only in a fleeting, dreamed moment.
That dreamed moment is transcribed in World To Come which offers a glimmer of optimism. A vision of an
ideal world healed of the scars left by humanity which appears nowhere to be
seen; a living universe, vibrant and aware of itself.
It is here that we realise that our former journey has been
one of self-transformation. Only now does the real journey begin. From Mars relates this, and in doing so
offers a further temporary moment of peace whilst acting as a preface for To Sirius.
Screeched guitars flicker between monitors as Duplantier’s
growls backdrop the euphoric feelings of ascension which are induced in To Sirius. The final declaration of the
album rings out in the closing moments of the track; “This is my way”.
The conceptual journey closes with To Sirius. Closer Global
Warming summarises and consolidates what has come before and returns us to
the now, this world. Controlled reverb leads into technically pristine and
emotive tapped core of the song.
The song is carefully considered, heavy though never
reaching the intensity of Backbone or
the anguish of In The Wilderness.
Global Warming closes the album by solidifying Gojira’s
vision of a better world, conceived of and sculpted throughout the course of
the album, through oceans, skies, space and time. Though at times the outlook
appears bleak we end on a positive, if only a potential, a seed in germination.
“We will see our
children growing”.
The structured nature of the albums compositions makes sure
that the sound never strays to close to falling into chaos or sheer aggression.
What it does achieve is a hypnotic and immersive experience, with plenty of to
and fro dialogue, tumbling beneath waves and soaring through sky and space.
It’s a unique experience; one which I feel was never quite captured on
succeeding releases, though by admission it was never the intention to recreate
the conceptual nature of From Mars To
Sirius.
For example for 2012s L’Enfant
Sauvage Joe is recorded; “I wanted to paint chaos, you know? It’s like a painting
of chaos. It’s a deep feeling that humanity is destroying everything, and it’s
total nonsense. A lot of things don’t make sense in this world, and I wanted to
express this without really thinking if there’s a solution or proposing what I
think about it.”[4]
The conceptual, narrative nature of From Mars To Sirius however is one of its most successful
qualities. On L’Enfant Sauvage as
with The Way of All Flesh, whilst raw
emotive power is present, it at times feels as though the nuance and beauty
projected so vividly on From Mars To
Sirius is on occasion missing; lacking a vehicle for expression of their
message.
As we await the anticipated release of new material in 2016,
one wonders whether Gojira’s revised view will bring us a message of optimism
or despair. The jury is out.
Notes
The band often share information regarding environmental
activism which they are involved in or support, which can be found on their
website here.
Listenable Records have just reissued the album on vinyl and
have created a limited edition anniversary boxset available on their website.
Death Magic the third
album from electronic/noise/pop band Health is not something I would normally
listen to, yet after being introduced to the band by a former acquaintance, I
found both beauty and loss in its ambiguous lyrics and heartfelt style. The album
came to represent a transitional period in my life. Each song alluding to an
emotion or experience, consequently and accurately detailing what 2015 came to
mean to me. Whilst the album was released in August, the message
retrospectively coincided my life to the soundtrack it provided. For that
reason it serves as my favourite album of 2015.
It is January 2015, the dawn of the New Year. There is a
certain sense of foreboding in the air. One day in and I anticipate the year is
off to an ominous start. The dramatic and almost dystopian synth of VICTIM
intensifies this gut feeling, like something is about to go amiss.
“It’s not enough.”
This is how I feel about my relationship, something is
missing, and something has changed. Suddenly, a burst of energy, be it anger or
happiness. I can’t be sure. The aggressive electronics of STONEFIST give way to
Jacob Duzsick’s almost androgynous vocals.
“We’re possessed by what we’ve
lost.”
I determine we are both focusing too much on our previous relationships,
allowing how we felt about someone else interfere with how we feel about each
other. Dwelling on the past as if it has any influence on the present. “Loves
not in our hearts,” but we wont admit it. We will try and persevere. If something feels
right it’s because it is. Maybe it’s just me though? My mouth has always been
bigger than my heart. By title alone MEN TODAY is insinuating enough, the
chaotic tribal drumming ringing out like an audible interpretation of my
psyche, punctuated by an industrial soundscape of figurative warnings.
I wonder how we’ve made it this far? What is this leading
to? The complete reversal in tone of FLESH WORLD reaffirms that things always
have to get worse before they can get better. Besides, we still have the
physical side of our relationship, even if we have become emotionally
withdrawn.
“For what, lust.”
Yet something is building up, swelling inside us both, this
wanton urge to be able to be honest with each other again. Like I said, this
feels right, but heart and mind don’t always come to an agreement. This is an
emotionally unstable time in our lives. Somehow the physical gets emphasised,
yet simultaneously so does the now apparent feelings of mistrust which then leads to
accusations and burning paranoia. COURTSHIP II tells us,
“We’re honest when
we’re born.”
I agree. Only when we are young, innocent and naïve can we
address our emotions with subject transparency, before the heart has chance to
manipulate and distort the mind.
The sombre electronica of DARK ENOUGH serves as a internal
monologue. Our relationship has plateaued. We still tell each other ‘I love you,’
but its just words. These words have been subverted, now they only represent a trivial
game of call and response.
“Does it make a difference if it’s real, as long as
I still say I love you.”
We are now only remaining together for the benefit of the
other, not ourselves. When a relationship becomes more of a favour for someone
else, what is there to gain from it?
This is LIFE. We don’t know what we want anymore. It has
taken this long to realise that we are not the people we thought we were. We
both want different things; yet find difficulty expressing what these things
are. It is almost a revelation. Accepting confusion is healthier that suppressing
it. With honesty there is almost a sense of optimism or at least, content.
“Life is strange, but it’s all we’ve got.”
Still, the worst is yet to come, I keep reminding myself circumstances have to get
much worse before they improve. Accepting is one thing, admitting is another.
SALVIA is the dawning of the motivation I require, the pounding industrial
rhythm drilling the epiphany deep into my conscious.
We argue for one last time. But we are not angry at each
other, we are angry at ourselves, angry for not admitting how we truly felt,
angry at impatiently focusing on the future before getting to know each other
on a personal level.
It all seems almost foolish now. We let childish pride
and a war of attrition obstruct months of suppressed emotion and have now cumulated
in a broken relationship. Just like NEW COKE states
“Let the guns go off, let
the bombs explode.”
The battle lines have been drawn now. What can be salvaged
and what remains of civility?
“Am I stuck with myself?” questions L.A LOOKS. The
post-dissolution remorse and regret is now all I can think about. “It’s not
love, but I still want you.” But only because I don’t want you to be with
anyone else, not just yet, not until I’ve selfishly moved on. Ultimately, you have to
HURT YOURSELF in order to feel again. Love always comes hand in hand
with hurt and the heart always desires what it cannot have. This is where the
mind takes over, implementing rationality and foresight before regretful
decisions are made. The heart maybe wounded but the mind is telling me
everything is going to be alright.
DRUGS EXIST extenuates the finality. Now there is nothing
left but the potential for something else, something better.
“Live as you like,
it’s hard to know what’s right”
A year perfectly represented in thirty-nine minutes. The closing ambiance plays out leaves me to reflect on what I’ve experienced and what I’ve heard. It is January 2016…
Being productive and/or consistent with content was
unfortunately not one of my new years resolutions. I am the kind of person that
considers finding the time to have three meals a day productively successful.
That said, here are my top five albums of 2015, spare a thought for all the
meals I have missed in writing this.
5: InAeona – Force Rise the Sun
This album came straight out of nowhere for me, a chance glimpse
of an advertisement from their label Prosthetic Records could not have remotely
prepared me for what was to come, given Prosthetic's favouritism towards more
traditional metal.
After the first listen I was left staggered, what did I just
listen to? I couldn’t quite comprehend it, my colleague asked me to describe
their sound and I was inundated with too many influences and styles to give it
any kind of credibility. I tried regardless. Confidently I began.
“Imagine
alternative style metal, not unlike Deftones or Karnivool with a uniquely
talented female singer reminiscent of Bjork, add a prominent industrial/electronic influence and infrequent inclinations towards post-metal”….
*blank stare*
That has been the beauty of Force Rise the Sun, it presents
itself as almost genre-less and regardless of what genre you may decide to
pigeonhole this album into, there is no denying how massive the sound is,
especially for a debut. LeadsingerBridge
Lavaizar is able to seamlessly vary her vocal range between an almost ethereal
cry with instances of vulnerability, to impassioned screams. Her guitar work
often mimicking her vocals with similar impactful transitions of tone. The
dramatic electronics present throughout make this a very forward thinking and
modern sounding record.
4: Ghost – Meliora
Considering Ghost’s fascination with satanic imagery and
lyrical themes, I was left wondering if they had indeed sold their souls to
Satan to create music so undeniably gratifying and catchy. For all the
criticism the band receive for favouring style over substance, Meliora has received near
unanimous praise and not just from the typical metal media.
With Opus Anonymous,
Ghost delved heavily into seventies doom metal and deliberately exaggerated
satanic references. Their follow up Infestissumam was a more experimental
affair, owing more to progressive rock influences with elaborate orchestration
and choral arrangements.
With Meliora, Ghost have found their sound and
consequently, demonstrated their song writing ability on a whole new unholy
level. Meliora could be described as a more traditional metal album. The
outstanding production from Andy Wallace has bought the guitars further into
the mix, particularly on the heavier songs such as From The Pinnacle To The Pit,
Majesty and Mummy Dust. The nameless ghoul operating the keyboards has also
been allocated a more pronounced role this time round, transitioning from the
horror themed keys of Spirit to the almost Van Halen inspired synth of
Absolution. Meliora is a sing along album if their ever was a more appropriate
term. When Papa Emeritus calls out
“Put your hands up
and reach for the sky,
Cry for absolution”
Such is the power of the music, I almost feel compelled to
do so.
Lead single Cirice is certainly the most infectious song
Ghost has ever released, despite it also being one of the heaviest. A
riff-laden affair which complements Papa Emeritus III’s haunting, yet
objectively compelling delivery. Aside from He Is which could be described as
some pseudo-folk ballad, the album gives Ghost the increasingly metallic edge
that has been lacking from their previous releases. Beforehand, the affinity
towards the theatrical and subsequent controversy from the lyrical themes have
always taken precedence over the music. The references to Satanism seem almost
vague this time round, songs such as the aforementioned He Is, utilise creative
metaphors and wordplay to present the intended theme without ever directly
referencing Satan.
With Meliora, if Ghost ditched the costumes, it would take
nothing away from the music.
3: Dog Fashion Disco – Ad Nauseam
There is no secret of my love for Dog Fashion Disco. That
said, following the revelation that they would be releasing another album
with the surplus finances they received from their enormously successful crowd funding
campaign, I did briefly ponder if the result was going to live up to its title (I
would have loved it regardless). Ad Nauseam is quite simply brilliant. Dog
Fashion Disco are the dignitaries of the now, admittedly limited, avante-garde
metal scene. On the plus side… No competition at least.
The title track showcases DFD at their more upbeat, the
playful synth of Tim Swanson rings out like an early nineties game show theme,
if it not were for Todd Smiths regular lyrical excursions to the dark side.
Last Night Never Happened is more reminiscent of Anarchists of Good Taste and
gives demonstration to Smith’s impressive vocal range. One minute a sultry
croon, the next a demonic wail. Just as the tracks darkly sexualised lyrics
leave you feeling almost uncomfortable, Golden Mirage kicks in and completely alters the tone.
It is fair to comment that Ad Nauseam features
some of the most accessible music DFD have produced, the sing-along cabaret-influenced chorus of Golden Mirage had me tapping along quite contently. But you can never let your guard down with
DFD, as it is also fair to comment that Ad Nauseam also features some of the
heaviest tracks DFD have done in years. Covered in Blood, in particular
showcases the bands personal take on Thrash Metal and puts the spotlight on
guitarist Jasan Stepp with a rare example of his soloing ability.
Just as 2014’s Sweet Nothings saved its best till last with
End of the Road, as does Ad Nauseum with Starving Artist, which perfectly channels Mr Bungles 1991 debut in all its demented greatness.
2: Judicator – At The Expense of Humanity
2015 was an enlightening year for me; over the years I have
been guilty of predominantly dismissing Power Metal, never fully comprehending
the genres preoccupation with fantasy and lore. Imagine the chagrin when I came
to realise American Power Metal band Judicator had released one of the best albums of
2015.
Judicators At the Expense of Humanity is a concept album
detailing lead singer John Yelland’s experiences during his brothers fight with
terminal cancer. In abandoning the traditional themes associated with power
metal, the group has formulated a significantly more poignant and most
importantly, relatable experience. Yelland’s soaring vocals describe the
emotive and deeply personal account of the concept with so much passion that
you can hear the grief in his delivery.
There is little ambiguity to the
lyrics, the story acts as a detailed exploration into mortality and is easy to
comprehend. For this reason the album is such an inspiring experience. The
music puts the listener right within the story, I found myself visualising the
events detailed as if I were viewing a dramatic reconstruction of the entire
scenario. Any expression of indignation, fear, acceptance or anguish, I felt
too.
I have always ascertained that the best music originates
from the artist bearing their soul, music should appeal to emotions and this
touching tribute serves as the perfect eulogy. Rarely have I found myself
enthralled in someone else’s personal tragedy, especially not through the art
form of music.
Concept aside the album will still appeal to more traditionalist
fans of the genre. From a purely musical consideration the powerful vocal
delivery, captivating guitar work and atmospheric keyboards validate that,
lyrical themes aside, this is still very much a Power Metal album. Considering
Judicator have only been around since 2012, At The Expense of Humanity serves
as a testament to their talent. The bar has been set unfavourably high for any
future power metal release.
NG
Honorable Mentions:
Shining- International Blackjazz Society Faith No More - Sol Invictus Boduf Songs - Stench of Exist
