mementomori

In the discography of Death in June, there are many good albums that differ from each other, so my favorite depends on the time I find myself in... I recognize a higher historical value in Nada! and A Brown Book, but perhaps my absolute favorite remains But, What Ends When the Symbols Shatter?... but it really depends on the moments; at times, my favorite has been The Wall of Sacrifice, perhaps the most intense and harrowing of all, but really challenging, not suitable for every moment, indeed... like Take Care and Control, which I don’t listen to often, but when I feel like it, I adore it... while an album like Rose Clouds of Holocaust has never made me shout “miracle,” but in the end, I’ve listened to it a ton, and even today it often finds its way into my player; it never tires me... in short, it's a beautiful mess...

I won't go into detail about the album, as I've talked extensively about it in my review: it’s a great piece of work, but I wouldn't rate it with the highest scores. It remains undoubtedly a fundamental step in the journey of Death in June and in the definition of apocalyptic folk as a whole, but I find certain episodes too confusing and lacking in depth, even though overall the atmospheres are unreachable. The review is good, less analytical and strict than mine, but sincere and heartfelt, perfect in describing the band’s moods… The idea of linking Pearce to Mishima is also a good one, as he is a crucial author for understanding Pearce’s thought, but I’m not sure if the concept of the album is really based on him (for example, in "Death of a Man," there are also phrases from Jenet, another fundamental author)....

I’m inserting myself late into the dispute, partly due to a lack of time and partly a lack of inspiration (so, a comment for the "posterity"). Therefore, none of us here will ever listen to the original tapes, so let’s indulge in metaphysical speculation: the only thing that might detract from "in cauda semper" is that it isn’t a true album, released and destined (for better or worse) to clash with the dynamics of the music market of the time. If it was only released in restricted circuits within "religious sects," then it holds the same value as who knows how many other unknown home recordings that have never been published throughout history. In other words: who knows how many "works outside the world" (in all fields, not just musical ones) have been produced throughout history and never revealed. Of course, if someone makes music not for commercial purposes, they cannot be compared to those who engaged with the music industry. For example: anyone could have made a crappy ambient album before Brian Eno, but certainly, they cannot come here and claim to have invented ambient music, because an invention is not an act in itself; it must "work," it must have a propulsive force given by its artistic value or the message of its author. However, stepping outside this perspective, it is undeniable that, in its essence, in cauda semper remains something totally detached from its time. Let’s start from a detail outside of music: the cover. And this is a fact. But even if Bartoccetti had added some sound effects later, the significance of the album remains untouched, as the innovative charge of the album does not lie in those, nor in the quality of the sounds (let’s admit those have also been altered). What remains? It’s an experimental prog record, without drums (already a distinctive element), sung in Latin and Italian (second point), imbued with truly dark atmospheres unknown to the rock imagination of the time (third point). If the electric guitars are the original ones (perhaps less powerful and poorly produced), we still find ourselves in front of an author who, if not light-years ahead, at least capable of developing ideas that already existed but prior to the big bang of Black Sabbath (and this is possible since Bartoccetti was living in England at the time, and thus he could have captured the sprouts of a revolution in rock ready to explode). Even if the guitar had been added later (which I do not find plausible), the organ of Tiring and its mystical atmospheres would still remain unprecedented in the world of rock. In short, whether altered or not, the album remains something frightening to think was produced in ’69 and conceived and written starting from ’66. That Bartoccetti was a savvy marketer later on, wrapping his early works in legend to enhance the allure of his figure, is obvious. However, that he is a valid experimenter is beyond doubt, as evidenced by the subsequent albums of Antonius Rex, and in particular "Praeternatural," in which electronic equipment will be used that wasn’t even utilized by Brian Eno at the time. In short, the dispute over the alterations does little to diminish the pulsing force that resides in albums like "in cauda semper" or "tardo pede." At least, that’s my opinion. Bye.

I preface that my judgment is based solely on a hasty listen on YouTube of "too extreme": I have never heard anything worse, I swear that thing makes no sense... I read badly, terribly about this album, but this goes beyond the imaginable, and then they say I’m a pessimist.
I mean: a unique piece of crap, but: Morbid Angel still retains that aura of irrationality that has always distinguished them, and that has always made me love them... I mean: when "Formulas Fatal to the Flesh" came out, everyone was shoveling shit, while Trey was saying, "Fuck everyone, I’ve just put out the best album of my life," and in the meantime, laughing and joking, classic death metal was making advances, that esoteric/atmospheric death metal of which Nile would later become the Egyptian version's champions (FFF was from '98, the year of Nile's first album, which would become popular starting in 2000...). I mean: too ahead... and what if this time Morbid Angel were ahead? I mean: techno and death metal messed up like this, nobody has ever done it, stinging kick drums, nerve-wracking time changes, voice that’s lost its way, choruses that even the most pathetic nu-metal band wouldn’t produce, non-existent structures, Tibetan choirs appearing out of nowhere a third of the way through the song, only to vanish seconds later into the madness of Azagthothian chaos, with that annoying guitar buzz and those truly embarrassing squeals, drums that sound like a hamster on a forced exercise wheel after being beaten up the ass, I mean: unlistenable... but it’s too much of a mess to be just plain crap, it’s something monstrous that we can’t understand today, as always happens in the extreme realm (Napalm Death, Sunn O))), initially seen as jokes, then becoming seminal...)... I think we’ll reevaluate this album in 2040... I have to listen to the whole thing...

Hi rorix, I haven't read the book, but I read a review that spoke highly of it; I think it's worth it... ale9TO: no bullshit, from a stylistic point of view, he invented everything Burzum. However, despite the sonic agony, there's a certain "virility" (Norse mythologies, etc.), while with Shining, the focus is solely on self-destruction. Therefore, I consider them among the most important initiators of the genre (the switch is, forgive me the term, "conceptual"). Bye.

When I read the italicized sentences, I thought, "Hey, that's me!"... then I read that Roger Quigley is a man of few words, and I thought, "No, that's not me..."

february MMX is phenomenal, the purchase of the album is worth it just for this song, I can't help but dance to it like an idiot every time I hear it... then the album continues honestly, with some sparks but overall "normal"... I don't know how much it will grow with repeated listens, but it's certainly not a disappointment... I like the slightly rockier approach of certain tracks, even if then shadows is on another planet... but Ulver are now "friends", they've been making us enjoy since '95... well done...

But one cannot despise Tibet as a singer, especially because he is not a singer, moreover endowed with a "shrill" timbre that doesn't make him as appealing and charming as other non-singers belonging to the same scene, and not only that... but he has certainly managed to well handle his glaring vocal limits: at the beginning of his career, with the help of machines, he was a great experimenter... then over time he refined himself as a "storyteller," and from Island onwards, nothing can be reproached to him in terms of expressiveness and the ability to put his tormented poetic vision into music... and in the end, his voice is so characteristic that, for better or worse, it would be impossible to imagine Current without him... the fact remains that in this album, it is truly pathetic, but these are still the first attempts to graft his scant skills into a more musical and melodic context, obviously, everything clashes terribly...

sublime treatment...but maybe 5 is excessive for Boyd Rice....he's a pioneer, but he didn't exactly invent the wheel.....in any case, great review...I'm giving 4 to the review only because 5 for the album seems too much to me...bye....

Thank you untitled for the suggestions... tomorrow I'll take my time trying to untangle myself from the web of reports (and thank goodness it's Saturday, otherwise I would have had to take a day off........)