Review: Dødheimsgard – 'A Umbra Omega'

DØDHEIMSGARD
'A Umbra Omega'
PEACEVILLE RECORDS

One of the most visionary bands to have emerged from the Norweigien black metal scene of the 1990s. The name of Dødheimsgard (AKA DHG) is now one of the most respected avant garde metal acts around and, at one time or another, has counted some of the scene's top musicians amongst its personnel including members of Thorns, Zyklon-B, Code, Hexvessel, Immortal, Dimmu Borgir, Darkthrone, Satyricon and Emperor.

It has been eight years since the band's last outing on 2007's 'Supervillain Outcast'. In that time the various members of the band have germinated other acts that all draw from the avant garde and experimental complexities fostered by DHG. Eight years is a long time in the music industry, but there has been a whole in the extreme metal scene that only, DHG can plug and their new album 'A Umbra Omega' looks set to do that.

Those who were expecting 'A Umbra Omega' to pick up where 'Supervillain...' left off will immediately see this as a left turn by the band. The industrial and electronic elements are pulled right back and the band's technical prowess is pushed to the fore across six sprawling and progressive-tinged tracks. It recalls the band's 1998 outing 'Satanic Art', however the sound is cleaner, leaner and the band find themselves completely free to let their warped imaginations run riot.

Tracks such as 'Aphelion Void', 'God Protocol Axiom', and 'Architects of Darkness' evoke elements of progressive rock, black metal, post-punk, jazz, folk, neoclassical and ambient distilled through demented vocals, frenzied riffs, blast beats and more sonic detours than most bands would dare to dream of. It is spellbinding in its skill and definitely destined to preserve that most DHG of traditions by pissing a lot of people off. Perhaps no track on the album achieves this better than the closing number 'Blue Moon Duel' with its schizophrenic construction giving way to full on prog indulgence.

The album is kind of all over the place in terms of its influences. But the band condense it all into a well executed and intelligently presented album which benefits from a strong production job and an even mix that allows each element to shine through with ease.

'A Umbra Omega' is a welcome return to service for DHG that keeps in their tradition of not keeping with tradition. It is a beast that demands attention, whether you like it or not. It's ultimate strength lies in its diversity as it continually forces a little bit more into the genre and thus take it to another level. 

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Review: HŮMΔN ŦRΔFFiC – 'Morgue Witch'

HŮMΔN ŦRΔFFiC
'Morgue Witch'
SELF-RELEASED

It has been a year since US electronic trio HŮMΔN ŦRΔFFiC dropped their initial self-released offering 'Digital Ecstasy' and have quickly established themselves in the time since as very sought-after remixers, lending their talents to tracks by Grypt, Apollyon's Visage, and Night Light.

2015 sees the band release the first single from their as yet untitled follow-up album in the form of 'Morgue Witch', a romanticised horror story of bleak and desperate struggle of self-identification through the eyes of others dressed up in pop-hooks and saturated in witchy electronics that yields a dual masculine and feminine vocal attack. In particular it recalls the quality songwiting of ∆aimon and psychedelic edge of Grypt.

A lot of criticism is levelled at “witchy” electronic bands for poor production values and purposefully underground/low-fi for the safe of it presentation. But not here. The band present a well-crafted and well rounded track that keeps one foot in it's underground comfort zone, but also strives to fully realise its presentation.

If 'Morgue Witch' is indicative of the next HŮMΔN ŦRΔFFiC album, then fans of trippy underground electronics are in for a treat. The song is slow but dance-friendly with its core rhythm giving the song a definite edge while the lead melodies and memorable lyrics, aptly performed, mean that this will stick out in people's minds. Hopefully we'll be hearing plenty more from this band in the next few months as their next album is released.

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Introducing... Rituals

“Our music was becoming increasingly dark as we were writing an album originally for SSFO. We really wanted to take these dark vibes to another level. We wanted to do something that hasn't been heard before, something new in a world lacking creativity.”

Band: Rituals

Members: Davie Ritual (Vocals), Aubrey Witchshade (vocals/keys), Tsugo (Bass), Lúkos (Drums)

Formed: November 2014

Location: Denver, Colorado

Rituals is the creation of the original members of 'Subsonic Fallout'. We as a group decided that SSFO's music was becoming outdated and regurgitated. That's when we chose to rebrand SSFO and to create, Rituals. In it's simplest form, Rituals is modern metal clashing with darkwave.

IVM: How would you describe your sound/style, and how did you arrive at it?

Our music was becoming increasingly dark as we were writing an album originally for SSFO. We really wanted to take these dark vibes to another level. We wanted to do something that hasn't been heard before, something new in a world lacking creativity.


IVM: Who and what are your primary influences both musical and non-musical?

I think our biggest influence musically specific to this EP would have to be Crosses. I like to think that the events that led to the death of SSFO are what created our movement towards this darker music. A lot of people would compare us to Motionless In White, Upon This Dawning or Chelsea Grin. However we are all influenced by a very large range of genres/styles.

IVM: Do you perform live and if so where can we see you perform in the near future?

We most likely will play the summit music hall coming up.


IVM: What is your current release and where is it available from?

Our latest release is 'The Court of Owls'. It is the single off of our début EP and isn't currently available for purchase. (https://youtube.com/watch?v=TUw4ji3n6sc)


IVM: What are your plans for the future?

We plan to be touring this spring/summer, working on our next release and hopefully some more opportunities will come.

Links:
Twitter - @officialrituals

www.facebook.com/officialrituals

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Review: Ambassador 21 – 'Killers' EP

AMBASSADOR 21
'Killers'
RVLT

Not many artists can get away with the ballsy move of releasing an EP for a track they wrote all the way back in 2009, but this relentless Industrial duo from Belarus have managed to make a stand to start their New Year. Their 'Killers' EP contains four tracks, all of which span from the last six years of their long career, and have been re-vamped in bloody fashion to make long term fans and fresh faces of the act take notice.

'Face Your Future Killers' starts up with a horn of Jericho, followed with what can only be hell in a digital hand basket.  There is no time to stop to take a breath as the track keeps an amazing pace, you may even believe a revolution is at hand hidden in the track. 'Turn Yourself' takes the Rolling Stones classic 'Paint It Black' and flips it on it's head, creating a track that sounds like Atari Teenage Riot being put through a meat grinder, except it has coherent beats. 'In Love' is as evil a track as the band will ever get. It's distinct Noize style makes for a fantastic change and it's rhythm gives a theme for the four horsemen of the apocalypse.

Starting on a slower note and building to a head-fuck is their old skool fuelled anthem 'Power Rage Riot Death'. Taking the obvious riff from Ministry's 'Stigmata' and ripping it to shreds with electronic claws, this synth beat is very reminiscent of acts from the early days of Electronic Industrial like Cat Rapes Dog, Swamp Terrorists and Revolting Cocks, but with a modern Gabba twist.
If you like your industrial hard, but not Hardstyle and love the good old days of the genre then 'Killers' will be a delight to the anarchic side of any listener.

Available to buy on CD, 12" vinyl and download via the groups' Bandcamp.

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Review: Prong – 'Songs From The Back Hole'

PRONG
'Songs From The Black Hole'
STEAMHAMMER / SPV

There is no question that U.S. trio Prong have solidified and impressive legacy over the course of their near thirty year history. Their minimal groove-laden metal framework has influenced the likes of Korn, Slipknot and Fear Factory. While tracks such as 'Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck' from 1994's seminal album 'Cleansing' has been a consistent favourite in metal and industrial clubs around the world. Since the band's first break up in the mid 90's they have had a couple more runs in between main man Tommy Victor's duties for the likes of Danzig and Ministry.

The band's last three studio outings have all been of a consistent quality that lives up to their major label heyday. So it is with a raised eyebrow of uncertainty that I press play on 'Songs From The Black Hole' a ten track album consisting solely of cover versions. Usually this kind of move often signals the beginning of the end of a lot of bands these days. Let's just hope that isn't the case.

The song choices are obviously informed by nostalgia as they hark back to the band's formative days with track from the likes of Discharge, Sisters Of Mercy, Butthole Surfers, Killing Joke, Black Flag, Fugazi, and Bad Brains getting the Prong treatment. And it is a a rather natural marriage. With the afore mentioned bands' influences evident in Prong's own sound Victor and co.'s versions just sound right, like this was a compilation of covers previously featured on past albums rather than a brand new offering.

In particular the band's takes on The Sisters Of Mercy's 'Vision Thing', Adolescent's 'Kids Of The Black Hole', Killing Joke's 'Seeing Red', Fugazi's 'Give Me The Cure', and Neil Young's 'Cortez The Killer' provide the most memorable moments on the album.

In terms of production it is as you'd expect from a band with a pedigree such as Prong. The roughness of their post-punk leanings sits comfortably within their groovy metal prowess and the mixes reflect this adequately. It has a definite gritty edge to it but doesn't make the mistake of trying to capture that lower quality 80's underground sound that features on the original tracks.

Whether or not 'Songs From The Black Hole' is a warning sign, it is still a good album. Perhaps one that's more for the hardcore fans rather than potential newcomers. But anyone who owns a Prong album will be able to get into the choices they've made on this album.

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Editorial: March, 2015

Image © Imago Mortis Photography 2015

Well I'm back from my travels in the Czech Republic and it just happens to be time for another editorial. Thankfully it is a short one as I'm trawling through a lot of work I need to catch up on!

Whilst I spent most of last week in the cold, but sunny capital of Bohemia, Prague. I, along with my girlfriend, did take a trip out to the town of Kutna Hora. The main goal of which was to tick something off my bucket list, and that was to visit Sedlec Ossuary, AKA “The Bone Church”.

This very small church is home to the mortal remains of at least 4,000 people. And these bones decorate the interior of the building in perhaps the most beautiful and visceral memento mori in the the world. The churchyard was declared holy land after earth from Golgotha was spread there by the Abbot of the local Cistercian monastery upon his return from pilgrimage to Jerusalem. This made it a popular place to be buried. Throw in a couple of devastating outbreaks of the Black death and you've soon got a lot of bones and limited space in which to bury them. As such older buries were disinterred in order to make way for new ones, and the bones were piled up inside the ossuary. The bones were rearranged and ordered in the way they are now in 1870 by František Rint, a woodcarver, was employed by the Schwarzenberg family.

Amongst it's decorations are a huge chandelier which features every single bone in the human body. Also the Schwarzenberg family crest is reproduced as well, even the crow pecking out the eye of a defeated Turkish soldier is reproduced entirely out of human bone.

It is somewhere I've wanted to visit for nearly fifteen years and it did not disappoint. It is a humbling and awe-inspiring display of macabre art in the purest sense. I highly recommend taking the time to visit if you're ever in the Czech Republic.

Finally, in case you haven't seen it yet, we launched our second free digital compilation on 1st January 2015 to coincide with our second birthday as a website.

You can download all fifteen tracks for free at out bandcamp page.

Once again, make sure you have these links in your favourites:

http://www.intravenousmag.co.uk

http://ivmagzine.tumblr.com/

https://twitter.com/IntravenousMag

http://www.facebook.com/IVMagazine

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Introducing... IX

“We tend to favour a feel or atmosphere rather than an obvious hummable tune on many tracks and overall, our sound is born of a love of sci-fi, films and cult TV with lots of synths and samples.”

Name of band: IX (pronounced Icks)
Members: Darren Esp, Iain Laskey
Year formed: 2013
Location: Chelsmford & Great Wakering, Essex, UK

Formed in the summer of 2013 IX has its roots in a friendship that dates all the way back to the 1980s, a decade that has a clear influence on their music today.

Their long term plans to put aside commercial ambition in favour of building a body of recorded works, and growing a reputation as champions of electronic music production without falling into the dance music category, seems to fly in the face of convention.

With a core membership of just two, IX intend to draft in additional musicians, vocalists, and song writing collaborators of interest as they expand their catalogue of releases.

Taking inspiration from eclectic sources such as vintage TV / movies, science fiction writing and pretty much all genres of music, IX aim to produce polished musical works that interest and intrigue while defying normal genre comparisons.

IVM: How would you describe your sound/style, and how did you arrive at it? 

We tend to go with 'progressive electronic rock' but style wise, we gravitate towards filmic soundscapes and mood pieces as well as more rhythm driven tracks. We tend to favour a feel or atmosphere rather than an obvious hummable tune on many tracks and overall, our sound is born of a love of sci-fi, films and cult TV with lots of synths and samples.


IVM: Who and what are your primary influences both musical and non-musical? 

Vangelis, Pink Floyd, Front Line Assembly, Tangerine Dream, Massive Attack, Recoil, Nine Inch Nails to name but a few. Outside of music, we like anything that involves imagination, introspection, emotions and technology. Lots of technology.


IVM: Do you perform live and if so where can we see you perform in the near future? 

Not yet but we are working on finding the best way to achieve what we do live without sacrificing the quality.


IVM: What is your current release and where is it available from? 

'System VII'. Available from pretty much everywhere - Digitally, you have iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, Spotify etc. You can stream it and order CD and even Minidisc copies at http://ixband.bandcamp.com/releases


IVM: What have been the highlights of your career so far? 

Probably being featured in the Observer as one of the hidden gems of 2014 http://www.theguardian.com/music/gallery/2014/dec/23/observer-readers-hidden-gems-of-2014. Getting the first album out the door and seeing it recognised in Shazam was pretty cool too!


IVM: What are your plans for the future? 

Our next album, '7302' is due out soon and we are working on the next three in tandem. We are exploring how we might be able to play live and are looking to work with some third parties who have shown an interest in remixing some of our tracks.


IVM: Finally, is there anything that you would like to add? 

We can provide BandCamp codes if you wanted to download a digital copy of 'System VII'.


Links:

www.ixband.co.uk
www.reverbnation.com/ixband
soundcloud.com/ix_band
ixband.bandcamp.com/releases 

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More acts announced for WGT 2015

Wave Gotik Treffen festival has announced the a slew of new acts that will be playing the event in Leipzig, Germany this year. Artists announced so far:

Accessory (D) - Agent Side Grinder (S) - Antimatter (GB) acoustic and electric performance - Ash code (I) - Ashes You Leave (HR) - Ashram (I) - Astari Nite (USA ) - Automelodi (CDN) - Blood And Sun (USA) - Cromdale (D) - Dupont (S) - Eisregen (D) - Empathy test (GB) - Esa (GB) - Escape With Romeo (D) - Evi Vine (GB) - Fields Of The Nephilim (GB) Concert 30th Anniversary - Fixmer / McCarthy (F / GB) -Ghosts Of Dawn (D) - Grendel (NL) - Harmjoy (D / USA) - Jo Quail (GB) - Keluar (D / GB) - King Dude (USA) - Klutae (DK) - L'ame Immortelle (A) - Lisa Cuthbert (IRL) - Mortho- (S) - Mushroom's Patience (I) - Nosferatu (GB) - NZ (A) - ORPHX (CDN) - Otto Dix (RUS) -Polaroid Kiss (GB) - Rezurex (USA ) - Roma Amor (I) - Samsas dream (D) - Sólstafir (IS) - Snog (AUS) - Sol Invictus (GB) play the album "In The Rain" - Soror Dolorosa (F) - Sweet Ermengarde (D) - Terror frequency (D) - They Other (D) - The Present Moment (USA) - They Saint Paul (D) - Twhere Witches (FIN) - Unterschicht (D) - Unto Ashes (USA) -

The festival will take place this year from 22nd May until 25th May. For more information please visit the official Wave Gotik Treffen website.  

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Amphi festival line-up complete!

The final band for this year's Amphi Festival has been announced as Lebanon Hanover. The post-punk duo joins an already strong roster that includes And One, VNV Nation, Front 242, Diary Of Dreams and The Mission, plus many more.

The festival will take place on the 25^th and 26^th July in Cologne, Germany. Tickets and running orders are available now on the official Amphi Festival website.

Full Line-up:

AND ONE

VNV NATION
FRONT 242 – THE MISSION – DIARY OF DREAMS – OOMPH! – DAF –
COMBICHRIST – GOETHES ERBEN – AGONOIZE – THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE –
SAMSAS TRAUM – WELLE:ERDBALL – THE CRÜXSHADOWS – [:SITD:] –
DAS ICH – WESSELSKY – ZERAPHINE – NEUROTICFISH – DIORAMA – S.P.O.C.K –
STAHLMANN – [X]-RX – QNTAL – ROME – RABIA SORDA – THE CREEPSHOW –
INKUBUS SUKKUBUS – LEBANON HANOVER – CENTHRON – PATENBRIGADE: WOLFF – DARKHAUS – SCHÖNGEIST – HENRIC DE LA COUR – DER TOD (DEATH COMEDY) –
CHROM – DER FLUCH – FOLK NOIR – EUZEN – SONJA KRAUSHOFER – ÆON SABLE –
THE DEVIL & THE UNIVERSE – POKÆMON REAKTOR – ALEXANDER KASCHTE –
CHRISTIAN VON ASTER + supporting programme soon

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Review: G.L.O.W. – 'Emotions' / 'Myths And Legends'

G.L.O.W.
'Emotions' / 'Myths And Legends'
SELF-RELEASED

G.L.O.W. AKA General Language of Oscillating Wisdom is the solo musical vehicle of South African artist Richard Wheeler. With its feet firmly in the ebm genre, G.L.O.W. is crammed full of melodic synth leads and big dance friendly beats but maintains a darker electro-industrial edge throughout. With two albums under his belt so far in the forms of 'Emotions' and 'Myths And Legends', Wheeler is steadily building his presence not only in his native scene, but also further afield.

'Emotions' is Wheeler's first full length outing under the G.L.O.W. moniker. Recalling acts such as Icon Of Coil, Grendel and VNV Nation songs such as 'Anger', 'Find A Way Out', 'Levitate', 'Perpetuation' and 'Plastic' provide the album with a solid backbone of strong rhythmically pleasing ebm. There is always an experimental edge to the tracks as well with Wheeler throwing in industrial, trip-hop, synthpop and even dubstep elements into the tracks to keep things fresh.

It's a fairly solid album with some interesting musical directions followed. But it is let down by the production, which is flat and very rough. And that is a major shame as 'Emotions', as a first outing displays a lot of promise.

Fast-forward to 'Myths And Legends' and we see wheeler pushing a far more polished product in order to solidify his presence. Again the influences of Icon Of Coil, Grendel and VNV Nation are plain to here across songs like 'Aigamuchab', 'Flying Dutchman (Final Quest)', 'Impundulu', 'Mafeking Terrace' and 'Yisipoki'. There are even a few world music influences thrown in that really elevate the quality of the song writing.

Again the quality of the production is an issue. Although there is a noticeable improvement over 'Emotions', it is still not as strong as it could be. In particular the way the vocals are mixed doesn't sit right and sometimes the top end of the tracks just swamps the rest of the mix. However as a natural progression from the first album 'Myths And Legends' is a step in the right direction with its stronger song-writing and slicker execution.

G.L.O.W. may still be making its first steps as an act, but across both 'Emotions' and 'Myths And Legends' there is a strong sense of the individuality of Wheeler's sound and a noticeable progression in the quality of the songs. Held back only by the limited production, there is a lot of potential on display here that will hopefully be realised on a third outing.  

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