Toxic Holocaust – Chemistry of Consciousness

Mar 31 • International News, Reviews, The Slumbering Ent • 2880 Views

Achintya Venkatesh reviews the new album from Toxic Holocaust titled the Chemistry of Consciousness, released via Relapse Records.

There’s nothing much to say about thrash metal that hasn’t already been said. Amidst all the endless discussions about the validity of the thrash metal resurgence and the musical merit of what is now a derivative stylistic niche, Toxic Holocaust have endlessly churned out very consistent material in the past few years, playing a style of thrash metal that melds the grimy nature of hardcore punk with an evocatively speed metal quality. ‘Chemistry of Consciousness’ marks the band’s 5^th studio full-length release after a slew of EPs, splits, demos and of course previous studio albums. The creative snobs that are finicky about the need for progression and artistic evolution of artists can stay away from this album wholly, as we see no such desire to expand beyond the sound Joel Grind has forged for the band, an endeavour that is almost wholly his handiwork. There is absolutely no need for every artist to seek out some sort of overtly ambitious artistic expression, and Toxic Holocaust is one of those bands that can lean back upon a candor-driven formulaic mode of action in a most enjoyable manner.

Grind and the boys waste little time with ambient intros and atmospheric dirges and kick straight into action with ‘Awaken the Serpent’, which effectively reflects what we already know about the band’s sound, but yet find ourselves clamouring for more. Infectious, catchy riffs are ample throughout the album that linger on in one’s mind, which are reinforced not by the strategic pauses and periods, but by robust and energetic riff ideas that do not seek out variation and versatility but instead direct their energies towards memorability and a street-level aesthetic. Songs like ‘Silence’ and ‘Acid Fuzz’ are a blatant exaltation to the Kill ‘Em All school of guitar work that amalgamated the pentatonic commutative approach of speed metal with the unembellished aural assault of Discharge and Charged G.B.H, not surprisingly one of many of the influences Grind channels across his prolific catalogue. On the other hand, songs like ‘Salvation is Waiting’ throw light on their comparatively extreme influences, ample with moments of blistering, tremolo-driven ominousness and an overall atmosphere that falls back upon syncopation regardless of rhythmic or melodic segments. There is nothing much to say as far as guitar solos are concerned – the implementation displays a certain adroitness relative to the sometimes sloppy nature of the pioneers of the early 80’s, and certainly has a ear for definitive notes as opposed to mere string abuse. The bass work of Philthy Gnaast follows through with the structure established by the guitars, and in textural quality is far too fuzzed out for it to be discerned as an individual instrument, as attested by the brief solo moments the album presents. I have no complaints in this department however, as it adds to the sturdy nature of the already crunchy riff attack. Nikki Rage’s drumming here is rather standard fare but well paced and executed, and the d-beats only add to the endearing quality of the album. Apart from the obvious proto-black metal leanings of much of the guitar ideas, the vocals are another obvious indicator of the same with their raspy texture, which changes as per the structural variations of a given composition.

In essence, ‘Chemistry of Consciousness’, much like the Toxic Holocaust catalogue at large, warrants very little analysis for a given listener. This is only a good thing in Grind’s case, be it his work in Toxic Holocaust, Tiger Junkies or his solo project. The album certainly enervates toward the end and one may find songs blending into one another, but any notions of monotony are kept at bay due to the brief nature of the songs. The essence of his music lies in its sheer simplicity and grittiness, and it is fairly evident that Joel Grind has no plans to expand beyond his already enjoyable current sonic mould. However, one finds little to complain about the album for the most part, and is really a no-brainer in terms of sheer head-bang value.

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The Mire – Glass Cathedrals

Mar 28 • International News, Reviews, The Slumbering Ent • 3152 Views

Deckard Cain reviews the debut new album from The Mire titled Glass Cathedrals (self-released)

Post- metal as a genre seems to have lost much of its sheen when ISIS left the fold and Neurosis for the first time made an album that might as well be considered a tad underwhelming by their own standards. While Cult of Luna’s Vertikal was pretty decent they are likely to go on hiatus for a good part of the foreseeable future. Rosetta’s last album was an exercise in insipidity, and so were Intronaut’s and Pelican’s. We are in effect left to look towards new bands to take up the mantle and so far, depressingly, nothing’s been all that forthcoming.

And just when you are about to capitulate and turn the page, comes The Mire. A band that seems to relish in its rather innocuous promotional method or rather its complete lack thereof. The Mire’s debut full length was dropped on bandcamp without much of a heads up except for the band mentioning it themselves. And probably that is indeed the charm. To self obscure, to nullify all expectations, devoid of all premature evaluations and to ride purely on the traction their ability to craft songs bring.

The Mire makes full use of this idea as Glass Cathedrals is definitely the thawing that the genre needed to melt off the slowly gathering icicle around it. Although breaking no new ground, the band incorporates the best techniques of the genre to craft an album that is not that hasty to be off into oblivion.

Glass Cathedrals is steeped in melody that one might ascribe to an ISIS record, but with a notch up in the emotive factor. The riffs take the angular jabbing route of Meshuggah while at other times it dresses up standard fare murkier ones with potent melodies, accentuating them.  Now this is something you hardly look for in much of post metal as it has always been about the atmosphere created. That cold harrowing sense of loss/longing that some of the records seem to conjure. Indeed it is all there, but with riffs that are memorable and contributive to the overall picture trying to be portrayed. This is especially evident in tracks like Trance Monolith and Dark Sun where the riffs cut and sunder. Another motif that The Mire relies on is its thrifty of use of “non-whiningly” emotive cleans across several songs. The interplay between the hardcoresque monotone vocals so typical of post metal and cleans that almost have an essence of the ethereal in it, works wonderfully. For instance opener False Idol with its seismic opening riff and subsequent harsh sections are followed up by a clean chorus that breath all things serene over the listener. The riffs and the iridescent cleans  when conjoined with a tight rhythm, steels and tempers the music at hand.

Glass Cathedrals ebbs and flows. Each wave an extending hand. Beckoning you to step into its waters and be carried off into its benthic beauty. An album which might as well be the clarion call for better post-metal or in a way herald to its revitalization.

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The glory that is Greece: a black metal revelation (Aenaon and Hail Spirit Noir)

Mar 26 • International News, Reviews, The Slumbering Ent • 3565 Views

Jayaprakash Satyamurthy does a dual review for the albums : Aenaon‘s Extance and Hail Spirit Noir’s Oi Magoi, both released via Code666 Records/Aural Music.

For a while now, France has been my go-to source for interesting black metal bands that push the limits and craft immersive, sometimes eclectic textures without straying from the cold bleakness that black metal is all about. You know the bands I mean. Well, economic collapse notwithstanding, it turns out that the seat of western civilization is emerging as another nerve centre for new and valid twists on the black metal aesthetic.

I probably skipped the previous albums by Greek black metal bands Aenaon and Hail Spirit Noir because both bands are described as ‘progressive’. Call me retarded, but when a metal band has the P word appended to its genre tag, I fear the worst. I should learn to be a little less gun-shy, because these bands are genuinely progressive, using imagination and technical skill to broaden their musical palette without missing out on the sort of thing you actually listen to metal, especially black metal for – you know, the wintry, misanthropic staring-into-the-abyss stuff.

Aenaon is relatively the more traditional of the two bands. Heavily distorted guitars, discordant riffs and the primary vocal style all firmly place us in black metal territory. But that’s not all that’s going on. For every satisfyingly forthright BM section, there are more expansive passage where the arrangements open out, allowing room for fresh, moody guitar and keyboard textures. The vocal style also shifts to something almost operatic and tuneful in places – and in a way that isn’t cheesy or upbeat.

With guest spots by a saxophonist, a cello player and a harmonica player, in addition to Hail Spirit Noir’s Themis on synth, Aenaon are able explore some pretty far-flung musical turf on ‘Extance’, but it never feels like they’re leaving the black metal ethos behind, just carving out new territory for it. Really, all I need to do to show what to expect is to note that Sigh’s mastermind Mirai Kawashima guests on one song, and it is easy to see why.

Hail Spirit Noir has a more kitchen-sink aesthetic than Aenaon, with an even larger percentage of imaginative, absorbing detours from the genre formula. Weird guitar layers, bizarre note choices, interludes that are from so far leftfield that they basically just teleported in from a different dimension – all of that and more. The vocals range from the howls and growls you’d expect to ritualistic and folksy styles and the additional instruments like flutes and sundry percussion – maybe a lot of this is synthesized? – add to the diversity.

If the typical traditional black metal album is like watching a grainy black and white horror film from the 1920s discovered in the attic of a defunct movie theatre, ‘Oi Magoi’ is like something from the heyday of groovy occult horror films like The Devil Rides Out, only under the decadence, ritual pomp and revelry there’s a grim undercurrent of real darkness. Maybe I’m jumping the gun, but I think it’s fair to declare this album a masterpiece. At the very least, it is a triumph of creativity and talent, all in the service of pure evil.

This is a great double-bill from a country that has seen better days, and an amazing start to the year for their label, Code666 records. Dark days await you when you discover these albums, and you’ll love every minute of them.

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