Review: The Birthday Massacre – 'Under Your Spell'

THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE

'Under Your Spell'

METROPOLIS RECORDS

Canadian darkwave band The Birthday Massacre have proved themselves once again with an amazing record. June 9th was the day that 'Under Your Spell,' the newest album from the Toronto-based group, saw the light, showing a more poetic side of these guys and that there are still many songs to be written.

The record starts with 'One', a childish yet sinister track, which recovers the magic from their previous master piece 'Happy Birthday' but mixing it with the experience and solid structure that identifies the band nowadays and the calming voice of vocalist, Chibi. Works perfectly as the opening for the album.

With the same style, a combination of soft rock and dark enchant, the band explores different sides of such a complex feeling as love, creating addictive songs like 'All of Nothing' and 'Without You', before the wildness of 'Counterpane'; TBM should highly consider doing a music video for this one, just saying.

The band also gravitates into a more electronic-based proposal with, 'Unkind', 'The Lowest Low' and 'Games', using metaphors to describe the ups and downs of an unhealthy relationship where feelings are one-sided, receiving just silence as a response. You could even say that there’s a romantic touch in the loneliness described, in both lyrics and music.

This disc wouldn’t be complete without a the darkest and creepiest song the band could have written, 'No tomorrow', which draws a way right to a nightmarish horror movie. Could be also considered as a spiritual sequel to 'Destroya', from their previous album, 'Superstition.'

Finally, to the best style of the songs for a film’s credits sequence, 'Endless' presents a more pop side of the band, recurring to the aesthetics of 'Walking With Strangers,' but always keeping their new voice and sound on top to give a retro, 80s-like sound that makes the listener travel back in time.

Although some might have expected a heavy record, 'Under Your Spell' bends together the best of the past with the freshest face of The Birthday Massacre, creating  a real experience that feels like you were swimming in a black ocean. Memorable. One of the best products this band has released so far.

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Review: Pig – 'Prey & Obey'

PIG
'Prey & Obey'
METROPOLIS RECORDS

Raymond Watts, the Lord of Lard, is just the gift that keeps on giving these days. After such a long time out in the wilderness it's great to see a return to frantic productivity giving long-time fans another hot meat injection and converting new ones with his porky perversions. The latest release in the current swine cycle is the heavy and rousing 'Prey & Obey' digital EP.

The heavy chant-a-long nature of the title track kicks things off in grandiose style with the characteristic guitar and pounding beat assault combined with subtle classical nods that never fails to get the blood pumping. 'The Revelation' follows up with a nostalgic trip back to his heaviest past collaborations with a KMFDM-style riff and growled vocals turning things up to eleven with Watts' indomitable panache. Finally, 'The Cult Of Chaos' continues down the same path laid out by its predecessors with another hard hitting lesson in proper industrial rock.

The EP is rounded off with three remixes courtesy of Leaether Strip and fellow Pig compatriots Z. Marr and En Esch. Each of which add some classic madness to the originals showing off the playfully demented side of the Pig sound in all of its glory.

Coming in at over 30 minutes this is a nice and hefty EP, and featuring not one, not two, but three original tracks is a nice change of pace considering most bands will pack an EP with one original track, one album track and a couple of remixes for the sake of it. This doesn't feel like a stop-gap release. It may be digital only but the three new tracks a just as strong as anything else featured on 'The Gospel', the production doesn't feel rushed through and even the remixes featured are very different to their sources so don't feel tacked on.

'Prey & Obey' is another great release from Watts & co. He plays with nostalgia and the expectations of the Pig sound, but still manages to create a strong, fresh and original tracks that can still knock your socks off.   

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Review: Black Line – 'Treason, Sedition, And Subversive Activities'

BLACK LINE
'Treason, Sedition, And Subversive Activities'
SELF-RELEASED

The coming together of two respected musical artists to create something brand new is often a joyous thing. Though these kind of projects are often loaded with pre-conceived notions rooted in their respective back catalogues, the end results can sometimes be much better than expected. Black Line is such a project. The legendary Douglas J. McCarthy (Nitzer Ebb) and musician / producer / engineer Cyrusrex, the collaboration had its roots in their previous project DJM|REX. But it became apparent quickly that their continually evolving and open studio/live line-up meant this was becoming an entirely different beast. Thus Black Line was born.

The result is a brilliant modern merging of one of electronic music's most recognisable voices, and cutting edge electronic music that melds glitchy rhythms, synthpop leads and sheer technical experimentation to create an engaging, high-spec and genuinely engaging album.

Songs such as 'Sedition', 'Keep Digging', 'No Crime', 'Shut It Down', 'Can't Breathe', 'Layers', and 'Changed' give the album a solid back bone of relentlessly catchy dance-friendly numbers that frame McCarthy's passionate vocal style with fresh sounds. But there is a deep experimental side to the album with tracks such as 'No Crime Prelude', 'Layers Interlude', 'First Moment', and 'Final Moment' showing that there is a lot more going on here than the intelligent yet dance friendly surface. The result is something that mixes the dark experimental edge of How To Destroy Angels with the sublime elegance of Noir.

The production is second to none. It may be a self-released album at this point in time but you could easily imagine a label like Mute or Raster-Noton unveiling this with great fanfare as it is. It's cutting edge, modern electronic music and is presented and produced as such.

This is a brilliant debut that promises great things moving forward the collectivised nature of the project can only yield unexpected twists and turns as they move through future releases. But in the present 'Treason, Sedition, And Subversive Activities' is a fantastically strong starting point.  

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Introducing... Borg Queen

Name of band: Borg Queen

Members: Jenny Kirby

Year formed: 2013

Location: Vancouver, BC Canada

“I was an alcoholic stripper who needed something do do to keep busy so I wouldn't drink so I decided to write some songs about my experience in the exotic entertainment industry.”

Borg Queen is an electro goth rock project from Vancouver, BC led by multidisciplinary artist Jenny Kirby.

Borg Queen released it’s first LP 'Sex, Drugs & Shiny Brass Poles' January 29th, 2017. The album is a follow up to the release of the 2014 single 'Lapdance Romance'.

Originally, the project began as a series of surrealistic paintings that were a form of art therapy, but has now evolved into a full blown multidisciplinary art project.

Borg Queen can best be described as, a one woman content producing machine! “She plays and records all the instruments and does the engineering and production. Each song has a corresponding painting done in large format acrylic on canvas. Borg Queen has evolved into an assimilation of all the different artistic mediums Jenny has trained and worked with professionally including, painting, animation, acting, set design, dance, musical theatre, production design and of course music.” 'Sex, Drugs & Shiny Brass Poles will feature 10 original paintings and 3 new music videos.

The perfect showcase of Borg Queen’s unique integration of mediums are the music videos, where Jenny takes a very hands on approach as an art director who also designs and makes the sets, costumes and props herself.

Intravenous Magazine: Who are you and how did the band/project come to be formed?

I was an alcoholic stripper who needed something do do to keep busy so I wouldn't drink so I decided to write some songs about my experience in the exotic entertainment industry.

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

It sounds like Annie Lennox getting gang banged by NIN, Depeche Mode and Marilyn Manson. I've always loved Trent Reznor's style of innovation and using sound design elements and audio engineering to convey artistic intent. I look at a composition like a painting made out of layers of sound with each layer telling an integral part of the story.

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

Trent Reznor, Danny Elfman, Hans Zimmer, Salvador Dali and Tim Burton.

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

Not usually, but if I do it's at events in the Metro Vancouver Area.

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

'Sex, Drugs & Shiny Brass Poles' and it's available on my website, iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Spotify etc. Pretty much everywhere except Bandcamp.

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

Making the music videos. I'm a visual artist as well and it's really the ultimate medium for me to work in. Also, performing at a fetish event Kink Fetish Night in Vancouver. That was awesome!

IVM: What are your plans for the future?

Put together a theatrical production of my live show to tell the story of Sex, Drugs & Shiny Brass Poles. Finish the EP I'm currently working on and do more live shows at fetish type events.

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

I have a new music video that's being released June 16th called 'We're All Whores'. The track is available as a free download on my website.

Links:

Website - https://www.borg-queen-music.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/borgqueenmusic/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/Borg_Queen

You Tube - https://www.youtube.com/user/BorgQueenMusic

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Review: Oxbow – 'Thin Black Duke'

OXBOW
'Thin Black Duke'
HYDRA HEAD RECORDS

Since 1989 Oxbow have been at the pinnacle of experimental rock. Blending noise, avant garde, jazz, blues and classical influences they have carved out an impressive discography of brilliant, and sometimes challenging, but always intelligent rock albums. It's been ten years since the band's last full-length studio effort, 'The Narcotic Story', and fans have been keeping their fingers crossed for a new album since. Finally though patience has been rewarded and the band have returned with 'Thin Black Duke'.

The wait has been worth it with the band a surprisingly ordered yet still characteristically chaotic collection of tracks. Much of the chaos is down to the irrepressible vocals of Eugene S. Robinson who often sings against the grain of the actual songs. Screeching, wrenching his vocals chords and delivering deep spoken passages as the mood takes him. It's almost like having a cast of different characters chipping into each track to tell the same story.

Sonically the album at first glance seems quite ordered and well-behaved, but there is a classical feel to it where elements erupt and build before falling away. Motifs are re-used and often small elements are developed and evolved throughout the album giving it the feeling of being a whole piece with individual movements within.

Tracks such as 'A Gentleman's Gentleman', 'Ecce Homo', 'Host', 'Letter Of Note', 'The Finished Line', and 'The Upper' show the band at their best. Maddening, captivating and intelligent as they play with genres, swerve into new areas and back again, and still keeping some semblance of a fundamentally catchy rock album at its core.

Despite having dissonance at their core, the production balances the crazier elements with the melodic quite nicely. But at this point this should be no surprise as the band have the experience and expertise to adjust their performance on the fly and find the cohesion in the parts of the song that may seem at odds with each other.

This is a welcome return from a band that has been sorely missed over the past several years. Their last outing, 'The Narcotic Story', may have been a tough act to follow but the band have delivered with this album. Long-time fans of the band will easily get to grips with this and it is a nice entry point to for new listeners as well. Let's just hope it's not another ten years before their next full-length release.   

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Review: Område – 'Nåde'

OMRÅDE
'Nåde'
MY KINGDOM MUSIC

Two years after their debut album, post-industrial/post-rock duo Område return with their follow-up, 'Nåde'. Blending diverse and sometimes disparate genre styles including trip hop, ambient, metal, industrial, post-rock, and classical the duo's first outing, 'Edari' was an album full of surprises that confounded any pre-conceived notions. The only real connection between this new album and their first is the track list comprises of eight songs. The rest is an entirely individualistic whole that conforms only to it's own unique vision.

Every track here is hard to pin with so many elements at work, yet it remains quite accessible in it's structuring. It may suddenly veer off into a saxophone solo, or fade into ambient textures, but the experimental tilt of the band is focussed and sharp, everything seems more assured in its use this time round. The result is some incredibly ambitious yet endearingly catchy songs with the likes of 'Malum', 'XII', 'Styrking Leið', and, 'Baldar Jainko' leading the way. But each track here is a master-class of songwriting, channelling a wide scope of styles and influences into something engaging.

The production as well feels more focussed this time. While the debut was pretty good regarding it's mixing and mastering to keep everything from sounding swamped, this time there's an extra power behind things that gives the overall sound a cinematic quality.

Where the last album may have required a few listens to completely get your head round it, 'Nåde' grabs you right from the start. They know when to get loose and crazy and they know when to pull it back. The result is a strong and balanced album that shows off some incredibly ambitious song writing and inspired performances, but also a solid understanding of what makes a fundamentally strong album.

Even if the words “avant garde” fill you with dread, or the thought of metal guitars intertwining with jazz sax solos makes you uneasy, you'd probably still find something on 'Nåde' to get your teeth into. It's another strong outing from a band that should rightly have big things in their future.  

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Review: Infernal Angels – 'Ars Goetia'

INFERNAL ANGELS
'Ars Goetia'
MYKINGDOM MUSIC

Italian black/death metal outfit Infernal Angels unleash their fourth full-length studio outing in fifteen years, 'Ars Goetia'. The band are a unit that evidently takes their time to write and record their albums. And individually there are some great tracks here that reflect that attention to detail, but is this the breakthrough the band are looking for?

Mixing black and death metal with a hint of dark ambient textures the band evoke the likes of Behemoth, Dimmu Borgir, and Vredehammer with their bludgeoning yet melodic structure. Songs such as 'Vine: Destroyer Of The World', 'Asmoday The Impure Archangel', 'Balam: Under Light And Torment', 'Belial: The Deceiver', and 'Beleth: Lord Of Chaos And Spirals' provide the album with a solid backbone of rhythmically satisfying headbanger friendly tracks with varying tempos but always sustained ferocity.

There isn't much in the way of variation in terms of the ambience hinted at that on the intro 'Amdusias: The Sound Of Hell', save for the great section at the beginning of 'Paimon: Secret Of The Mind' with it's tribal drums and ambient drones that erupt into a great riff. It would have been nice to hear more of that as it gave the album a little more depth.

Producion-wise it's a fairly solid to a certain point, but does suffer from a brick wall style mix with the melodies, rhythms and vocals all sounding distinct, but overall trapped and flat as a whole. It doesn't really attempt anything dangerous or overly experimental but focusses on the raw power of their core sound.

While there are some great individual tracks here, 'Ars Goetia' feels like it is lacking something as an overall album. The songs are strong but their doesn't feel like there is a narrative that ties the demonic theme together. No individuality conferred befitting the titles of the tracks, just systematic ferocity that, when compared to tracks such as 'Amdusias: The Sound Of Hell' and the start of 'Paimon: Secret Of The Mind', shows a bit of a missed opportunity to do something really interesting instead.  

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Review: Isis – 'Live VII'

ISIS
'Live VII'
IPECAC RECORDINGS

At their creative zenith post-metal outfit Isis were unceremoniously overshadowed by the media's infatuation with a fundamentalist terror organisation whose name was hard to pin down but nevertheless usurped the US quintet's moniker. This toxic association has seen the band's thirteen year legacy unfairly swept aside. But with live album 'Live VII', we are reminded about just what an incredible unit they were.

The album document's their Australian performances in what would become their final year of activity. Already in this series we've seen some impressive recordings – case in point 'Live V' featuring 'Oceanic' in it's glorious entirety – but this is perhaps the most poignant of the releases. While long-time fans may crave more from the band, this feels very much like a line being drawn in the sand, with a sense of finality hanging above it.

The set is made up of the strongest cuts from the band's final full-length studio outing, 2009's 'Wavering Radiant', which of course this tour would have been promoting. Though the band dig into the catalogue for crowd pleasers such as 'Wills Dissolve', 'Carry', 'Holy Tears', and 'Celestial'. The band sound their grandiose best with the instrumentation clear and resonating in live ambience, the keyboards sound phenomenal as they slide in and out, but it has to be Aaron Turner's vocal performance which rings through clear, haunting, and at times downright savage.

There is a rough edge to the mix, but as a live document this doesn't really do the overall sound any damage. The reverb, mixed with the quiet, but still present crowd noise, and the sometimes gritty natural dissonance replicates the live atmosphere nicely. The band's performance is on point throughout, even with the notoriously hard to reproduce 'Holy Tears' and really shows a group at it's height.

It's a bittersweet album really. On the one hand it is great to hear the band sounding great in a live capacity. But it does serve to remind us that the prospects of any new original material are low. But still, 'Live VII' is an impressive document nonetheless and a fitting full-stop on what was a promising career cut short.  

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Book Review: Olivier Peru / Sophian Cholet - 'Zombies, A Brief History of Decay'

OLIVER PERU / SOPHIAN CHOLET
'Zombies: A Brief History Of Decay'
INSIGHT COMICS 

I’ve never been a big fan of "Z fiction". Movies, books, video games… Not the type of content I’m used to enjoy, that’s it, but that doesn’t mean I’m not capable of see something good when it is in front of my. This comic was really good for sure.

'Zombies: A Brief History of Decay' is a graphic novel full of drama and emotions. Writer Olivier Peru isn’t afraid of playing with your feelings and killing every single character you start to like. It’s carnage at it’s primal look.

The story presented is far from being the most original: the world is about to end by the hands of the zombies, and human race is trying to survive the best way they can. Groups are formed, families search for each other, Friends try to protect themselves… I think you get the idea.

However, Peru plays with your feelings with no shame, putting all of his characters in different situations that make you wonder what is wrong with him, why wouldn’t he let things be just a little happier, but the truth is that life is not that pretty in these kind of situations, humans are not that simple, and 'Zombies...' is, first of all, a very human story.

Don’t expect to find a main character, they all have their own time and space in this comic, and each of them has something to add to the general plot. Because of this, depending on what kind of reader you are, you can either get lost among so many of them or see a bigger plot taking place on its pages. I must say I’m between both possibilities, ending with a love-hate relationship with this story.

What surprised me the most (besides the fact that this guy seems to be very friendly to have created something so cruel) is that even if you don’t fully understand everything in the beginning, the story is so light and fluent at that point that you just keep going on, page by page, until you’re so deep in this wretched world that you won’t stop until you’re done with it. 

To say that the illustrations are perfect and match the plot is just not enough. Graphic, no censorship allowed and with a visceral style, artist Sophian Cholet and colourist Simon Champelovier take all the risks to create a world as interesting as this story, working (almost always) with small panels that still have enough space for the dialogues and narrative. 

I had a problem with this at first, as I strongly prefer the art to tell the story by itself, but with so many words and so detailed graphics, I felt overwhelmed more than just once. As I said before, this is not my kind of reading, and neither the style I’m used to in comics, but once you get into it, things become more enjoyable.

The last thing I have to say is a big thank you to the publisher for this ARC. I’m sure as heck will be keeping an eye on both the company and the author!

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'The Heretics' releases its first trailer

Directed by Chad Archibald ('Bite', 'The Drownsman') and written by Jayme LaForest ('Bite', 'Gods of Accident',) upcoming horror film 'The Heretics' just released its official trailer, making it clear we're in front of an interesting project, yo say the least.

“'The Heretics' follows a young girl, Gloria, who is abducted by a man after he claims that a cult is hunting her. As Gloria begins falling ill and undergoing frightening transformations, we realise that the cult isn’t the only thing that she or her captor needs to fear.”

The film, which premiered at the Canadian Film Fest, stars Nina Kiri, Ry Barrett, Jorja Cadence, Nina Richmond and Will King. While it is shown in other to-be-announced festivals, feel free to see the trailer down here and wait for 'The Heretics' to come out.

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