Showing posts with label Post-Black Metal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Post-Black Metal. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Horeb (2020)

 

This project was really the outcome of a test: I learned that I could use a cellphone to record with, and I wanted to see what I could do with it.
This album was released a month ago, but I'm going to talk about it like it's already old, okay? Because, to me, it kind of is, but that's just because I make so much material, it's easy for projects to get pushed to the back of my mind with every successive release.
This album is getting back into DSBM/Post-Black territory, with somewhat of a 'Stoner' edge. I was finally able to kick the alcohol habit by replacing it with cannabis. The glories of CBD, its medicinal value, and the very fact that it made smoking weed bearable (even pleasurable) again after so many years is nothing short of miraculous to me. I feel like it gave me my life back.
Because of it, I've rediscovered enjoyment in music. It made it fun again, and I'm really appreciative for it. That is a story of its own, but it's just to give some idea as to what went into these recent recordings.

I chose the name 'Horeb' for a few reasons. Recently I'd been studying Judaism, Kabbalah, Jewish Shamanism, and the like, so I wanted something that would reflect that.
A lot of Stoner bands are heavy on the Eastern Mysticism, so I thought it might be different to do something around Judaic concepts.
That, plus I was thinking of Sleep's "Holy Mountain."
Thus: Horeb.


 
(Horeb - s/t)


Guitars on this album are all acoustic. Vocals were recorded about 3 weeks earlier, in the wintry woods outside of Sawyerville, Quebec. Originally, the vocals were meant for a different project idea, but that didn't happen finally. Perhaps it's just as well, because I love the way the vox turned out on this offering.



For years I have been recording in my living-room (Ha! see? I'm not a 'bedroom' band, I record in my living room! Okay, I'll stop...), and I've had to devleop a different vocal style that wouldn't make my neighbors call the cops out of fear someone was being tortured in our home.
This means that my real vocals appear here on a recording, for the first time since this happened.

As stated before, vocals and guitar were recorded entirely with the cellphone 'voice recorder.' It's a painstaking process, but at least there is a process, and I'm thankful for that.

Download at 'Name Your Price' (free or donation): 
https://horeb.bandcamp.com

Friday, February 28, 2020

Methysticum (2018)

 
(Closest thing to the actual logo that I can still find)

Methysticum is/was a 'Narcotic Metal' project, with two albums recorded within two weeks of one another. It may not be some of my best work, but it's still one of my favorite projects.

Lifelover is an obvious influence philosophically and practically (being composed while high on opioids), musically I also take my cue from the 'Slowcore' genre of alternative Rock. To my knowledge, I wasn't aware of any bands on the more 'Black Metal' side of things, who mixed Slowcore with Depressive or Post-Black Metal.

I therefore decided to give it a shot, and this project happened.

(that feeling when you do a split-album with yourself because reasons)


Funny story... I was talking about doing a split with this one band, when Agrimonia Black (from Tristitia Nigrum) told me they sucked and that I shouldn't do the split. I took his advice to heart, and backed out of doing the split.
Instead, I did a split with myself, making a 'Funeral Doom' project called MOLD to complement Methysticum.

Now, while I do like the Methysticum songs, I really like the MOLD songs, as I felt they really captured an air of dense claustrophobia (which, when speaking about Funeral Doom, is a problem you want to have).
Music for crawling around in a dank, wet, concrete basement in an abandoned building. Come to think of it, it sort of sounds like it could've been recorded there.


(album art caused a bit of an unintended stir)

The second album is the best, in my opinion. I like both of them, but the material is maybe stronger on this one, Methysticum solidifying its sound defined by the blending of 'Slowcore' with Depressive Post-Black. 
The choice of album art was kind of spontaneous. I was looking through images that would give the feeling of addiction in an urban environment. I happened across this image, and used it just because of the dread associated with it.
I dunno, some people thought it might denote racism I guess, just because the victim in the photo is non-White. Not what I meant to convey, but I suppose people will think whatever they're going to think.

After finishing Praise Addiction, about a week later, something happened to my PC. It's an ancient thing, so some connection in the line-in port may have finally disintegrated, or there may have been a complication with how the new speakers I'd bought were set up.
Either way, the end result was that I was no longer able to record using real instruments, nor vocals.

This was the last album made using real instruments until very recently (Feb. 2020 at time of writing).

Download at 'Name Your Price' (free or donation): 


Mediafire: 

Methysticum - some tracks (presumably from the first album)


Friday, February 21, 2020

Sun Won't Rise (2012-2018)




Back in 2012, after years of being limited in available equipment an/or technology wherewith to create music at my leisure, I finally got a cheap PC, installed a demo version of FL Studio, Audacity freeware, and plugged my guitar directly into the computer (line-in).
This newfound freedom to experiment musically, in combination with amphetamine/2c-b abuse and benzodiazepine withdrawal, gave birth to Sun Won't Rise. I guess one could say I used this project as practice, or a test. Once I became more familiar with the overall process, I would eventually decide that I should be doing music with more purpose behind it.

It should be noted that, despite my drug abuse/withdrawal, I was struggling to quit and get my life in a more stable place. For that reason, there is overlap between personal issues behind all of these projects, no matter what their intended spiritual focus (or lack thereof, in some cases) may be.


 
(photo taken by Jewel, in Sawyerville QC @ my dad's place circa 2012) 


It may not be much of a surprise, to those who know about me, that the first three SWR albums were recorded within days of one another, and all intended for different projects. It occurred to me that the sound was similar enough, yet the music diverse enough, to give the impression of a single project with an evolved progression across albums.
I took some time trying to find a name to unify them under. I spent days (no lie) high on amphetamines, scouring the dictionary, looking at words and definitions, noting the ones that I found interesting.
None of them were satisfactory, they all sucked. At some point, in my conundrum, I looked at the sun shining outside, and with typical Black Metal sarcastic cynicism I blurted out "Sun won't RISE!" as a joke. It made me laugh, but upon reflection I thought it sounded pretty cool, so it worked.
I used the artist name 'Michelle Massacre,' which was a name I had been using since 2010 post-AnHero.

Music on the first three albums was entirely improvised, essentially me making up riffs on the spot as I recorded guitar over the drum tracks. Vocals were screeched into a cheap microphone, consisting of me just 'throat-growling' morbid crap and overlaying the vocals with a bit of distortion afterwards. I wasn't able to do my regular Black Metal screams and wails (due to living in an apartment).

Not wanting the neighbors to call the cops for suspicion of violent murder-victims screaming, I developed a method whereby I could growl softly into the mic, but modify it later to make it sound like loud screams. This was done simply by adding a bit of distortion and echo/reverb, and finding the desired tone.

At this period, I was spontaneously creating albums left-and-right. Being constantly high on speed alternately with 2c-b, I'd often create about 2-3 albums per week.
Boom. That's an album. "I feel like playing guitar." Boom. That's another album. "I've been up for 5 days straight."

(photo from 2012, taken by (now wife) Jewel in Montreal QC, wearing both cross and baphometic sigil)

Eventually, I decided that my music should be used to greater purpose, rather than just give vent to my strange whims and nihilistic emotions. Ever striving to strive toward a spiritual focus, I put SWR aside in order to resurrect Rotting Serpent.

Many albums (and several projects) later, I brought SWR back in 2018 with the album "Not Here, Not Now." (Note: I honestly had no idea there was a Swans release of the same title, I've never heard it, nor listened to them... although, I've heard things.)
This album, while showing a continuity from the raw post-black sound of 2012's "Hang In There Baby!", undoubtedly also has better production and sound quality. It even sounds like the songs were written in advance (which they were not, they almost never are).

Musically, it's probably best described as a mixture of Post-Black Metal, and Sludgy Doom Rock riffs. At this time, I was influenced by Jesu and 'slowcore' music in general.
Instead of amphetamines, or other drugs, 2018 saw me developing an alcohol problem as a response to certain physical and emotional ailments (which I've been battling pretty much all my life). I hope some of that pain translates into my music at least, making some thought-provoking art, and possibly turning something negative into something positive..... or just negative. Whatever.

(photo taken by Jewel circa 2014, rare meetup and jam session with former bandmate and longtime friend Rémi Bilodeau)

Finally, the Metal-Archives Bio has been outdated for years. 'White Zion PRDKSHNZ' hasn't existed for a long time, and my 'girlfriend' is now my wife. It was a long road from 2012-2018, strange and interesting. It continues to be, even now, and that is fine.

Download from Bandcamp 'Name Your Price' (free or donation):

https://sunwontrise.bandcamp.com/

Mediafire links: 

"Ballads to Beckon the End" (2012)

"Hang In There, Baby!" (2012)

"Not Here, Not Now" (2018)

Thursday, February 20, 2020

Photosynthesis - Turning Toward The Light (2013)



Photosynthesis is/was a Post-Black/Blackgaze sort of project. Always meant to do more albums with this project, but it hasn't materialized yet. It has garnered a bit of recognition in the Christian Metal underbelly, which is cool. I often get better criticism on it.

"Turning Toward The Light" is dedicated to my two children.


Download it for free or donation:

Photosynthesis - Turning Toward The Light (2013)

Response to JTD's Comment

I couldn't reply to your comment, so I decided to just blog it instead: Thanks man, I appreciate your kind words. Rock on:) Yeah, we ...