mementomori

Okay, just a clarification on the heavy issue: when I say heavy, I’m referring specifically to classic metal, which doesn’t have to be necessarily associated with bands like Iron Maiden and Helloween: let’s remember that heavy metal originally stems from Black Sabbath who, in an archaic and inevitably seventies form, laid the fundamental foundations of the genre (just think of "Symptom of the Universe")... if we then consider that good old hard rock has remained well-rooted in bands like Saxon and Judas Priest, the boundary between the two worlds becomes increasingly blurred... furthermore (this is my conviction), Cathedral draws from the entire Sabbath repertoire, including the eighties albums with Dio, where the sound was more solid and surgical, and therefore closer to classic heavy metal... sure, we don’t find eunuch-like high notes, double bass, and elaborate tapping, but when I hear certain riffs associated with specific time changes, the connection to heavy metal doesn’t seem so out of place... not more out of place than defining them as stoner, where stoner, in my opinion, skillfully combines Sabbath's heaviness with blues, southern rock, and the most mind-altering psychedelia, all elements that I don’t see much in the granite and dark sound of our bands... in short, when I think of Kyuss, Sleep, Spirit Caravan, images of sun, dust, desert, alcohol, drugs, and beat-up cars come to mind, while I associate Cathedral with images of a completely different type... it's only the Sabbathian lesson that ties everything together... in a more generic view, heavy metal is still a "strengthening" of hard rock; rather, in sound (which matters a lot) and in the gaudy iconography, it becomes more polished and plastic, which is why it seems less cool than the dirtiness found in the doom & stoner world... in any case, may Lee Dorrian always be blessed!

Sorry for butting in: I find the review a bit rushed (and at times misleading) for an album (actually 2) that deserved more words: it's established that listening to Cathedral is always a joy, it's established that having two Cathedral albums to listen to instead of one is 2 joys, and it's established that they always remain elephants no matter what genre they play. I find our latest work, if not sensational, at least more than good. Here and there, there are a few things that could have been developed better, but these guys show they've digested the very essence of rock and know how to spit it out in every form. Beyond progressive and psychedelic nuances, I find the albums very heavy, with great tempo changes, lovely restarts, solid rhythmic foundations, a solid lineup that is now one cohesive unit, and above all, a phenomenal (as usual) Gaz Jennings who churns out riffs as if he were a sow giving birth to eighty piglets... maybe it's just Dorrian who seems a bit subdued, but how can you hold it against Dorrian? And where is all this Brit-pop? Fully approved!

Hi ale9to, if you liked Dogs Blood Rising, Nature Unveiled shouldn't disappoint you either (it manages to be even more terrifying, although overall it remains inevitably more raw)... as for this chance meeting, which I find something exceptional, I can only recommend it, but I remind you that it sounds more free-jazz than industrial: so if you have issues with industrial music, you can proceed comfortably, unless you also have problems with more deconstructed and improvised avant-garde (like Peter Brotzmann meets Can!). Hi everyone (I apologize for the characters, but I think it depends on the operating system used or other computer-related issues, since I see everything just fine...)

Hi Lord, I've wanted to post your reviews for a few days now, if only because I finally come across someone who writes about apocalyptic folk, and being one of the major promoters of the genre on the site, I can't help but be pleased. Even though I detect a critical vein towards the genre (perhaps you loved it in the past, and today you see it with different eyes in all its conceptual and substantial poverty?), I'm always glad that it's being discussed... I agree on Wakeford's abysmal compositional qualities (he undoubtedly feels more comfortable in the song format), but despite that, I acknowledge our man’s merits in terms of atmosphere, passion for pursuing his artistic intentions, and ability to evoke emotions; for this reason, I ultimately save even less successful projects like Orchestre Noir... I’m not familiar with the fruits of the collaboration between Wakeford and Howden, but I almost bought the album in question at the CD stand at the last post-industrial congress... then, being short on cash, and having other priorities, I opted for something else... but from how you speak of it, I really think I would have liked it... I’ll definitely purchase it the next time I come across it... until the next review...

old the count, old the sound, old the controversies, I wouldn't dwell on judgments that ultimately remain tied to each person's sensitivity. in my opinion, the burzumello has written good works, has an extraordinary melodic talent, was original, even invented a genre, what more does he need to be defined an "artist"? regarding the matter of "affection," Polanski also tuprato a girl, but for that should I repudiate his cinema and stop considering him one of my favorite directors? and with that, I don’t mean to say that it’s wrong to do so, as in everything, I remain respectful of others' opinions. in general, I would lower the tones, it feels like I’m living a movie I’ve already seen a thousand times...bye

Hi everyone, thanks to those who appreciated it. I wanted to clarify some aspects in this comment. First of all, I feel I must say that this is certainly not my best review... you might have guessed, in its being verbose and scattered, that it was written in one go, without much reflection, just after a few listens to the album... I didn't want to tweak it but send it as it came to me, without many revisions, ultimately becoming a mirror of the count's work, which suffers from an arrogant communicative urgency that doesn't always hit the mark. Besides, I didn’t want to repeat myself (certain reflections on Burzum can be found in my review of Xasthur and in a comment on my review of Lindbergh Baby), but to express my candid and personal thought on a release that, for me, constituted a real event. That said, a note on the Vikernes man: first of all, it's impossible for me to separate the artist from the work, to the extent that the latter is the fruit of the former. Secondly, a character like the count can and should be a pain, but in the end, does he have to be killed? Norway, which I consider a very civil country, does not provide for either the death penalty or life imprisonment; it deemed it right to give certain years in prison to a murderer, and that has been paid. Enough. At this point, he must deal with himself, but we shouldn’t continue to judge him endlessly, otherwise, there is no redemption; otherwise, we truly become reactionary, abruptly abandoning the progressive stance we are supposed to belong to. For the rest, I don’t think Vikernes is a hero to anyone. For me, he is simply a musician who made good music; I listened to him in the prime of my youth, and those were the best years of my life. So don’t be surprised if I still look at the count with affection and naivety. Goodbye.

Hi fierogrind, thanks for the compliments. I've listened to a little of Spiritual Beggars (the second one, I think, the one with the pink cover) but I wasn't thrilled by it, and I can't say much more. As for the rest, I'm afraid I have to disappoint you: I haven't listened to grind in many years, and even back in the day, it never really blew me away, except for a few "enlightened" bands, like NP, indeed. But please don’t ask me to listen to and review an album by a grind band; the genre just doesn't excite me anymore, I wouldn't be able to listen to it no matter how short, and I wouldn't be able to talk about it, since, as I mentioned, I'm not very knowledgeable on the subject and I’ve completely lost track of the current scene. Cheers.

Hi nes...the album was released in a limited edition in 2004, with only 6 tracks, and it’s probably the version you have. In 2006, a reissue came out in a new edition, more easily available, with the second part of sex with sun ra as the seventh track and a bonus CD containing two more tracks (including the third part of sex with sun ra). Bye

earth covers earth is one of the early folk experiments by c93 and features some interesting tracks, some of which have become classics... however, it doesn't quite hit the mark; overall, it's a bit lackluster, but like all c93 albums, it deserves a listen... rating 3

So, on the industrial side I recommend starting with coil's "Horse Rotorvator" (and then following with "Love Secret Domain" and the two volumes of "Musick to Play in the Dark"); on the folk side with Death in June ("But What Ends When the Symbols Shatter?", "Nada!", "Brown Book") and Current 93 (I would start with the recent "Black Ships Ate the Sky," which is quite catchy). A work that I adore but that is starting to become a bit challenging is "The Gospel of Inhumanity" by Blood Axis... that's what comes to mind at first glance... bye.